18_the_end_of_the_circle-第33章

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umed　a　semblance　of　sexually　differentiated　humanoid　form。　It　was　that　one　who　had　identified　the　race　by　the　name　Invid　and　first　used　the　term　〃Flower　of　Life。〃　This　one　who　led　the　landing　party　to　the　overlook　and　told　Zor　about　the　Queen…Mother　they　called　Regis。

Zor！　Are　you　ing；　Zor？　Vard　had　shouted　once　more；　and；　reluctantly；　Zor　had　begun　to　follow　him　down　the　steep　slope；　along　a　path　strewn　with　velvety　Flower　of　Life　petals。

And　so　had　menced　a　marvelous　journey　of　two　Tzuptum　days　through　Flower…crowned　hills　and　bustling　hive　settlements　that　weled　them　with　silent　chant　and　delivered　them　finally　to　the　lair　of　the　Queen…Mother。　。　。

Zor　stood　gazing　at　her　now；　eyes　next　to　closing　from　the　soporific　warmth　of　the　hive's　central　chamber。　She　had　conjugated　herself　in　an　approximation　of　humanoid　female　form　in　his　honor。

In　his　honor。　The　phrase　she　had　sent　to　him。

〃We　have　anticipated　your　return　to　Optera　for　so　long；　Bringer　of　Life。　Forgive　me　if　I　am　not　yet　adept　at　fully　mimicking　your　present　form。〃

You　anticipated　our　ing？　Zor　had　asked　her；　confused。

〃The　memory　is　ancient　but　deep　within　me。　The　Flowers　were　your　gift　to　us。〃

Zor　realized　that　he　was　being　mistaken　for　someone　who　had　visited　Optera　in　the　dim　past　and　was　about　to　correct　the　Regis　when　a　sudden　paralysis　gripped　his　thoughts。　The　Flowers　of　this　world　contained　a　form　of　novel　bio…energy。　They　endowed　life…indeed；　nature　and　matter　itself…with　the　power　to　shift　and　reshape；　to　wrestle　from　the　gods　themselves　the　ability　to　control　the　course　of　evolution。

Then　consider；　Zor　found　himself　thinking；　what　the　result　might　be　if　the　plant's　bio…energy　could　be　harnessed　and　directed。

Would　the　power　to　light　a　thousand　worlds　seem　too　much　to　ask？　The　power　to　drive　a　thousand　ships　across　the　sweep　of　stars？　The　power　to　shape　and　reconfigure　the　very　continuum　itself？　The　extension　of　life　。。。

And　yet　the　secret　of　municating　with　the　Flower　and　harnessing　that　energy　lay　with　the　unknown　being　that　had　brought　it　to　Optera。　And　with　this　Invid　shape　changer　who　had　fallen　heir　to　the　Flower's　fortunes。

Zor　was　intrigued。　He　realized　that　the　Regis　was　the　key　unlocking　Optera's　mysteries；　and　in　an　instant　of　mad　inspiration　he　decided　to　set　himself　the　goal　of　possessing　that　key…if　he　had　to　seduce　this　queen　to　make　that　happen！　〃Yes；　your　highness；〃　Zor　said　to　her　at　last。　〃I　have　finally　returned。〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

I　knew　Lisa　was　serious　the　moment　she　stepped　out　of　the　vanity；　dressed…barely！…in　that　revealing　black　camisole　Karen　Penn　gave　her　for　her　thirty…ninth　birthday。　I　was　surprised；　even　though　I　shouldn't　have　been。　I　mean；　I　remembered　the　look　in　Lisa's　eye　when　she　saw　Kaziana　with　Drannin　that　first　time；　and；　after　all；　we　had　talked　over　the　idea　some。。。Well；　Lisa　must　have　caught　the　look　on　my　face　（that　night　on　the　Ark　Angel）；　because　she　laughed　and　started　to　accuse　me　of　backing　out。　But　I　told　her　no　way。　And；　well；　let's　just　say　I　put　my　whole　heart　into　what　naturally　followed。
The　Collected　Journals　of　Admiral　Rick　Hunter

There　was　a　girl　in　Rick's　past；　a　gamine；　honey　blond　California　free　spirit　named　Jessica　Fisher；　the　eldest　daughter　of　Alice　Fisher；　an　old　friend　of　Pop's。　Rick　had　met　her　shortly　after　Pop　had　taken　the　flying　circus　to　Sacramento　in　search　of　spectators　with　a　bit　of　extra　wartime　scrip　in　their　pockets。

