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e　in　this　Quadrant　obsolete。　Only　one　was　needed　to　achieve　that　passage。〃　The　Tiresian　shook　his　head。　〃For　the　rest　of　us；　a　pat　on　the　back　and　an　accelerated　heat　death。〃

〃Jeez；　you　guys；〃　Dana　cut　in；　〃try　not　to　sound　so　cheerful　about　it；　huh。〃

〃Tough　break；　but　they're　right　about　it；　Lieutenant；〃　Louie　said；　his　goggled；　smiling　face　on…screen　all　at　once。　〃Louie！〃　Dana　yelled。

〃Hey；　Dana。　Told　you　you'd　see　me　again　before　long。〃　Dana　recalled　the　send…off　party　Louie's　gang　had　thrown　for　the　15th　aboard　Wolff's　ship。　The　memory　stirred　thought　of　Jonathan　and　their　last　night　together。　〃So　where'd　you　spend　the　occupation；　mechie？〃　she　asked。

Louie　grinned。　〃No　time　to　go　into　that　now；　Dana。〃　He　looked　to　Exedore。　〃We　need　to　know　whether　the　device　Veidt　gave　you　can　access　the　Awareness。〃

The　Zentraedi　scratched　at　his　thatch　of　barn…red　hair。　〃Only　in　the　most　limited　of　capacities。〃

〃But　you　can　get　in？〃　Louie　pressed。

〃Yes；　but　I　don't　see…〃

〃We're　going　to　find　out　where　Haydon's　headed　by　hook　or　by　crook；　Exedore。　The　Karbarrans；　God　help　them；　are　finalizing　their　plans。　But　their　attack　is　going　to　provide　us　with　the　diversion　we　need。〃

〃Well；　we're　all　set　down　here；〃　Dana　enthused。　Catching　sight　of　Max　and　Miriya's　concern；　Vince　said；　〃Now　look；　Dana；　don't　try　anything　rash。　Veidt's　already　told　us　you'll　be　released。〃

〃Sorry；　mander；〃　Dana　countered　with　a　dismissive　wave　at　the　screen；　〃but　we're　all　out　of　trust　down　here。　Besides；　there's　no　harm　in　creating　a　second　diversionary　front　while　you're　running　your　op；　is　there？　Who　knows；　we　might　even　be　able　to　place　a　coupla　monkey　wrenches　of　our　own。　〃

〃Dana；〃　Max　and　Louie　said　at　the　same　time。　Max　motioned　for　Nichols　to　continue。

〃There's　one　more　thing　we're　gonna　try　first；　Dana；〃　Louie　told　her。　〃We've　got　someone　on　board　who　might　be　able　to　tell　us　where　the　Regis　went。〃

Dana　flashed　him　a　dubious　look。　〃Yeah？　What'd　you　do；　Louie；　bring　an　Invid　along　for　the　ride？〃

Louie　stroked　his　cleft　chin。　〃Never　was　any　fooling　you；　Lieutenant。〃


CHAPTER　EIGHTEEN

e　let　me　show　you　our　mon　bond；
it's　the　reason　that　we　live。
Flower；　let　me　hold　you。
We　depend　upon　the　Power　that　you　give。
We　should　protect　the　seed；　or　we　could　all　fade　away；　
Flower　of　Life；　Flower　of　Life；　Flower　。　。　。
Tiresian　chant　of　the　Cult　of　the　Three…in…One

For　once　even　Vard　was　concerned。　are　you　certain　of　what　you're　acplishing　here？　he　would　ask　at　least　once　a　day。　And　Zor　could　answer　only　with　that　maniacal　grin　that　had　bee　his　ever…present　look　on　Optera：　Of　course　he　was　certain。　And　wasn't　this　exactly　what　their　elders　in　Tiresia　expected　of　them：　to　return　from　these　technovoyages　with　something　extraordinary？　And　if　that　wasn't　enough；　who　were　these　Invid　that　they　should　have　these　incredible　flowers　to　themselves？　That　they　alone　should　possess　the　ability　to　reshape　the　world　about　them？　No；　this　was　for　all　worlds；　Zor　had　suggested　to　Vard　for　the　galaxy　in　all　its　wondrous　variety！

Mad；　in　those　times；　possessed；　though　he　would　not　recognize　it　in　himself。。。

But　to　achieve　it；　thus；　Vard　would　point　out。　To　achieve　it　by　deceiving　the　hive　queen　of　the　race…this　Regis。　To　lay　claim　to　royalty　by　pretending　to　be　the　long…expected　one　returned；　the　Bringer　of　the　Flower。　And　to　resort　to　seducing　the　secrets　from　this　naive　being　。　。　。

This　was　central　to　Vard's　concern…the　fact　that　Zor　had　done　nothing　less　than　make　love　to　this　creature。　In　her　approximation　of　human　guise　and　human…made　raiments。　In　her　very　chambers　and　in　her　very　bed　。。。　For　such　was　the　only　way　that　the　secrets　could　be　revealed。　The　process；　dear　Vard；　required　a　plete　joining…mind…to…mind；　body…to…body…and　passion　to　acpany　it。　Or；　in　Zor's　case；　an　approximation　of　passion；　a　semblance　of　love。

