The ships must have started before you rebelled, maybe meant
honestly to save their own kind. But now it's a military action, and
don't think it won't mean trouble. The poor devils in the city bet on
the wrong horse. Now they can't run their food factories or anything
else for long. Not without technicians. They've got to whip you now. Up
to this time, they've been fighting for the Lobbies. Now they'll fight
you for their own bellies to get your supplies. And they've still got
shuttle rockets and fuel for them. Now beat it. I gotta confer with
Jake."

Doc started after the judge, but Dr. Harkness caught his arm and drew
him aside. Chris followed.

"I've found another epidemic," Harkness told them. "Over at Marconi.
It's kept me on the run all night, and now half the village is down with
it. Starts like a common cold, runs a fair fever, and the skin breaks
out all over with bright red dots...."

He went on describing it. Chris began asking him about what medical
supplies he had brought with him, pilfered from Northport hospital. She
seemed to know what it was, but refused to say until she saw the cases.
Doc also preferred to wait. Sometimes things weren't as bad as they
seemed, though usually they were worse.

Marconi was dead to all outward appearances, with nobody on the streets.
It had been a village of great hopes a week before, since this was where
they had decided to experiment with switching the people back to
Earth-normal. They'd had the best chance of survival of anyone on Mars
until this came up.

Three people lay on the beds in the first house Harkness led them to.
The room was darkened, and a man was stumbling around, trying to tend
the others, though the little spots showed on his skin. He grinned
weakly. "Hi, Doc. I guess we're making a lot of trouble, ain't we?"

Chris gave Doc no chance to answer. "Just as I thought. Measles! Plain
old-fashioned measles."

"Figured so," the sick man said. "Like my brother back on Earth."

The others looked doubtful, but Doc reassured them. Chris should know;
she'd worked in a swanky hospital where the patients were mostly
Earth-normal. Measles was one of the diseases which was foiled by the
metabolism switch. Well, at least they wouldn't have to be quarantined
here.

Chris finished treating the family with impersonal efficiency,
discussing the symptoms loudly with Harkness. "It's a good thing it
isn't serious!"

"No," Harkness answered bitterly. "Not serious