Rick　had　just　turned　nine；　and　he　and　Jessica　were　introduced　to　one　another　as　cousins。　It　had　not　taken　long；　however；　to　understand　that　there　was　no　actual　blood　bond　between　them；　especially　after　Pop　and　Alice　had　decided　to　bring　their　own　romance　out　from　behind　closed　doors。　Rick；　in　fact；　had　been　there　when　things　had　gotten　started　between　his　aging　dad　and　the　independent　Alice；　the　night　the　four　of　them　had　gone　into　San　Francisco　and　〃the　Visitor…the　SDF…1…had　made　its　grand　appearance。　Of　course；　very　few　people　realized　they　had　seen　a　ship　in　the　skies　that　night；　and　Russo's　government　had　managed　to　keep　the　Macross　project　under　wraps　for　the　next　five　years。　But　Pop　and　Alice　seemed　to　have　been　touched　by　something　in　the　air；　because　their　relationship　had　changed　from　that　night　on。　Rick；　too；　had　been　transfigured　by　the　event。　Youthful　flying　ace　that　he　was　fast　being；　he　had　liked　to　think　the　sky　as　his　property…even　though　Neasian　and　other　military　pilots　might　have　argued　the　claim…and　suddenly　in　that　same　sky　he　had　glimpsed　a　power　that　surpassed　all。　The　impact　on　his　young　mind　was　as　devastating　as　it　was　exhilarating；　for　while　Pop　had　done　his　best　to　keep　his　only　child　sheltered　from　the　disputes　that　had　plagued　Earth　at　the　time；　〃the　Visitor〃　had　made　it　clear　there　would　be　no　hiding　from　war's　long　reach。

Jessica；　ironically；　had　guessed　the　truth　about　what　they　had　witnessed。　I'll　bet　it　was　an　alien　spaceship；　she　had　told　Rick。　And　it's　e　down　to　show　everybody　on　Earth　that　war　isn't　the　only　way　that　things　get　changed；　that　there're　all　kinds　of　powers　in　the　universe　we'll　never　understand　if　we　keep　thinking　war's　the　answer。

She　was　almost　three　years　older　than　Rick　and　a　lot　more　concerned　about　such　things。　And　after　Pop　decided　to　remain　in　California　instead　of　taking　the　circus　elsewhere；　Rick　would　often　sit　at　Jessica's　feet　for　hours；　listening　carefully　to　what　she　had　to　say　about　hatred　and　injustice　and　greed；　and　he　would　pay　close　attention　to　the　things　she　read　aloud　from　novels　and　texts　and　some　of　Alice's　books　on　philosophy　and　religion。　Outside　the　year　of　high　school　he　had　attended　in　Sonoma；　the　time　with　Jessica　came　as　close　to　a　standard　education　as　Rick　had　received；　by　the　time　he　had　turned　fourteen；　he　was　pletely　infatuated　with　her。

That　she　was　still　almost　three　years　older　than　he　made　things　extremely　plicated；　because　by　then　older　boys　had　begun　to　show　up　at　the　Sacramento　farmhouse；　guys　who　would　stop　by　to　visit　with　Jessica　and　fill　her　head　with　a　lot　of　talk　about　what　they　were　going　to　do　when　they　joined　the　war。

Rick　had　already　tried　on　countless　occasions　to　express　his　feelings…he　had　even　gone　as　far　as　writing　her　a　poem…but　the　words　just　couldn't　make　it　past　his　lips。　At　the　same　time　he　had　tried　unsuccessfully　to　corner　her　into　confessing　her　undying　love　for　him。　There　had　been　a　bit　of　hand　holding　and　quick　kisses　but　nothing　that　approximated　the　passion　Rick　had　decided　the　two　of　them　were　meant　share。　So；　invariably；　when　any　of　Jessie's　prospective　boyfriends　were　on　hand；　Rick　could　be　found　retreating　to　his　room；　where　he　would　sulk　for　an　hour　or　two　or　stare　at　all　the　trophies　and　medals　his　flying　skills　had　earned　him　and　wonder　why　they　were　not　doing　the　trick。　But　he　certain　was　not　about　to　sit　out　there　on　the　porch　and　spew　a　lot　of　nonsense　about　how　many　enemy　planes　he　planned　to　down　when　his　turn　came。　And　what　was　Jessie　doing　listening　all　the　lies　those　characters　were　feeding　her；　anyway？

The　truth；　as　it　would　unfold；　was　that　she　had　not　been　listening。　One　night　she　had　followed　Rick　back　to　his　room　to　tell　him　just　that；　and　damned　if　she　hadn't　been　aware　of　Rick's　feelings　all　along！　But　how　could　you　even　think　for　minute　I'd　be　impressed　by　all　that　war　talk？　she　had　asked　him。　I　don't　want　that　kind　of　hero　in　my　life；　Rick。　I　want　to　fall　in　love　with　someone　who　isn't　afraid　to　look　for　different　answers。　Someone　like　you。

Over　the　next　six　months　Jessica　had　led　him　slowly　in　the　joys　of　love　and　sexual　discovery；　but　by　the　time　winter　had　rolled　around　it　was　plain　they　were　not　meant　to　be　lovers；　that　it　was　more　important　that　their　friendship　survive　than　anything　else。　So　Jessie　had　moved　on　to　the　sensitive　hero　of　her　dreams；　and　Rick　had　thrown　himself　in　stunt　flying　with　renewed　fervor。　But　lord；　how　his　hormones　had　raged　for　those　six　too…brief　months！　Not　even　Minmei　or　Lisa　would　inflame　him　the　way　Jessie　had。

And　oddly　enough；　it　was　Jessie　he　was　thinking　about　now；　laser…cutting　a　path　through　the　verdant　foliage　of　a　new　world；　staring　at　Marie　Crystal's　shapely；　jumpsuited　deriere。

What　the　hell's　ing　over　me？　Ric