chuckled, though with little
real humor. "I don't even think I'd be too surprised if you identified
him as Shayan incarnate. Mind you, I don't think I'd believe it--"
She broke off at the nun's sudden expression of shock. "Did I say
something wrong?"

Chang sighed with the relief of Shannon's coercion dissolving. "That
is he. You have said what I could not, Captain Cortin. I am in your
debt."

Cortin didn't believe the identification, but her truthsense left no
doubt Chang did. And she had to admit it was a natural identification
to make, given the plaguer's actions. "Was there anything special to
identify him?"

"His power and evils are enough, but I believe he wished me to be
certain. Did he seem a normal man when he attacked you?"

"As normal as a terrorist ever is," Cortin said.

"That was not so in my case. His general body temperature was quite
high, well beyond a human's survival limits. His genitals, however,
were extremely cold--the classic description, as you know."

"Yes." That had to be hypnotism or drugs, Cortin thought, but beliefs
were hard for mere facts to alter; she wouldn't argue pointlessly with
someone who promised to be extremely good for the team. "Even with
that, you're willing to help hunt him?"

"We are all called to fight evil," Chang said calmly. "My call was
simply more unmistakable than many. Yes, I am willing."

She couldn't ask for more than that, Cortin decided. Excellent medical
qualifications, an "Expert" small-arms rating, plenty of courage--and
she sounded almost as devout as Mike. Cortin thought it odd that she'd
be concerned about devotion when she wasn't particularly devout
herself, but the fact remained: talking to Piety had made it clear that
it should be one of her considerations. "One stipulation, and you're
in," she said. "I don't want any auxiliaries on Team Azrael; you'll
have to trade that habit for a uniform. There's no proof you're
technically qualified for Special Ops, but since you've gotten a
waiver, that's no problem."

"As this branch of Enforcement now has priests, there is no reason it
should not also have a nun. I will make the trade."

"Good! Let me get my second and another witness, and I'll swear you
in."

Cortin was a little surprised that no one questioned her power to
administer a commissioning oath without prior authorization, but she'd
apparently been right in her guess that it was one of her rights as a
Strike Team l