Oh；　in　a　sense　he　did　love　her；　he　supposed。　He　certainly　envied　her；　lusted　after　the　knowledge　the　Flower　of　Life　had　imparted　to　her。　But　as　to　all　this　mindspeech　about　remaining　on　Optera；　about　actually　relinquishing　some　of　his　physicalform　so　that　they　might　remain　mates　here　。。。　Well；　that　was　arrant　nonsense。　He　could　no　more　live　here…even　with　the　secret　shared　and　revealed…than　he　could　abandon　the　quest　for　enlightenment　that　had　already　taken　him　to　scores　of　star　systems　and　hundreds　of　planets。

Furthermore；　there　was　a　husband　to　consider。

Nothing　like　the　Regis；　this　creature　that　called　himself　the　Regent。　And　Zor　had　barely　given　him　a　second　thought　when　it　had　e　down　to　formulating　his　plan　for　seduction　and　conquest。　But　there　was　something　about　the　Regent　that　rendered　him　more　human　than　the　Regis　could　ever　be；　for　all　her　recently　evolved　anatomic　curves；　erogenous　zones；　and　self…shaping　talents。　And　it　was　just　this　mysterious　humanness　that　Zor　made　use　of　to　ensure　that　the　Regent　was　absent　from　the　hive　for　long　periods　at　a　stretch。

The　Regent；　it　seemed；　had　a　curiosity　for　Zor　and　his　kind　that　rivaled　Zor's　curiosity　for　the　Regis。　Only　the　Regent　was　less　interested　in　the　physical　and　psychological　differences　that　separated　them　than　he　was　in　the　very　artifacts　the　technovoyagers　used　in　their　everyday　lives　and　travels。　It　was　as　though　the　creature　wished　only　to　fill　his　world　with　such　things…instruments　and　devices　and　ships。　So　it　had　been　easy　enough　to　arrange　for　the　Regent　to　be　taken　on　a　tour　through　this　or　that　part　of　the　ship　or　flown　to　distant　places　on　his　own　Optera　when　the　need　arose。

And　that　need　had　arisen　often　these　past　months　。　。　。　Zor　smiled　to　himself；　lying　with　the　Regis　now；　his　arms　wrapped　around　her。　He　recognized　that　the　transference　was　almost　plete；　the　language　of　the　Flower　almost　his。　But　he　recognized；　too；　that　there　were　rules　governing　the　use　of　this　language　and；　quite　possibly；　that　he　had　been　made　aware　of　something　misunderstood　by　the　Queen…Mother　herself。　The　Flower　of　Life　apparently　held　a　secret　of　its　own；　one　that　had　yet　to　be　seduced　from　it。

A　secret　Zor　would　one　day　call　Protoculture。


Scott　Bernard　sat　stiffly　in　his　chair　as　the　two　majors　led　Marlene　into　the　Ark　Angel's　briefing　room。　Cabell；　the　Grants；　Louie　Nichols；　and　several　intelligence　officers　from　G2　were　seated　at　the　long　table。　Bulkhead　displays　flashed　color…enhanced　visual　close…ups　of　Haydon　IV；　an　updated　count　of　production　vessels；　an　alphanumeric　Karbarran　attack　countdown。　The　ship　had　turned　slightly　to　port　to　keep　the　reconfigured　artifact　centered　in　the　exterior　viewports。　The　accretion　disc　of　Ranaath's　Star　pinwheeled　in　the　background；　a　sinister　wheel　of　fortune。

Marlene；　red　hair　pulled　back　behind　her　ears；　looked　ill。　〃Take　a　seat；〃　Vince　began；　sounding　like　a　physician　about　to　deliver　bad　news。

With　a　nervous　glance；　at　Scott；　Marlene　lowered　herself　into　one　of　the　plastic　chairs。　He　held　her　gaze　for　a　moment　and　looked　away；　tight…lipped。

Niles　Obstat　cleared　his　throat。　〃I　think　you　know　why　we've　asked　you　here。〃

〃I'm…I'm　not　sure；〃　Marlene　told　the　intel　chief。

Vince　grimaced　and　blew　out　his　breath。　〃We've　tried　to　give　you　time　to　think　through　your　position；　er；　Marlene。　But　I'm　afraid　time　has　run　out　for　all　of　us。　We　have　reason　to　believe　you　can　tell　us　where　the　Regis　is；　and　we　need　that　answer　now。〃

Marlene　swallowed　and　found　her　voice。　〃I've　been　trying…〃

〃Don't　give　us　any　of　that；〃　Obstat　said；　cutting　her　off。　〃You're　Invid；　and　what　one　of　you　knows；　you　all　know。　Just　tell　us　where　we　can　find　the　Regis；　and　we'll　put　an　end　to　this。　It's　for　your　own　good；　too；〃　he　added。　〃How　else　are　you　planning　to　get　home　if　we　don't　take　you　there？〃

Scott　was　tempted　to　tell　Obstat　how　Sera　had　gone　home　but　held　his　tongue。　Marlene　was　staring　at　the　director；　lower　lip　trembling。

〃But　don't　you　see；　I'm　not　all　Invid；〃　she　replied。　〃I　have…〃

〃You're　all　Invid　as　far　as　we're　concerned；〃　a　woman　officer　sneered。

Marlene　closed　her　eyes　and　shook　her　head。　〃If　that's　true；　then　how　is　it　that　one　of　your　own　kind　loves　me？〃　Her　eyes　found　Scott；　as　did　everyone　else's　in　the　room。　〃Tell　them；　Scott；　please。　Make　them　understand。〃

〃Well；　Colonel？〃　Vinc