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r　upper　arm　and　thigh　in　enough　bandage　to　restrain　a　small　moose。　Rand　watched　interestedly　without　seeming　to；　Rook　had　certain　soft　spots；　like　the　one　for　Annie；　and　he　was　determined　to　learn　them。　Then　Rook　scowled　at　him；　and　he　turned　his　attention　elsewhere。

Stripping　to　his　shorts；　Rand　took　the　swim　he　had　been　thinking　about　since　he　had　listened　to　the　chorus　of　the　gulls　that　morning。　Lunk　had　promised　Scott　that　he　could　patch　up　Rook's　Alpha　and　the　other　damage　the　VTs　had　suffered；　with　minimum　delay。　But　meanwhile；　all　they　could　do　was　wait。　Rook　rested　her　chin　on　her　fist　and　squinted　balefully　at　Annie　and　Rand；　who　were　frolicking　in　the　surf。

Marlene；　in　a　white　mini　bikini　made　of　knotted　lengths　of　parachute　silk；　went　running　and　yelling　into　the　water。　The　wet　silk　made　Rand　gape；　and　then　he　looked　away；　swallowing　with　a　loud　noise。

Scott　appeared　to　say　that　everything　would　be　ready　when　Lunk　was　done。　Rand　came　out　of　the　water　sniffling　and　laughing　and　dripping…and　happy。　Rook's　jaw　muscles　jumped　a　bit；　but　she　held　back　her　temper。

Then　Rand　was　holding　his　hand　out　to　her；　more　serious　than　she　was　used　to　seeing　him。　〃I'm　sorry　you　were　injured；　but…c'mon　down　to　the　water　and　enjoy　yourself。　Otherwise　I　can't　be　happy。〃

It　shocked　her　so　much　that　she　didn't　quite　know　what　to　say；　but　she　saw　that　Rand　suddenly　wasn't　smiling；　he　was　just　watching　her。

She　practically　stuck　the　back　of　her　hand　in　his　eye。　〃I　guess　it　can't　hurt。　Well？　Aren't　you　gonna　help　me　up？〃

Marlene　and　Annie　stopped　splashing　each　other　and　shouted　happily　for　Rook's　recovery　as　Rand　gallantly　helped　her　up　and　led　her　down　to　where　the　waves　were　foaming。　Rand　called　triumphantly；　〃Hey；　look　who　finally　gave　in　and　decided　to　have　some　fun！〃

Scott　saw　Rook's　fingers；　the　ones　on　her　free　hand；　curl　into　a　fist　and　then　open　again；　away　from　Rand's　sight。　It　was　like　some　quick　debate。

Scott　watched　Marlene's　lithe　grace　in　the　spray　and　surf。　Maybe　they're　right　about　this　place。　We　should　enjoy　it　while　we　can。


Corg　and　Sera　and　the　mecha　they　led　split　up　to　search　the　chain　of　islands　for　the　rebels　and　for　the　Simulagent；　Ariel。　Sensor　triangulations　indicated　that　there　was　a　strong　possibility　she　was　near。

They　understood　their　orders。　If　possible；　they　were　to　contact　Ariel。　If　not；　they　were　to　observe　her　interaction　with　the　Humans　in　order　to　determine　the　cause　of　her　malfunction。　Failing　any　of　the　above；　they　were　to　destroy　her　utterly；　and　the　outcasts　who　had　swayed　her。


Lancer　grew　despondent　looking　at　the　pointless　destruction　the　Invid　had　inflicted　on　the　island。　He　followed　a　stream　he　had　spotted　from　the　air　and　found　a　small　waterfall　in　a　grotto　a　few　hundred　yards　up　an　overgrown　trail　into　the　jungle。　He　tried　not　to　reflect　upon　all　the　people　who　had　e　that　way　before　him；　and　what　their　eventual　fate　had　been。

This　time　he　put　aside　the　Musume　persona。　He　waded　in　and　began　washing　the　sweat　of　fear　and　battle　and　the　rankness　of　too　many　hours　in　the　cockpit　from　him。　He　sang　loudly　in　Lancer's　voice。　He　sang　as　if　he　were　trying　to　drown　out　some　other　tune；　perhaps　a　funeral　dirge。。。

It　might　have　been　memory　of　the　Magruder　ambush　that　kept　him　alert。　Even　though　the　little　waterfall　was　splattering；　he　heard　foliage　parting　and　swinging　back；　and　caught　the　movement　of　a　shadow　out　of　the　corner　of　one　eye。


Sera　had　picked　up　those　strange　auditory　impulses　through　the　superattuned　senses　of　her　mecha。　The　Regis　had　given　her　crowned　offspring　the　means　to　know　what　it　was　to　be　a　demigod；　to　soar　over　oceans　and　continents…to　see　each　movement　of　the　blades　of　grass；　hear　each　bend　of　a　leaf。

But　the　Regis　never　guessed　what　a　trap　that　could　be。　The　strange　sonic　input　kept　Sera　from　firing　on　its　source。　It　kept　her　from　contacting　her　brother　Corg；　or　the　Pincer　Ships。　The　only　thing　she　could　do　was　stalk　closer。　She　had　heard　the　music　of　the　spheres；　but　she　had　never　heard　Human　singing　before。

