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If　you've　been　lucky　enough　to　get　a　seat　at　Bowie　Grant's　Blue　Harp　Lounge　to　hear　Musica　and　Allegra　sing　and　play　along　with　him　or　have　caught　them　on　tour；　you　know　how　well　they're　doing　and　why。


One　of　the　tenser　moments　occurred　as　Angelo　Dante　set　off　to　introduce　Gnea　to　his　parents。　He　was　so　nervous　that　she　offered　to　change　into　more　conservative　Earth　garb　（and　a　lot　of　us　were　all　set　to　pitch　in）；　but　Angie　said　no；　quite　an　independent　move　for　him。　We　all　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief　when　they　fell　in　love　with　her。

The　visit　was　rather　hasty；　though；　since　Gnea　was　being　rushed　back　to　New　Praxis　（Optera）　by　special　courier　ship璱ncluding　the　penalty　weight　of　the　fruitcake　from　Angie's　folks…to　brief　Bela　on　all　that　had　happened…

…and；　of　course；　to　help　take　care　of　all　those　little　Invid　they've　got　running　around　once　more。

Jean　Grant　once　spoke　of　pieces　of　the　puzzle　fitting　together；　and　there's　probably　no　more　prominent　example　of　that　than　New　Praxis。

For　some　reason　the　Regis　didn't　suffer　the　delay　in　time　that　we　did；　and　when　the　altered　Shapings　permitted　her/his　Race　to　return　to　spacetime；　I　suppose　it's　no　surprise；　they　came　full　circle…and；　from　what　we　can　tell；　took　on　the　original　state　in　which　Zor　found　them。

The　Second　Gen　Flowers　of　Life　bloom　there　now；　with　hordes　of　little　Pollinators　to　make　sure　they　bloom。　（Dana　keeps　insisting　that　one　in　particular　is　hers　and　hers　alone；　and　the　critter　seems　to　feel　the　same　way。）　Anyhow；　everybody's　happy　the　Pollinators　are　sacred　beasts　on　New　Praxis　these　days；　protected　by　the　brawny　arms　of　warrior　women；　because　the　galaxy　has　had　enough　of　Protoculture。

Riding　herd　on　all　this　is　a　graying　Bela；　with　Gnea　taking　up　the　reins　bit　by　bit。　And　their　fighters；　women　who've　lost　a　world；　now　posting　guard　over　creatures　whose　only　desire　is　to　be　left　alone：　there's　a　higher　symmetry　to　that。

Because；　surely；　this　is　the　fate　we　all　felt　the　Regis　cry　out　for　back　there　at　the　Intersection。　We　don't　probe　into　the　Invid　hive　life；　but　I　suspect　She　lives　there　someplace　inside　Optera；　more　happily　now　than　at　any　time　since　Zor　came。

I　do　not　ask；　though；　for　anyone　to　pursue　these　questions。　And　yet　there　e　reports；　fourth…and　fifth…hand；　that　a　new　entity　is　being　brought　to　life　down　there　in　the　hive。　From　what　little　the　Intel　officers…kept　conscientiously　at　bay　on　the　surface…can　tell；　it　is　a　male　who　will　have　the　capacity　to　erase　or　perhaps　refurbish　certain　chemical/energy　memory　systems。

A　new　and　better　Regent？


On　another　front；　Gnea　promised　to　build　quarters　in　Zanshar　just　for　Angie's　parents　so　that　they　can　visit　whenever　they　please。　And　feel　guilty　about　not　being　there。　I　suspect　Gnea's　figuring　on　a　few　daughters　to　keep　Angie　busy　and　perhaps　give　him　a　new　perspective　on　women。


The　Sentinels　see　each　other　infrequently　now；　not　because　we're　sedentary　but　rather　because　so　much　more　is　happening　everywhere。　The　Zentraedi；　of　course；　are　based　on　Fantoma　but　can　be　found　anywhere　heavy…g　operations　are　going　on；　especially　in　monopole　ore　mining。　Their　numbers　increase　at　a　far；　far　slower　rate　than　in　the　days　of　cloning；　but　from　what　I　hear；　they　still　favor　their　new…timeless璵ethod　of　reproducing。

The　survivors　are　just　starting　to　live…all　of　us。

Drannin　is　looking　more　and　more　like　Breetai　every　day。　He　still　shows　those　glowing　eyes；　though；　as　do　all　the　SDF…3　children。　Their　psi…abilities　and　other　exceptional　attributes　of　strength；　speed；　and　dexterity　continue　to　increase。　They　can　still　giggle；　but　at　other　times　they　seem　to　have　their　glowing　eyes　fixed　on　some　far　horizon　the　rest　of　us　can't　see。

Does　the　name　〃Darwin〃　strike　a　bell？

The　human　race…and　others…are　ready　for　a　new　and　different　kind　of　leap　across　the　stars；　a　peaceful　one　this　time；　and　these　glow…eyed　children　of　ours　are　proof。

That　was　part　of　the　reason　we　went　forth；　wasn't　it？　To　find　out　what　we　could　ultimately　bee？　In　any　case；　Roy　II　forgets　to　brush　his　teeth　if　Rick　or　I　don't　remind　him；　even　if　he　can　argue　spacetime　algorithms　with　Louie　Nichols。　And　bedtime　is　still　bedtime；　the　kid　gets　a　swat　on　the　landing　gear　if　he's　being　too　muley。

