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Cabell's　forehead　and　bald　pate　wrinkled。　〃But　if　what　you're　saying　is　correct…if　Haydon　actually　plans　to　follow　in　ships…the　Invid's　departure　would　have　to　have　resulted　in　a　detectable　physical　rend　in　the　continuum。〃

〃That's　true；〃　Louie　said。　〃And　I'm　betting　the　Awareness　will　be　programming　the　location　of　that　rend　into　the　ships　Haydon　IV's　going　to　start　spitting　out。〃

Vince　slapped　a　hand　down　on　the　table。　〃So　all　we　need　to　do　is　hang　around　until　Haydon　shows　up　to　claim　the　ships　and　tag　along　behind。〃

Louie　nodded。　〃I　don't　think　they'd　mind　a　coupla　hitchhikers；　do　you？〃

〃But　we　don't　have　any　idea　how　long　this　process　will　take；〃　Penn　protested。　〃Ships；　slumbering　spacefarers　。。。　The　idea　is　absurd。　But　even　if　all　this　is　true；　suppose　Haydon　does　mind。　Suppose　they　don't　want　to　share　the　discovery　with　outsiders。　What　then？〃

Louie　pondered　that　for　a　moment。　〃We've　still　got　one　other　lead…the　Invid　simulagent。　We　continue　to　put　the　squeeze　on　her　until　she　talks。　Once　we　have　the　location；　we　can　get　a　jump　on　Haydon's　ships；　beat　'em　to　the　pass。〃

〃My　God；〃　Vince　repeated。　〃What　have　we　gotten　ourselves　into？〃

〃That's　unimportant；〃　Penn　said。　〃The　question　should　be　phrased；　What　are　we　getting　ourselves　into？〃　
Cabell　tapped　a　finger　against　his　lips　and　turned　to　the　viewport。。。　〃There's　one　point　Doctor　Nichols　still　hasn't　addressed。　Here　is　Haydon　IV；　joined　to　the　mineral…rich　moon　of　a　dying　system　orbiting　a　gravitationally　collapsed　star。〃　He　swung　around　to　the　room。　〃Inside　which　are　Haydon　and　his　race　hiding？〃


Scott　was　not　surprised　when　Obstat　so　willingly　acceded　a　his　request　that　Marlene　be　released　in　his　custody。　Intel　had　made　it　clear　what　they　were　after；　and　Scott　had　in　some　sense　bee　their　field　agent。

They　were　in　his　quarters；　side　by　side　on　the　narrow　bed；　exhausted　from　stress　and　the　fleeting　sense　of　relief　lovemaking　had　provided。　Try　as　he　might；　Scott　could　not　push　the　image　of　Sera　from　his　thoughts。　Marlene　was　so　frail　in　his　arms　as　to　be　intangible；　and　once　more　he　had　begun　to　fear　for　her　life。　And　he　kept　thinking　about　what　Cabell　had　said　about　stars　disappearing；　the　very　fabric　of　the　universe　strained。　Was　it　that　cosmic　tightening　that　had　finally　brought　him　to　his　senses？　Had　it　required　nothing　less　than　gravitational　collapse　to　bring　Marlene　to　his　arms？　She　was　almost　asleep；　but　he　felt　the　need　to　talk；　as　though　spoken　words　forestall　the　inevitable。

〃These　last　few　days　have　made　me　wish　things　had　been　went　on　Earth；〃　he　told　her　in　a　whisper。　〃I　wish　I　hadn't　been　so　stupid　and　blind。　I　wish　we　hadn't　waited　for　this。。。'

Marlene　raised　her　eyes　to　his；　her　long　lashes　fluttering　against　his　bare　chest。　〃Do　you　mean　that；　Scott？〃

He　nodded　and　kissed　her　forehead。

〃And　how　would　things　have　worked　out；　Scott？　Your　love　for　me　would　have　kept　you　from　leaving？　You　would　have　launched　in　your　fighter　only　to　return　immediately　to　my　arms？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　we　would　have　traveled　together　to　the　Southlands　and　pitched　in　to　farm　and　restore　the　planet　while　you　left　it　up　to　your　friends　to　search　for　the　SDF…3。〃

Scott's　throat　seemed　to　dry　up。　To　hear　his　wishes　presented　like　that　only　undermined　the　sentiment　and　filled　him　with　misgiving。　But　he　answered　yes　to　all　of　it。

Marlene　raised　herself　on　one　elbow　to　study　his　face。　〃Remember　Sera；　Scott。　You　would　have　ended　up　alone。〃

He　worked　his　jaw。　〃It　wouldn't　have　mattered。　We　would　have　had　each　other。〃

〃Like　you　had　the　Marlene　Rush　you　can't　forget？〃

〃Change　it；　then；　goddammit！〃　he　seethed。　〃Find　the　Regis　and　make　it　right　for　both　of　us！　Maybe　your　queen　can　have　it　end　differently　for　you。　Then　maybe　we　can　have　the　dream　you　just　laid　out。〃

Marlene　curled　against　him　and　took　a　deep；　shuddering　breath。　〃You're　not　making　it　easy　for　me　to　remember　who　and　what　I　am；〃　she　said　softly。

