ompson
was giving his order when King walked in. She looked surprised, but
joined him at his gesture and ordered her usual Spanish omelet, toast,
and coffee. It wouldn't be quite like the same items on any other
world, but it was always how she started the day.

When their food came and Thompson cleaned his plate, then signalled for
a second helping while she was barely halfway through, King gave her
commanding officer a quizzical look. "Is everything all right, Cap?"

"Fine, as far as I know," Thompson said. "I'm just hungry."

"Hungry enough to eat two breakfasts when you normally don't eat any."
King frowned. "Cap--did Carlo pull you away before that detective
chief got her fangs into you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because some of the tapes I dug out--not the ones her Ladyship left
for me--say that some susceptibles get hungrier than usual after
they've become infected. But if she didn't bite you, you can't be
infected."

Thompson set down the coffee cup he'd just picked up, an unpleasant
thought forming. "I . . . don't know about that," he said slowly. "I
may have a nasty mind, but I can't forget that our gracious hostess
used to be a field agent."

"And field agents don't exactly have the same standards as the rest of
the Imperial services." King hesitated. "Cap, you don't think she'd--"

"That's exactly what I do think." The Count couldn't force him, no,
but a field agent would feel perfectly justified in tricking him, if
the stakes were high enough. "I'm not sure whether it was her primary
plan or a backup, but thinking back, she could very well have laced
that beer with virus. With you not susceptible and the rest of her
guests being Kins already, I'm the only one it would have any effect
on."

King chuckled. "That makes sense, Cap--but if so, it backfired on her.
According to the tapes, the ones who get the hungries may become
high-class Donors when they're weakened for the Change, but they don't
become Kins."

"Oh, yeah?" Thompson grinned in relief. "I can handle that easily
enough, especially since it means the team doesn't have to break up. I
think I'll ask to see her as soon as we finish eating."

* * * * *

The Count sent word that she'd see him as soon as her morning formal
audience was over, so Thompson was waiting in her working office when
she came in just before noon. He rose and, since he was in civilian
clothes this time, bowed slightly. "Good morni