Keeps　us　all　humble。


I　suppose　I　was　looking　the　other　way；　but　it　seemed　like　I　was　the　only　one　surprised　when　Aurora　ran　for　Interworld　Council　and　became　the　youngest　representative…elect　ever。　She's　not　maturing　at　her　accelerated　rate　anymore；　but　no　one　appears　to　care。

Max　and　Miriya　are　Earth's　ambassadors　to　Tirol/Fantoma；　of　course；　so　they　get　to　see　Aurora　all　the　time。

Which　sounds　good　to　an　old　lady　whose　son　and　husband　seem　to　spend　most　of　their　hours　in　that　damned　old　Fokker。　Somehow；　the　little　Dr。　1　triplane　made　it　through　the　whole　newspace　dustup；　stowed　away　down　there　in　a　hold　in　SDF…3。　Roy…my…darling…boy　handed　Rick　the　wrenches　and　whatnot；　and　Rick　put　some　kind　of　power　plant　into　that　kite　that　makes　it　do　things　Manfred　von　Richthofen　could　only　dream　about。

They're　up　in　it　most　of　their　waking　hours；　as　Roy　feasts　on　the　wonders　of　Earth。　I'm　invited　along　whenever　I　want　to　go　（and　intrude　upon　the　male　bonding？　Thanks；　Rick！）；　but　my　editor　keeps　yelling　about　this　deadline。

We　didn't　e　home　to　paradise；　there　are　still　crises　and　suffering　and　conflict；　but　it's　a　very　different　world；　a　different　galaxy；　from　the　one　we　left　when　we　entered　newspace。

Louie　Nichols　once　confided　to　me　that　he　thought　the　Shapings　had　e　to　an　end；　that　a　certain　cycle　of　downfall；　redemption；　and　renewal　had　played　out　to　its　finish；　leaving　us　to　make　our　own　Shapings　from　now　on。

I　like　the　sound　of　it。


Looking　back　over　this　manuscript；　I　see　there's　no　way　I　can　fit　in　every　detail。

Such　as：　that　boisterous　exploratory　tour　Exedore　and　Cabell　took；　the　pink…haired　Lantas　mother…henning　them；　here　on　Earth；　and　Cabell's　newfound　dotty　passion　for　classic　rock　music　（who　can　explain　the　Presley　fixation？）。

Or　the　story　of　how　the　Haydonites…those　saved　from　the　wreckage　of　their　world…have　bee　a　sort　of　wandering　interstellar　Peace　Corps。　Much　of　their　effort　went　into　helping　Earth　and　New　Praxis　rebuild。


The　people　at　New　Random　House　are　just　going　to　have　to　understand　that　I　can't　write　CLOSE…FILE　to　this　one；　among　other　things；　work　on　SDF…4　is　nearing　pletion。

Vince　Grant；　Crysta；　and　Baldan　will　be　here　any　minute　to　take　me　upstairs　for　another　inspection　tour。　Soon　we'll　know　whether　the　saga　of　Protoculture　made　itself　felt　in　the　Andromeda　Galaxy　or　if　things　there　are　a　new　story　entirely。

When　I　joined　the　service；　no　woman　had　ever　manded　a　spacecraft…of…the…line。　Through　luck　and　the　turn　of　events　and　a　bit　of　merit；　I've　manded　the　greatest　vessels　Earth　ever　put　into　space。　Having　achieved　that；　I'm　not　ready　to　hand　it　over　yet。

Check　back　with　me　in　another　ten　years　or　so。

Rick　made　me　watch　Roy　Fokker's　favorite　old…time　movie；　Things　to　e；　and　that　〃Which　shall　it　be？〃；　speech　at　the　end　never　fails　to　make　the　two　of　us　tear　up　a　bit。　But　at　least　now　we　know　the　answer　to　the　question　posed　by　Raymond　Massey；　and　it　is　one　worthy　of　the　human　race。

Still；　I　can't　get　it　out　of　my　mind　that　one　part　of　this　story　hasn't　been　finished　and；　it　seems；　never　will　be。　As　least　not　in　my　lifetime。

。　。　。　but　her　songs　play　on　after　her。　And　the　universe　listens　。。。


The　Flowers　grew　best　up　on　the　hill　near　where　the　SDF…3　fold　drive　casing　sat。

Minmei　liked　going　up　there　to　sit　and　think　and　to　sing　into　the　dark　spaces　cast　by　the　casing's　mighty　shadow；　especially　now　that　her　time　was　drawing　near。

The　second　bubble　in　newspace；　shielded　from　the　in　Human　forces　of　Haydon's　new　natural　laws；　was　very　different　from　that　in　which　the　Elders　passed　their　eons。　Perhaps　some　of　the　materials　came　from　the　sphere　ships；　in　any　event；　Minmei　and　Rem　reigned　now　over　a　worldlet　enpassing　a　small　island　and　a　tiny　sea。

They　wandered　it　at　their　pleasure。　Even　though　the　lifeforms　there　were　alien；　there　was　nothing　to　hamper　them　on　the　land　or　menace　them　in　the　sea；　the　new　dominion　was　benign。

Why　Haydon　had　chose