Blackfeather shrugged. "I've changed my opinion of Enforcement, Colonel. Before Mike did what he did for me, I'd probably have enjoyed watching a trooper die, though I can't be sure since it never came up. I'm glad to find out that now I'm not like that." She shook her head, her expression rueful. "It seems my attitude's become exactly the opposite of what it was, in fact. I used to defend the Brothers, you know." Cortin nodded. "I know, and say the troopers who were hurt or killed fighting them deserved what they got. The only thing I could find in your favor then was that you believed what you were saying." "I couldn't do that now," Blackfeather said. "It's not just seeing Brothers and troopers in action for the first time, though that did help crystallize my new feelings. Mostly it's seeing the Family being a family, seeing the Special Ops troopers I thought were the worst playing with kids and kittens, and . . . well, the part I'm not going to be able to write about because no one who hasn't at least been around it could possibly believe it. But being troopers--especially an Inquisitor--gives you a whole new kind of understanding." "You liked being part of Dave, in particular?" "Oddly enough, yes." Blackfeather hesitated. "They're all good men, but there's something special about Dave . . . something I have a hard time describing, even if I am a reporter. A special kind of idealism, maybe . . . tougher, not that any of them are soft . . ." "I know what you mean," Cortin said, glancing around at the rest of the team and getting nods. Unity during sex was most intense between man and woman, but it was there between any Sealed; they'd all felt what Blackfeather was talking about, with her, Bain, or both. "He reminds me of Larry, in a way," Blackfeather went on, surprising them. "So do you. Because in his own way, he's an idealist too--even though I'm not sure he knows that, or would believe it. An idealist who's turned cynical, soured against just about everything--but I believe there's still a tiny bit of him that wants the same things we do." Chang gave the reporter an appraising look, then turned to Cortin. "I believe we may have a truly virtuous person among us, Joan. Not merely sinless, but virtuous--willing to believe the best of people, which I find surprising for a reporter." "I doubt I'll be a reporter much longer," Blackfeather said. "What Sis calls a virtue isn't, in my particular field; once I've filed these three stories, backing Enforcement, the Families, and Colonel Cortin, I fully expect to be fired. So would any of you happen to know of any job openings for an ex-reporter?"