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“Is there any limit on the number of security personnel she can have at any one event.”
    “Social graces govern there,” Martinez said. “Hostesses don’t want their soirees overrun with tight-mouthed men who can’t participate in the chitchat, if you know what I mean.”
    Kris suspected she did. They’d come to a place where a multilane road crossed the mall. A long motorcade, official-looking, was speeding toward them. The light still said her group could walk, so Kris did.
    “We better get out of their way,” Martinez suggested, and the group of Navy and Marines began to jog.
    They were just reaching the other curb when a Marine sang out, “We’ve got explosives nearby.”
    “How close?” Jack snapped.
    “Don’t know. I think we’re about on top of it.”
    Kris glanced down at a spilled box of popcorn. Strange, none of the plentiful pigeons had attacked it.
    “Bomb,” Kris shouted, and took off running just as Jack made a grab for her as if to push her.
    “Run, Marines,” Gunnery Sergeant Brown ordered, but he was backpeddling up the road, his automatic out. He gave the entire detachment one quick look, determined them gone enough, and started to empty his weapon.

8
    Behind Kris, the world exploded.
    She went down hard. Jack hit on top of her even harder.
    She hoped it was nice for him.
    She rolled out from underneath him and was struggling to her feet even as she took command of the situation. “Anybody injured? Let’s hear a report. Sound off.”
    One by one five of her six Marines reported their presence. Two shouted as if they might be having a hard time hearing. Beside her, Jack got to his feet, licked his finger, and made a mark in the air. “Missed you again,” he muttered.
    “Gunny,” Kris shouted, not interested in Jack’s humor.
    The sergeant was slower getting to his feet. “It missed me, ma’am. I think it was aimed for the center of the road.” He pointed at the trees across the street, now denuded of leaves and branches. Two were nothing but shattered stumps. “Those won’t need trimming for a while.”
    Her primary duty done, Kris turned to look for the local police officer. He was still down. She offered him a hand.
    Martinez took it and stood, but his attention was focused behind her. Kris turned to see the motorcade bumping off the mall to her right, gunning its engines as it used the next road up to head back where it came from. Tracks on the mall’s grass and gravel showed where heavy vehicles had made fast passage.
    “I was going to say, another one to add to my file,” Kris said. “But whoever’s in those rigs might dispute that.”
    “I suspect they would.”
    “On your knees!” a new voice demanded. “Hands behind your heads! Twitch a muscle and I’ll shoot you, you damn terrorists.”
    Martinez immediately dropped to his knees, but he shouted out. “I’m a police officer. I have credentials in my pocket.”
    Kris made no effort to comply, but slowly turned to face a young man in full armor, assault rifle aimed at her head. “I am Princess Kristine of Wardhaven and a serving officer in my planet’s Navy. These men with me are Marines and part of my security detail. We exploded that damn booby trap. I demand to see one of your officers.”
    Kris noted that Jack and Gunny had slowly led their subordinates in complying with the wish of the man with the rifle. Good of them. But Kris had been accused of too many crimes she didn’t commit. She’d waste as little time with this one as possible.
    She locked eyes with the armed man and didn’t blink.
    “Stand down, Corporal. I’ll take it from here.”
    The man who stepped forward to place a gentle hand on the corporal looked a bit older than Jack. The deep tan of his face matched the soft brown of his suit. “I’m Inspector Johnson. You say you are a princess. Can you prove it?”
    The corporal may have been told to stand down, but the rifle didn’t waver from Kris… and his finger stayed on the