Before　she　realized　what　she　was　doing；　she　was　out　of　the　all…embracing　armored　safety　of　her　mecha；　padding　through　the　strange　smells　and　sights　and　sounds　of　the　island；　the　terrifying　intimacy　of　it。　She　was　drawn　by　the　siren　song。

She　couldn't　put　a　name　to　what　she　felt。　She　knew　that　not　all　of　her　genetic　coding　came　from　the　Regis；　of　course。　Some　of　it　was　Human。　Was　that　what　was　forcing　her　to　this　aberrant　activity？　She　repressed　any　doubt；　she　must　see　what　was　making　these　pelling；　beautiful　sounds。　Information　wetware　input　told　her　that　it　was　what　the　Humans　called　〃singing〃　but　that　word　was　a　mere　cipher。。。

The　Human　had　long　purple　hair　and　was　a　male。　He　was　standing　under　a　precipitation　runoff　as　some　sort　of　an　ablutionary　function　or　perhaps　a　superstitious　rite。　The　Human　sang；　and　Sera　hunkered　down　to　listen。　But　her　hand　pressed　frond　to　frond；　which　made　slight　noise　and　changed　the　silhouette　of　vegetation　against　the　westering　sun。

She　saw　him　tense　and　look　around；　and　she　drew　back。　When　she　edged　one　eye　up　for　another　look；　he　was　pressing　into　the　heavier　part　of　the　waterfall；　off　to　the　right；　where　the　view　was　screened　from　her　by　the　thickness　of　the　foliage　and　the　weight　of　the　water。

This　was　madness。　She　should　kill　him；　summon　her　brother　Corg；　and　eradicate　all　the　rest　of　them。　But　there　was　something　about　the　sounds　he　made。　His　〃song〃　was　so　haunting；　so　soft　and　knowing；　as　if　he　had　been　given　instruction　in　the　things　most　intimate　to　her。

The　feelings　that　stirred　in　her　had　no　name。　Sera　pushed　forward　a　little　in　the　undergrowth　to　hear　more　before　she　would　be　obliged　to　still　that　voice　forever。

She　could　hear　nothing。　She　waited；　standing　on　the　rim　of　the　waterfall's　pool；　looking　this　way　and　that。　With　the　song　ended；　a　measure　of　sanity　returned。　Better　to　kill　the　Human　now　and　forget　the　aberration　of　his　singing。

Two　hands　closed　on　her　ankles；　pulled；　and　Sera　screamed。　Then　she　was　swallowing　water。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO

There　were　all　these　escapist　books　（as　Rand　called　them）　at　the　resort…I　couldn't　make　out　the　name　of　the　joint　too　well　from　the　sign；　but　I　think　that　for　some　reason　or　other　it　was　called　〃Club　Mud。〃
These　books　were　all　about　what　fun。　everybody　was　gonna　have　living　action…packed　lives　after　some　global　disaster。　They　didn't　mention　radiation　sickness　and　self…aborting　children　and　plagues　and　famine　and　pillagers　and…oh；　you　jaded　oldtimers！　I'm　sick　of　you！
Escapist？　From　hot　showers　and　hot　meals　and　dentists　and　intercontinental　airline　flights　and　inoculations　and　a　planet　that　belonged　to　the　Human　race？　Escape　me　there！
Annie　LaBelle；　Talking　History

Sera　opened　her　eyes　and　saw　a　pale　face　and　purple　hair　riding　the　water　lazily；　before　her。

Lancer　saw　an　indistinct　figure　in　some　sort　of　body　suit。　This　certainly　wasn't　an　Invid。　That　didn't　mean　it　couldn't　be　another　turncoat。　The　person　squirmed；　blowing　breath　in　silver　bubbles　of　alarm；　thrashing　to　the　surface。

Lancer　held　his　captive　by　one　wrist；　shaking　the　water　out　of　his　own　hair。　〃All　right；　pal！　You're　not　going　anywhere　until。。。until。。。Um。　You're　a　woman。〃

She　seemed　transfixed；　a　slim　Human　female；　medium…tall；　with　short…trimmed　blonde　hair　and　the　strangest　red　eyes…the　kind　of　thing　you　see　in　a　bad　flashphoto。　Her　hairstyle　was；　even　wet；　some　short；　green…blonde　upswept　thing：　Peter　Pan　Meets　the　Razor　and　Car　Vacuum　People。　She　was　dressed　in　a　bodysuit　of　colored　panels　of　black；　purple；　and　pink。

Lancer's　nerveless　fingers　had　gone　limp　on　her　wrist。　〃Ah　wo…mahn？〃　she　repeated　back　at　him；　breathing　quickly；　as　nervous　as…as　someone　he　remembered。　They　were　knee…deep　in　the　pool　now；　and　she　just　stared　at　him。

She　lurched　to　get　away　from　him；　but　Lancer　cuffed　his　hand　around　her　wrist　again；　more　astounded　than　alarmed。　〃Sorry；　but　we'll　have　to　know　where　you're　from。〃

He　looked　over　her　dermasuit；　a　second　skin。　〃At　least　you're　not　armed。　Or　is　beauty　your　weapon？〃　His　lips　were　close　to　hers。

She　pursed　her　own；　parted　them；　then　suddenly　struck　at　him；　and　struggled　frantically　to　break　f