His　chest　where　the　holo…locket　used　to　rest　was　damp　with　her　tears。　He　squeezed　her　to　him。　〃Tell　me　what　I　have　to　do；　Marlene。〃

〃You　have　to　stop　loving　me；　Scott。　You　have　to　stop　treating　me　so　human。〃


Elsewhere　in　the　Ark　Angel　Minmei　and　the　sister　clones　sang：

Little　Protoculture　leaf；
Waiting　for　our　palates；
Where　will　you　take　us？
Flower　of　Life！
Treat　us　well！


What　had　happened　on　this　world？　Zor　recalled　having　asked　himself　only　a　few　days　before。　What　enchanted　hand　or　conspiracy　of　sky　and　soil　had　shaped　that　grand　experiment　in　life？

For　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see　there　had　been　nothing　but　this：　a　living　landscape　under　skies　tinged　with　aquamarine。　Life　pure　and　unadulterated；　which　here　had　chosen　but　two　forms　of　expression。　The　one；　vegetal　but　without　question　sentient；　the　other；　more　the　animal　stuff　of　his　own　being　but　seemingly　free　of　the　gross　entanglements　so　often　given　rise　to　by　bone　and　sinew。　The　one；　a　flower；　fruit；　and　tree；　pulsating　with　occult　power；　the　other；　feeding　from　that　power　but　returning　everything　to　it；　tranquil　and　self　sufficient；　with　no　need　to　look　outside　itself　to　answer　the　questions　that　burned　in　Zor's　soul。　It　was　symbiosis　of　the　most　perfect　sort；　true　synthesis；　two　life　forms　nourishing　each　other　in　every　possible　way　and　altering　in　the　process　of　that　joining　the　physical　structure　of　their　environment。　Nothing　there　seemed　fixed　or　constant；　neither　natural　law；　nor　dictated　shape；　nor　evolutionary　design。　All　was　potential　。　。　。

He　recalled　Vard　calling　out　to　him。　Vard　and　several　of　are　ship's　crew　on　the　trail　below；　the　one　that　switchbacked　down　from　that　bit　of　high　ground　the　creature　had　guided　them　to。　An　eagerness　in　Vard's　voice　Zor　had　rarely　heard　before；　excitement　prompted　by　the　thrill　of　discovery。　Zor；　e！　Hurry！　He　had　ignored　the　young　man's　direction？drill　too　mesmerized　by　sky　and　landscape　to　tear　himself　away　。。。

Weeks　before；　the　dropship　had　put　down　in　a　boundless　field　of　the　tri　petaled　flowers。　Triumvirate　in　their　groupings；　they　were　of　a　coral　color；　with　elongated　teardrop…shaped　buds　and　long　trailing　stamens。　And　oddly　enough　they　cast　forth　both　pollen　and　seeds。

The　landing　party　had　made　its　way　into　a　forest　of　sphersically　canopied　fruit…bearing　trees…impossibly　tall；　some　of　them　with　rainbow…colored　fluids　coursing　through　translucent　trunks。　Zor　remembered：　Tzuptum's　rays　warming　limbs　stiff　from　space　sleep：　the　spongy　ground　cover　wondrously　wele　to　feet　too　long　accustomed　to　deckplates　of　cool　and　unyielding　alloy。　The　air　thick　and　redolent；　almost　too　perfumed　to　inhale　unfiltered。　And　in　fact　two　members　of　the　party　had　succumbed　to　a　kind　of　delusional　psychosis　and　had　had　to　be　returned　to　the　ship。　But　for　Zor　those　bet　weeks　had　been　magical。　He　and　his　science　team　had　run　scans　and　collected　botanical　samples　while　other　teams　charted　distances　and　topography　and　probed　the　surface　for　useful　metals。

It　was　shortly　after　he　had　determined　the　inherent　sameness　of　flower；　shrub；　and　tree　that　the　landing　party　had　had　its　initial　encounter　with　the　planet's　indigenous　beings。

Limbless；　amorphous；　asexual　creatures…vaguely　mushroom…shaped　when　Zor　first　saw　them…they　lived　munally　in　conical；　hivelike　structures　from　which　they　made　daily　forays　into　the　surrounding　countryside　for　the　purpose　of　hover…gathering　fruits　and　flowers　of　the　planet's　singular　plant　life。　After　several　days　of　observing　the　creatures　in　their　routines　and　rituals…all　of　which　centered　on　the　flowers　and　trees…Zor　came　to　understand　that　the　beings　made　use　of　the　plant　for　physical　as　well　as　spiritual　nutrition。　Seemingly　oblivious　to　the　presence　of　off…worlders；　they　ingested　the　flower　petals　and　fruits　of　the　mature　crop　and　often　sipped　the　sap　of　the　seedlings；　which　Zor　had　discovered　possessed　strong　psychoactive　ingredients。

Ultimately　he　had　approached　what　he　took　to　be　the　hive　leader　and　had　learned　that　the　creatures　were　capable　of　telepathic　munication。　He　realized；　too；　that　they　had　the　capacity　to　alter　their　physical　being　to　suit　their　circumstances。　While　Zor　and　the　hive　leader　had　conversed；　the　creature　had　actually　assumed　a　semblance　of　sexually　differentiated　hu