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engths　critically；　while　he　explained。

〃Okay；　we　can't　get　our　mecha　anywhere　near　that　fortress　without　being　detected；　right？　So　one　of　us　has　to　get　cross…country　to　the　fortress　and　knock　out　their　Protoculture　detection　gear。〃

〃And　so　you'll　just　ski　on　in　there？〃　Lancer　asked　with　a　tug　of　a　grin。

But　Scott　admitted；　〃It　might　work。　What　other　chance　do　we　have？　When　Rand　signals　us　that；　he's　knocked　out　their　sensors；　we'll　run　the　gauntlet　and　hope　nobody　notices。〃

〃There's　only　one　hangup；　isn't　there；　Rand？〃　Rook　asked；　giving　him　a　look　he　couldn't　quite　read。　〃You　don't　have　any　idea　what　an　Invid　sensor　looks　like。〃

〃I'll　know　it　when　I　see　it；〃　he　grumbled。

Annie　grabbed　one　of　the　skis　and　began　sighting　along　it　as　if　she　knew　what　she　was　doing。　〃Hey；　Rand！　You're　gonna　let　me　e　along；　aren't'cha？〃

He　shaved　another　paper…fine　layer　off　the　ski　he　was　working　on。　〃Actually；　Mint；　I'm　afraid　I　cut　these　for　somebody　a　little　older　and　taller　than　you。　With　blue　eyes　and　long；　strawberry…blond　hair　and　a　shape　that…〃

A　snowball　hit　him　in　the　back　of　the　head。

〃I　mean；　a　team　spirit　that　we　all　admire；〃　Rand　amended。

〃Well；　you　can　count　me　out；〃　Rook　told　him。　〃This　dame　isn't　wandering　around　in　the　wilderness　with　you；　country　boy…〃

It　was　just　then　that　Marlene　went　into　another　seizure。　Nobody　but　Rook　saw　how　hurt　Rand　looked；　nobody　but　Rand　saw　how　confused　Rook　seemed　by　what　she　herself　had　said。

Lunk；　Scott；　and　the　others　kneeling　near　Marlene　didn't　seem　to　be　of　much　help　and　she　appeared　to　e　out　of　the　fit　by　herself。　Rook；　standing　and　looking　down　at　her；　said；　〃It's　almost　as　if　she's　got　some　horrible　memory　locked　up　deep　inside；　that's　trying　to　push　her　over　the　edge。〃

Rand　looked　at　Rook's　profile　in　the　firelight；　and　wondered　how　much　of　that　was　something　Rook　was　projecting。


The　Invid　fortress　was　cut　into　a　mountain　face　that　resembled　a　miniature　Matterhorn　pockmarked　with　hemispherical　openings。

〃Look：　I　cut　those　skis　down　for　you；　Mint；〃　Rand　told　Annie；　〃but　don't　get　cocky。　Practice　runs　are　a　lot　different　from　what　we're　gonna　have　to　do　today。〃

〃Don't　call　me　‘Mint'！〃　was　all　she　had　to　say；　as　she　adjusted　her　improvised　bindings。

The　others　looked　on　from　the　treeline。　Watches　had　been　synchronized；　explosives　packed；　weapons　charged…all　of　it　checked　a　dozen　times　over　and　then　checked　again。　Rand　had　managed　to　snatch　a　little　sleep；　but　he　doubted　that　Scott　had　slept　at　all。

The　fact　that　Annie　should　acpany　Rand　was　less　and　less　of　a　surprise　to　them。　Aside　from　the　Forager；　she　was　the　only　one　with　cross…country　experience　（she　insisted　that　some　undyingly　devoted　boyfriend　had　taught　her）。　And　aside　from　Rand；　she　was　the　only　one　who　could　hope　to　cross　the　open　country　to　the　fortress　in　a　reasonable　amount　of　time。　The　snow　was　so　chancy　that　even　snowshoeing　was　out　of　the　question。

At　five　A。M。；　when　the　sun　was　beginning　to　light　the　sky；　Rand　and　Annie　moved　out。

As　Rand　turned　to　go；　snatching　his　makeshift　ski　poles　out　of　the　ground；　Rook　seemed　to　be　about　to　say　something　or　even　grab　his　arm。　But　when　she　saw　he　was　looking　at　her；　she　abruptly　turned　away。

Annie　turned　out　to　be　a　better　skier　than　Rand　himself；　though　neither　of　them　was　very　good。　Then　Annie　got　fancy；　Rand　tried　to　chastise　her…a　bad　move　while　skiing…and　they　both　ended　up　in　a　snowbank。

It　proved　to　be　a　heaven…sent　spill；　shadows　crossed　the　snow　and　Invid　Pincer　Ships　landed　to　examine　things　that　had　fallen　from　Annie's　pink　rucksack。　Somehow；　the　skiers'　tracks　had　been　obliterated　by　the　drift　of　snow　on　the　slope。

〃That's　my　bikini！〃　Annie　yelped；　struggling　to　get　to　her　feet　and　take　on　the　entire　Invid　horde　by　herself。　Rand　pushed　her　face　down　further　in　the　snow；　stifling　her。

The　Invid　hooked　the　bikini　bottom　in　question　（Why　was　she　carrying　it　on　a　ski　run？　Rand　wondered）　in　its　claw；　and　raised　it　close　to　its　optic　sensor　for　examination。　The　mini…panty　had　in　turn　hooked　one　of　the　metallic　submarine…sandwich…like　charges　the　team　had　prepared　for　the　fortress　job。

