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“Thanks” I snapped the glasses open, continuing to lean against Shaun as I pushed the this I really didn’t care “Either of you find anything?”

“Not hing? His barn couldn’t have been any better than , it should have been worse, since ht “Looks like Rick’s the only one who got lucky”

“I’ve always had a ith the ladies,” said Rick Unlike Shaun and his evident amusement, Rick sounded al on to understand it Wary of the light, I opened first one eye, and then the other There was Shaun, his arht as best he could; o into live field situations, and no one understands that better than hi just a few feet away, his expression awas , “What is that?”

“ ‘That’ would be Rick’s new lady friend,” Shaun said, snickering “He’s irresistible, George You should’ve seen it He cay girlfriends before, but this one doesn’t just take the cake, she takes the entire bakery”

I eyed the junior ht She latched on once she realized I was in the barn, not ai to hurt her” Rick opened the flap of his shoulder bag A narrow orange-and-white head poked out, yellow eyes regarding me warily I blinked The head withdrew

“It’s a cat”

“All the others were dead,” Rick said, closing his bag “She ed to burrow farther under the hay than they did Or h and soot trapped inside when they left”

“A cat”

“She tests clean, George,” Shaun said

Mammals under forty pounds can’t convert—they lack some crucial balance between body and brain mass—but they can sometimes carry the live virus, at least until it kills the it off and carry on, uninfected In the field, “rare” isn’t soa toward Shaun

“Four One for each paw” He held up his aret scratched, and yes, I’m sure the kitty’s clean”

“And he already yelled ather up before I was certain,” Rick said