16_world_killers-第24章

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e　high…collared　cape；　so　that　Haydon　looked　very　much　like　the　inhabitants　of　that　world。　Only　the　hint　of　flowing　hair　contradicted　it。

The　Terrans　had　been　surprised　to　realize　that；　by　Haydon's　own　decree；　no　precise　image　of　him　had　ever　been　made。　And　so　he　remained　shrouded　in　mystery　just　as　the　projection　stood　wrapped　in　its　long　cape。

The　Sentinels　and　the　freed　Praxians　had　offered　to　provide　an　honor　guard　for　Sarna's　funeral；　but　Vowad　and　Veidt　declined。　Together；　they　boarded　a　small　carpet　and　undertook　the　journey　with　the　body　of　the　beloved　mate　and　daughter。

Soon　the　leveled　city　was　left　behind　and　the　idyllic　countryside　of　Haydon　IV　rolled　by　beneath。　But　the　two　kept　their　gazes　straight　ahead。　During　that　long　flight　not　a　word　was　exchanged　between　the　two；　each　being　lost　in　his　contemplation。

When　at　last　they　hovered　before　the　projected　figure；　there　was　no　need　to　say　anything　aloud。　They　had　already　muned　their　sorrow　to　the　very　planet；　and　to　one　another。

Nevertheless；　Veidt；　having　picked　up　new　customs　in　his　travels　and　travails；　bade　the　figure　of　Haydon；　〃Take　her　into　your　keeping；　she　who　was　everything　in　this　life　to　me。　Grant　that　her　words　were　true；　and　that　we　will　be　together　again！〃

He　wasn't　praying　to　Haydon；　but　rather　addressing　a　higher　power　that　even　the　Haydonites　only　dimly　understood　and　could　not　fathom　by　any　application　of　mere　logic。

Still；　the　image　of　Haydon　moved；　as　the　living　Awareness　of　the　planet　willed　it。　Arms　appeared　from　beneath　the　cape；　and　eyes；　like　Human　eyes；　or　Tiresian；　came　into　shadowy　resolution。　The　open　palms　beckoned。

Sarna's　body　rose　from　the　carpet；　poised　and　erect　as　though　she　lived　once　more。　As　the　father　and　the　husband　watched；　she　was　drawn　into　the　valley　of　Haydon's　cupped　palms。

Vowad　struggled　within　himself；　moved　by　the　words　Veidt　had　spoken　and　by　the　wretched　grief　of　the　moment。　Sarna　was　gone；　her　essence　having　passed　to　some　other　plane　of　existence；　therefore　it　was　illogical　to　base　decisions　on　what　would　please　her。　And　yet。。。

Sarna's　body　had　vanished　into　the　cupped　hands　of　Haydon。　A　glow　rose　from　between　them；　lighting　Haydon's　smooth　face　and　the　sky　above。　The　two　mourners　heard　many　voices　raised　in　wordless　music　as　the　light　intensified。　Then　all　at　once　it　was　unbearable；　and　they　had　to　look　away。

When　they　turned　back；　Haydon　was　lowering　vast；　empty　hands。　In　moments；　the　projection　stood　as　it　had　when　they　appeared。　They　stood　looking　at　it　for　long　minutes。

〃Veidt；　I…I　would　like　to　be　friends　with　you　from　now　on；　if　you　will　it。〃

〃Thank　you；　Vowad。　It　will　give　her　great　joy。〃


CHAPTER　FIFTEEN

So　it's　eloquence　or　violence；
'Cause　no　one　believes　in　coincidence！
The　Robotones；　〃Protoculture　Junction〃

The　call　from　his　secret　facility　under　the　Royal　Hall　didn't　awaken　Edwards；　he　slept　less　and　less　nowadays；　animated　by　his　relentless　hunger　to　wrest　control　of　the　REF；　and　by　his　frustration　that　Minmei；　still　in　solitary　confinement；　was　steadfast　in　her　refusal　to　so　much　as　speak　to　him。