Seeing　it　tottering　there　in　the　seat　of　the　bikini；　Rand　pushed　the　struggling　Annie　even　further　into　the　snow。　The　sapper　charge　tottered　and　fell。　Rand　exhaled　in　relief　when　the　charge　proved　inert。　The　Invid　personal　armor　mecha　dropped　the　bikini　bottom　and　rocketed　away　on　a　wash　of　thruster…fire。

Skiing　to　the　base　of　the　fortress　mountain　held　no　other　terrors；　they　kicked　off　their　improvised　bindings。　A　modified　grenade　launcher　got　a　grapnel　up　to　an　opening。　There　was　terror　in　the　climb；　as　they　watched　a　patrol　of　Shock　Troopers　cruise　by　below　them。　But　the　Invid　didn't　notice　the　climbing　rope；　and　the　Humans　pulled　themselves　up　near　the　topmost　access　tunnel。

Annie　nearly　fainted　back　into　Rand's　arms；　a　Shock　Trooper　mecha　was　standing　there。

Rand　shoved　the　edge　of　his　hand　in　Annie's　mouth　and　she　bit　down　so　hard　that　she　drew　blood。　But　the　Trooper　appeared　to　be　looking　at　the　surrounding　peaks　with　no　more　interest　than　an　Alpine　sightseer。　It　turned　to　go；　each　step　sounding　like　a　boiler　being　thrown　down　on　a　concrete　floor；　back　down　the　dark；　arched　tunnel　from　which　it　had　e。　Rand　rubbed　his　hand　and　wondered　if　Annie　had　had　her　shots　lately。

The　two　pushed　their　goggles　back　and　went　in　after　the　Trooper。　The　tunnel　was　a　place　of　heat　gradients；　the　chamber　at　the　end　being　almost　womblike　in　its　warmth　and　moisture。　It　was　a　bizarre　landscape　of　structures　that　looked　like　neurons　and　axons　（or　were　they　stalactites　and　stalagmites？）。　Dendrites　bent　and　arched；　and　the　undulating　ceiling　resembled　Liver　Surprise。　Cable…thick　creepers　ran　from　the　squishy…looking　support　members。　A　knee…high　mist　obscured　everything。　〃All　this　place　needs　is　bats；〃　Rand　whispered。

Bela　Lugosi；　where　are　you？

They　sprinted　through　the　echoing；　gutlike　halls　of　the　Invid；　trying　not　to　breath。　Annie　had　banished　all　rational　thought　from　her　brain；　and　so　she　was　surprised　when　Rand　hauled　her　behind　one　of　the　sticky…looking　dendrite　pillars。

There　was　a　strange　echo　as　the　three　smaller　mecha　stumped　by；　these　ones　only　eight　or　nine　feet　tall；　their　optical　sensors　set　in　long　snouts。　They　had　the　faces　of　metallic　archer…fish。　Even　the　two　Humans　heard　the　resonating　message　in　the　Regis's　voice；　the　very　armor　of　the　enemy　reverberating　with　it；　〃All　my　outlying　units；　report　to　transmutation　chamber　at　once！〃

Rand　watched　them　lumber　off。　〃This　could　be　a　lot　harder　than　we　figured。〃

He　had　pushed　Annie　into　the　shadows　of　a　doorway　of　some　kind；　and　she　began　experimenting　with　the　wet…looking；　illuminated　membranes　that　looked　like　buttons。

A　door…size　sphincter　opened　next　to　her；　she　gasped；　seeing　what　lay　beyond；　then　giggled。　〃Open　Sesame！〃　Words　she　had　always　dreamed　of　using；　so　appropriate　now。　There　were　certainly　more　than　forty　bad　guys　in　this　cave。

The　two　stepped　into　the　next　chamber；　awestruck；　gazing　around　them。　Their　stage　whispers　were　lost　in　the　size　of　the　place。

〃Wouldja　look　at…〃

〃Holy…〃

It　was　the　size　of　the　biggest　indoor　arena　Rand　had　ever　seen；　the　one　in　the　radiation…glazed　deathtown　they　used　to　call　Houston。　He　and　Annie　walked　out　on　a　gantrylike　thing；　which　looked　like　a　suspended　arm　with　dangling　Robotech　fingers。　They　looked　down。

Ringing　the　center　of　the　huge　dome　were　concentric　ranks　of　egg…shaped　objects：　motionless　protoplasmic　things；　with　untenanted　mecha　sleeping　inside　like　hunkered　fetuses。　And　at　the　center　of　that　vast　place　was　a　brilliant；　shining　dome。　To　Rand；　it　resembled　those　twentieth…century　pictures　of　the　first　nanoseconds　of　a　thermonuclear　explosion。　Around　it　grew　a　low；　irregular　palisade　of　things　like　budding　mushrooms；　but　they　stood　ten　yards　high。

Annie　looked　down　at　the　embryonic　mecha。　〃Y'think　they're　all　asleep；　or　something？〃

Rand　shrugged。　〃Y'got　me；　but　if　they　are；　maybe　we　can　wake　'em　up。〃　His　patented　grin　showed　itself。　〃A　riot　in　the　Invid　Incubator　Room！　That's　gotta　be　some　diversion。〃

Still；　the　ranks　of　huge　eggs　reminded　him　unfortably　of　an　old…time　space　flic