18_the_end_of_the_circle-第57章

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Now；　though；　Lantas　looked　young　and　frightened。　She　said；　〃The　captains　of　the　Local　Group　are　here。〃

They　trooped　into　the　room　Karbarran　and　Spherisian；　Garudan　and　Perytonian。　Strange　to　see　them　striding　along　together；　when　in　the　near　past　there　had　been　so　much　friction　among　them。

The　captains　drew　to　a　halt　before　the　three。　Hodel；　the　burly　Karbarran；　spoke　for　them；　the　flotilla　was　mostly　Karbarran；　after　all。　〃We　have　had　word　of　Haydon's　approach。　Tirol　has　given　us　reason　to　hate　it　over　the　centuries；　but　in　the　Sentinels　War；　you　here　became　our　allies。　More　to　the　point；　we　think　your　researches　into　using　the　matrix　to　halt　the　shrinkage　of　the　cosmos　are　our　only　hope　of　survival。　We　therefore　cannot　surrender　the　matrix　to　Haydon；　no　matter　what。

〃Tracialle　will　lead　the　fleet　into　battle。　Your　Tiresian　techs　have　agreed　to　man　the　Valivarre。〃　His　main　regret　was　that　the　powerful　Ark　Angel　had；　after　delivering　the　scientists　to　Tirol；　departed　for　return　to　Earth；　it　would　have　added　tremendously　to　the　flotilla's　firepower。

Exedore　had　heard　something　about　the　Tiresians'　crewing…Valivarre　for　battle。　With　all　the　Zentraedi　gone　save　only　himself；　the　ship　had　to　be　refitted　for　use　by　Micronians；　of　course。　But　how　surprising　that　the　clones；　after　centuries　of　docility；　should　leap　to　defend　their　planet　and　the　matrix　with　all　the　stoic　determination　of　Zentraedi　in　a　suicide　charge。　It　was　a　time　of　horrors　but；　truly；　a　time　of　wonders　as　well。

〃I　tell　you　again　that　I　doubt　you　have　any　chance　of　victory；〃　Cabell　was　saying。　〃But　I　know　that　won't　dissuade　you。　What；　then；　do　you　wish　of　us？〃

A　Perytonian；　Purg；　spoke　up；　tossing　his　needle…sharp　horns　as　he　did。　〃Tell　us　of　the　Awareness；　the　seat　of　its　consciousness；　where　its　vulnerabilities　lie。　It　is　weak　now；　if　we　destroy　it；　Haydon　will　be　unable　to　wage　war。〃

Cabell　was　shaking　his　head　measuredly。　〃Firstly；　the　planet　has　gone　through　such　radical　mechamorphosis　that　there　is　no　telling　where　the　Awareness　is　now。　Nor　is　there　any　reliable　way　of　detecting　it。

〃But　more　importantly；　destroying　the　Awareness　will　not　guarantee　that　Haydon　is　powerless；　far　from　it。　I　implore　you　all　to　hold　back。　Exedore　and　I　are　trying　to　develop　some　kind　of　defense　to　keep　the　artificial　planet　at　bay。〃

What　he　did　not　tell　them　was　that　if　worse　came　to　worst；　he　and　the　micronized　Zentraedi　meant　to　destroy　the　matrix　utterly。　The　residents　of　the　Local　Group　looked　to　it　as　their　only　hope　of　salvation。

Captain　Prah；　the　Spherisian；　answered。　Her　ship；　the　Quartzstar；　was　the　newest；　smallest；　and　most　beautiful　of　all　the　Local　Group　vessels。　Spheris　was　perhaps　the　least　warlike　of　the　allies；　and　so　Cabell　hoped　for　some　word　of　moderation　from　her。

But　she　said　in　a　voice　that　had　a　high　crystal　ring　to　it；　〃We　cannot　risk　Haydon's　gaining　the　ultimate　power　of　the　matrix；　nor　can　we　gamble　the　lives　of　Tirol's　people。　Therefore；　unless　this　weapon　of　yours　is　forthing；　the　flotilla　will　advance　and　engage　Haydon　IV　as　soon　as　it　appears　in　this　system。〃

〃I　am　Zentraedi；〃　Exedore　said；　hands　clasped　behind　his　back。　〃I　understand　your　feelings。　Nonetheless；　I　beg　you　to　reconsider。　〃

The　captains'　silence　was　as　emphatic　as　any　spoken　refusal。

〃Go；　then；〃　Cabell　told　the　captains。　〃Exedore　and　I　will　see　if　Protoculture　has　any　secrets　left　to　teach　us。〃


Over　and　over；　during　the　headlong　days　of　the　Flower　harvest；　her　hand　went　to　her　sidearm　and　she　drew　a　breath　to　summon　those　guardswomen　who　were　still　faithful　to　her；　to　go　out　and　stop　the　collection；　prevent　the　delivery　to　orbit；　or　die　trying。

But　each　time；　Bela's　hand　unwillingly　released　the　gun's　grip。　To　do　that　would　mean　fighting　and　killing　her　Sisters　and　make　her　worse　than　Haydon；　worse　than　an　Invid。　What　was　to　happen　now　was　beyond　her　power　to　control。

In　time　the　cargo　ship　lifted　off；　climbing　to　orbit　on　its　antiproton…power　trail。　It　was　gone　for　more　than　ten　hours；　off…loading　its　Flower　cargo　and　taking　aboard　the　promised　modules。　When　it　made　planetfall　again；　it　seemed　as　though　every　childless　woman　on　the　planet　was　waiting　to　greet　it；　to　help　in　assembling　the　modules。