His　first　impulse　was　to　call　his　security　convoy　over　to　the　Royal　Hall　with　lights　flashing　and　sirens　wailing。　But　in　the　cautious　head…on　power　games　he　was　playing　with　Lang　and　the　rest　of　the　Plenepotentiary　Council；　he　couldn't　afford　to　attract　attention　to　the　secret　advantage　he　held。　So　the　trip　was　low…profile。

With　Ghost　Rider　guards　flanking；　Edwards　picked　his　way　through　the　catabs　under　the　gargantuan　Royal　Hall；　ing　at　last　to　the　carefully　guarded　installations　that　was　under　his　personal　control。

〃We　have　a　contact　signal；　sir；〃　the　officer　on　duty　explained；　〃but　no　response　to　our　acknowledgment。　We　just　get　the　same　word　in　code。〃

The　officer　turned　up　the　volume　and　the　speakers　murmured　Edwards's　name　over　and　over。

Edwards　issued　terse　mands。　The　room　was　cleared；　leaving　him　alone　with　the　apparatus。　It　took　a　bit　of　remembering；　but　he　had　been　careful　to　learn　how　to　operate　the　devices　himself。

〃Edwards　here。〃

There　was　a　moment's　silence；　then　he　found　himself　looking　into　the　face　of　the　Invid　Regent。

I　knew　it！　Edwards　exulted。　Perhaps　it　was　in　some　measure　a　function　of　the　strange　insights　he　had　gotten　when　he　had　taken　that　brain…boost　from　the　captured　Invid　equipment；　but　perhaps　it　was　just　as　much　a　matter　of　his　innate　suspicion。　In　any　case；　he　had　never　believed　that　the　creature　strangled　on　Tirol　by　Tesla　was　the　real　Regent。

〃You　took　your　time　answering；　Human；〃　the　Regent　said。

〃I'm　here　now。　What　do　you　want？〃

Each　was　inspecting　the　other　with　the　same　thought：　this　fool　could　be　the　answer　to　my　problem！

〃There　have　been。。。unfortunate　mishaps；〃　the　Regent　said。　〃Your　enemies　and　mine　now　hold　Haydon　IV。〃

Edwards　bit　back　an　insult；　he　had　to　appear　absolutely　calm。　The　failure　of　his　Ghost　Riders　to　return　from　the　pursuit　of　Breetai　had　been　clear　enough　proof　that　the　Zentraedi　had　probably　linked　up　with　the　damned　Sentinels。　But　to　hear　that　they　had　triumphed　again　was　almost　enough　to　make　him　doubt　his　own　high　destiny　to　rule　all　Creation。

But　no；　here　was　the　Regent；　a　sign　that　Edwards　was；　indeed；　the　Chosen　of　the　Gods。

Edwards　resisted　the　impulse　to　taunt　the　Regent；　he　would　need　the　creature's　goodwill　for　a　while　longer　yet。　〃That's　too　bad。　What　are　we　going　to　do　about　it？〃

The　Regent　hid　his　satisfaction　at　hearing　that　Edwards　would　willingly　be　a　part　of　the　Regent's　web　of　machinations。　〃I　am　on　my　way　to　the　Home　Hive　on　Optera　now。　Once　there；　I　will　contact　you　with　details　of　our　bined　effort。　The　Protoculture　willing；　we　shall　wipe　the　Sentinels　out　of　existence。〃

〃I　look　forward　to　that　day；　my　good　friend；〃　Edwards　said　in　a　butter…wouldn't…melt　voice。

The　two　broke　contact　with　an　identical　silent　thought：　Just　wait　until　I　no　longer　need　you；　you　gullible　simpleton！


On　Haydon　IV；　the　sorrow　over　Sarna's　death　and　the　deaths　of　thousands　of　others；　and　the　destruction　of　Glike；　was　lessened　somewhat　by　the　somber　satisfaction　of　having　evicted　the　Invid。

