"Slowly, Major." A straw rested against his lower lip and Justin greedily sucked in the cool water. In a habit born of two years' garrison duty on Spica, he held the water in his mouth for a second or two before swallowing. He drank more with the same deliberate care, then shook his head.

With the straw withdrawn, Justin turned his head in the direction from which he'd heard the commands. "Am I blind?"

The commanding voice softened a bit. "No. There are bandages over your eyes because you've been in a narcotic coma. The drugs dilate your pupils, and so we bandaged your eyes to prevent any accidental damage to your vision."

Justin nodded slowly. "You will remove them? Now?"

"If you wish," the voice replied, after a moment's hesitation. ''Nurse, dim the lights and draw the window shades." The doctor paused, then spoke even more softly. "There are some things you may want to understand first."

Justin shook his head. What could be more important than my vision?"I want to see first, doctor. Any problem I can see, I can defeat."

Justin felt the line of cold steel slide down beside his right ear as the doctor carefully scissored through the bandage. With two quick snips, the wrappings tumbled down over Justin's nose, but two cotton pads still covered his eyes. He felt pressure briefly against his eyes, then the nurse pulled away the pads.

"Open your eyes slowly, Major. Everything will be dark, but that's because we've darkened the room. Go ahead. Open."

Justin took a deep breath and opened his eyes. They snapped almost immediately shut as even the low light seared into them. Once more, he forced his eyes open and blinked them rapidly, finally becoming accustomed to the darkness. I can see!His smile almost cracked his dry lips, and brought a hearty chuckle from the doctor.

Justin turned his head to the right and focused. The doctor, a tall, sandy-haired man, returned his smile. Justin squinted and finally succeeded in reading the name on the doctor's white coat: James Thompson, M.D. "Dr. Thompson. Thank you. I am Major Justin Allard."

Thompson laughed. "Yes, Major. I know that." He turned toward the plump nurse standing at the foot of Justin's bed. She wore no nurse's cap to restrain her curly riot of blond hair, but had gathered it at the nape of her neck with a ribbon. "This is Nurse Alice Forrester."

Justin nodded at her, and she returned the gesture. I can see! Thank God, I can see."So, doctor, what is it you think I should understand?"

The doctor hesitated, but Justin saw his gaze flick toward the far side of the bed. Justin turned his head slowly and looked down.

There, nestled like a viper in the sharp folds of the starched white sheets, Justin saw the blackened steel thing that had engulfed his left forearm.

8

New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

8 January 3027

A helmeted and visored guard swung open the heavy bronze door to Hanse Davion's private planning chamber. Quintus Allard saluted the bodyguard with a curt nod of his white-maned head, then swept into the room. His slightly oversize green jacket and loose pants hid a strong, lean body that belied the years Quintus showed in the color of his hair or the wrinkles around his blue eyes.

Prince Hanse Davion, sole and undisputed ruler of the Federated Suns, looked up from the massive antique desk and frowned. Something must be very wrong,he thought. Never, in the five years that Quintus has been acting Minister of Intelligence Investigations and Operation has he looked so disturbed.The man's anxiety and anger was palpable. "What is it, Quintus? Has something happened to Justin?"

Allard shook his head and moved toward the wall console that controlled the office holoviewer. "Justin's doing well. The doctor released him only a week after he came out of coma, and he spent the New Year's holiday with my wife, his sister Riva, and me. He pushes himself, and Doctor Thompson is pleased with the gross mobility Justin is showing with the, ah, the . . ." The voice of Hanse Davion's master of counter-espionage trailed off as he looked at his own left hand and twisted it up and down.

The Prince was relieved, but still concerned over what was troubling Quintus. "If Justin is fine, what isthe matter?"

Quintus held up a green and gold holodisk, with a look of distaste. "This arrived in the company of more lawyers and 'security' men from the Capellan March than ought to be allowed on any DropShip. Michael Hasek-Davion seems to think I can't handle the Counter-intelligence Division in addition to the IIO Ministry, and so is trying to help me."

What the hell is that scheming idiot up to now?Hanse wondered. He leafed through a pile of papers, and plucked a shipping schedule from the middle of the stack. He held up the sheet for Quintus to see. "How did they get here so fast? I haven't been expecting any ships from New Syrtis. Nothing due in for two weeks."

Quintus nodded and shoved the holodisk into the viewer. "Your beloved brother-in-law learned of Leftenant Redburn's departure from Kittery for the Awards Ceremony. Because you approved the expense of having Redburn travel on the Command Circuit, Duke Michael decided to send a few representatives of his own along. The Command Circuit worked its normal wonders, of course. The DropShip passed from Jump-Ship to JumpShip and made the voyage from Kittery to New Avalon in twenty-four hours instead of two months. Some of Michael's own men had been on Kittery conducting an investigation, and so they just boarded the ship with Redburn and got permission from Michael to proceed. This holodisk was recorded from a ComStar transmission, and they brought it with them."

Hanse's blue eyes turned to slits as barely controlled anger flashed across his face. "Wait, Quint," he said. "Before you start playing that tripe, let me get Ardan in here." The Prince punched a button on his desk. "Find Ardan Sortek and ask him to join me in my office, please."

Hanse Davion, often known as the Fox because of his cunning, suppressed his fury and forced a smile. "You have taken care of Michael's representatives?"

The pall lifted from Quintus's face as he smiled broadly. "Decontamination for the next thirty-six hours. Seems the batch number on their Kentares flu vaccine indicates that they got a bad dose, so we're running a full set of shots and blood tests on them."

The Prince of the Federated Suns laughed. "Always best to be cautious." Well done, Quintus. Very well done.

The chamber's massive door again opened to allow in Hanse Davion's friend and advisor, Ardan Sortek, who was carrying an armful of folders. Younger than either of the other two men, Sortek had the fit form and handsome face that any Davion recruiter might have wished to reproduce on recruiting posters all over the realm. Ardan smiled warmly at the other two men, his brown eyes twinkling, then his own expression changed to one of concern as he saw the worry on his friend's face. "What has Michael done now?" he asked.

Hanse Davion returned Ardan's smile, though somewhat wanly. As always, my friend, you see the truth at the heart of everything.

Quintus, too, was glad to see Ardan. Though Sortek was a military man who hated the compromises and shadowy dealings that politics often forced upon himself and Hanse Davion, he had amazing political instincts. Indeed, he had managed to uncover and defeat a plot hatched by Maximilian Liao, leader of the Capellan Confederation, to substitute a double for Hanse Davion. Had it not been for Sortek's resourcefulness and intelligence, Max Liao might have succeeded where all his legions had failed miserably. Through his fake Hanse Davion, he might have taken over the rulership of the Federated Suns, the most powerful realm in the Inner Sphere.