Haydon　and　Her　works　remained　an　enigma；　the　modules；　once　activated；　shifted　position　and　assembled　themselves；　the　Amazons　not　daring　to　interfere　or　try　to　probe　the　secrets　of　Her　devices。

Still　Bela　sat　in　her　aerie；　glaring　down　the　central　boulevard　of　Zanshar。　Dawn　rose　on　a　plaza　from　which　the　cloning　facility　had　vanished；　replaced　by　a　Whaashi。　A　lottery　was　being　held　in　the　open　square　for　a　fair　and　orderly　allocation　of　access　to　the　place　of　miracles。

When　the　first　woman　entered　the　Whaashi；　Bela　rose　from　her　place　and　went　to　her　palace's　mand　center。　There　she　watched　on　a　projecbeam　screen　as　Haydon　IV　got　under　way　again。

She　expected　to　see　a　planet　restored　to　high…sheen；　flawless　max…function；　but　it　was　not　so。　It　looked　as　if　there　had　been　some　repairs；　and　certainly　the　artificial　world　was　maneuvering　powerfully　and　quickly；　but　signs　of　damage　were　still　to　be　seen。

Then　Haydon　IV　was　gone；　superluminal。　Bela　manded　her　techs　to　make　yet　another　attempt　to　establish　contact　with　Tirol　despite　the　interference　that　had　been　frustrating　them　thus　far。

Curse　the　Shapings！


With　Aurora's　hand　on　the　tiller　or　rather；　her　mind　guiding　the　Peter　Pan　through　a　modified　〃thinking　cap〃　（she　refused　to　have　anything　to　do　with　Louie's　cyber…sockets；　and　Max　and　Miriya　would　not　have　permitted　it；　anyway）　the　sphere　ship　emerged　into　newspace。

It　was　as　if　an　encasing　bubble　had　popped；　all　around　them　were　stars　and　nebulas；　and　nearby　the　Super　Dimensional　Fortress　swung　in　orbit　over　a　world　swathed　in　the　white　clouds　indicative　of　a　living　planet。

〃We　took　longer　to　get　here　than　the　SDF…3；〃　she　explained；　〃because　our　drive　is　so　different；　and　so　was　our　route　through　Ranaath's　Star。〃　Dr。　Penn；　Louie；　and　the　rest　did　not　get　to　find　out　why；　because　Lisa　Hunter's　face　appeared　on　the　main　projecbeam　imager　and　her　voice　rang　from　the　speakers。

〃Attention；　unknown　vessel。　Attention　Aurora！　Vince！　Max；　Miriya條ord；　it's　good　to　see　you　all！〃

A　lot　of　people　on　the　Peter　Pan　were　trying　to　talk　at　the　same　time；　Aurora　being　a　notable　exception。　Vince　silenced　them　with　one　stern　mand。　〃At　ease！〃

Lisa　went　on。　〃The　children　said　you　were　ing。　Vince；　I　have　to　warn　you：　There's　no　guarantee　you　won't　be　stranded　here；　too；　unless　you　get　out　of　newspace　now；　this　moment。〃

Louie　Nichols　had　crowded　up　next　to　Vince；　recognizing　Lisa　from　old　newscasts；　tapes；　and　having　seen　her　once　in　person　during　the　SDF…3　launch　ceremonies。　〃I　think　we've　got　a　handle　on　that；　Admiral。〃

Vince　frowned　at　Louie　but　tolerated　the　intrusion。　〃Lisa；　d'　you　have　maneuvering　power？〃

〃Barely；　Vince。〃

〃No　problem。　If　you'll　hold　your　present　orbit；　I'll　match　up　with　you。〃　Harry　Penn　was　studying　his　instruments　and　giving　Vince　a　can…do　nod。

〃Very　good。　I'll　convene　an　emergency　conference。　We　can　begin　transferring　personnel　to　your　ship　right　away。〃　Vince　drew　a　deep　breath　but　decided　not　to　contradict　her　quite　so　publicly。　It　might　cause　serious　morale　problems　maybe　even　a　breakdown　in　discipline…to　announce　that　nobody　was　going　anywhere　for　a　while。

The　main　delay　in　docking　ships　was　necessitated　by　Peter　Pan's　techs　having　to　fit　external　securing　gear　on　the　outer　hull。　But　two　hours　later　the　mated　air　locks　opened；　and　despite　the　strain　of　the　crisis；　there　was　a　reunion　that　made　the　bulkheads　rattle。

Lisa　had　left　Forsythe　in　mand　of　the　bridge。　She　waited　on　the　SDF…3's　side　of　the　lock；　since　it　was　roomier。　Vince　stepped　through　from　Peter　Pan；　they　saluted　each　other；　and　then　he　swept　her　up　in　a　laughing　hug。　Rick　did　not　bother　with　salutes；　throwing　his　arms　around　Jean　and　bussing　her　soundly。

Restraint　and　order　broke　down；　with　more　hugging；　joy；　and　laughter　than　any　of　them　could　recall　in　a　long　time。　Vince　was　in　no　position　to　object；　since　he　no　sooner　released　Lisa　than　he　was…confronted　by　his　son。　Bowie　held　out　a　hand　shyly。　〃Hello；　Dad。〃