Once　the　Regent　departed　in　his　flagship；　the　Invid　simply　lost　their　will　to　fight。　The　mopping…up　hadn't　taken　long。　By　the　time　Breetai's　Valivarre　and　the　two　REF　cruisers　were　making　planetfall；　most　of　the　fighting　was　finished。

They　found　a　city　where　triumphant　amazons　were　celebrating　their　liberation；　patrolling　the　city　with　weapons　in　their　hands　and　heads　held　high。　The　Haydonites；　too；　had　undergone　a　change：　gone　were　the　days　when　they　could　stomach　Invid　tyranny　over　themselves　or　others。　The　ruins　of　Glike　had　the　air　of　a　monument　to　the　trans…species　hunger　for　freedom。

In　the　wake　of　the　struggle；　the　other　Sentinels　were　left　in　various　moods　and　states。　Vince　Grant　and　his　wife　hugged；　rejoicing　in　the　victory；　but　were　melancholy　in　the　knowledge　that　there　was　so　much　more　yet　to　do。

Jack　Baker　and　Karen　Penn；　watching　over　Rem　in　a　Hall　of　Healing；　found　that　they　didn't　despise　one　another　quite　so　much。　〃Glad　you　made　it；　Penn；〃　Jack　blurted。

〃Thanks　for。。。for　riding　to　the　rescue；　Lancelot；〃　she　tried　to　joke；　but　she　couldn't　bring　herself　to　say　it　lightly　as　their　eyes　met。

Across　from　them；　Janice　Em　was　gazing　down　on　Rem；　too。　She　saw　images　of　Rem　and　Zor　and…something　else；　impulses　fought　in　her　for　dominance。　Although　it　was　contrary　to　her　programming；　an　undeniable　tide　of　emotion　welled　up　in　her　every　time　she　looked　at　the　clone。　She　longed　for　a　chance　to　ask　Lang　what　it　all　meant；　but　despaired　of　ever　having　the　chance；　the　war　seemed　to　have　taken　on　a　life　of　its　own。

For　Breetai　there　were　cheers　and　accolades；　and　kisses；　too；　though　his　sixty…foot　height　made　those　a　little　impractical。

Lisa　didn't　care；　she　insisted　that　the　Zentraedi　lift　her　high　so　that　she　could　plant　a　wet　one　on　his　cheek。　She　had　the　interesting　experience　of　seeing　one　of　the　universe's　biggest　blushes　up　close。　There　was　a　tallish　female　Zentraedi　close…by；　someone　Lisa　had　heard　called　Kazianna；　who　frowned　a　bit　at　Lisa's　display　of　affection。

Lisa　understood　the　possessive　look　she　was　seeing　on　Kazianna's　face；　and　lingered　a　moment；　literally　grabbing　Breetai's　ear。　〃Well！　Congratulations！〃　she　said　slyly。　The　ear　grew　red　and　warm　in　her　grasp；　but　Breetai　was　grinning　like　a　schoolboy。

As　for　Lisa　and　Rick；　there　was　something　between　them　that　hadn't　been　there　before　the　Haydon　campaign。　It　was　the　unweighted　love　that　had　e　into　being　when　it　was　proven　in　battle　that　there　was　no　inequality　of　courage…or　concern…between　them。　Each　was　an　acplished　fighter　now；　and　it　was　understood　that　each　would　have　dangers　to　face。　And　so　each　felt　equal　love　for　the　other；　and　apprehensions；　and　pride。　And　each　felt　the　immeasurable　value　of　every　moment　they　shared。

The　Karbarrans　and　Garudans　managed　to　contact　the　members　of　their　respective　races　who　were　on　Haydon　IV；　and　enjoyed　the　particular　pleasures　of　hometown　manners。　It　pleased　the　other　Sentinels　to　know　that　word　of　the　exploits　of　Lron；　Crysta；　Kami；　Learna；　and　the　rest　would　be　carried　back　to　their　homes。

Max　Sterling　took　no　part　in　the　impro