ry bit of his terror."

"Looks like she's doing just that, too," Thompson commented. It didn't
look like much intervention, if any at all, would be needed--not with
the `servants of the Devil' appearing on talk shows trying to reassure
people and looking like death warmed over. "What the hell do they do
for food, then?"

Sanchez advanced the recording, then started playing it again.
"--willing Donors," the detective chief was saying. "We feel pain we
inflict deliberately, yes--but we can also project feelings. If
somebody's willing to feed me, I can let . . . feel the
satisfaction--even, if @'s willing enough, the ecstasy--I do when I
feed. And I certainly wouldn't take enough to hurt, or even to
weaken, . . .!"

Sanchez shut off the recording. "You know, I believe her."

"So do I," Thompson said thoughtfully. "I do still have to
investigate, of course, but I'd say from this that there's no crisis
big enough to call in even a squadron for."

* * * * *

The E-Team's landing wasn't the covert operation Thompson had
originally planned; instead, the Koslov called for clearance, and they
landed at the main spaceport, where Thompson and his team disembarked
in full uniform, complete with sidearms. He didn't particularly like
weapons, but procedure called for E-Teams to carry them unless doing so
would be more dangerous than not, which didn't seem to be the case
here.

Landing openly, even an E-Team had to go through Customs and Health,
which was routine enough until a tech told Thompson that he needed
blood samples to test for susceptibility to the nosferatu pseudo-virus.

"What's that?" Thompson asked.

"What makes humans into Kins," the tech said, sounding as if he were
telling them something they should already know. "If you're
susceptible, and if the virus gets into your bloodstream, and if
something seriously weakens your system more than twenty-four standard
hours later, you turn into a Kin. The Count's orders are that anyone
from out-system be tested and warned, so if they are susceptible, they
can leave before exposure is possible." The tech shrugged. "Odds are
none of you will be, though; no one I've tested has been, and so far it
looks like only one percent--maybe less--are."

"We all have full-spectrum immunizations," Thompson pointed out.

"I know. But the pseudo-virus isn't one of the things full-spectrum
works against."

"Okay." Thompson extended his arm and