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Thus；　when　the　glad　shouts　of　the　Amazons　died　away；　Bela　raised　her　formidable　voice。　〃We　thank　you　and　praise　yon　for　this　benevolence；　Haydon；　First　Mother！　Yet　what　is　do　nature　of　the　task　you　require　of　us？〃

There　were　some　angry　mutterings　from　her　subjects　over　her　impertinence。

GO　FORTH　NOW　AND　GATHER　IN　ALL　OF　THE　FLOWERS　OF　LIFE　THAT　HAVE　NOT　REACHED　FRUITION。　THOSE　THAT　HAVE　BORNE　FRUIT　OR　WILL　BEAR　IT；　LET　BE。　ALL　OTHERS　ARE　NOW　CONSECRATED　TO　ME。　Immature　Flowers？　〃Protoculture；〃　Bela　breathed　to　herself；　not　daring　to　say　it　aloud。　Then；　as　loudly　as　she　could；　she　demanded；　〃Why　does　the　First　Mother　want　Protoculture？　We；　who　have　fought　in　wars　caused　by　it；　must　know　for　what　purpose　it　is　intended！〃

The　objections　and　chastisements　of　the　crowd　were　louder。　〃What　does　it　matter？〃　〃You　blaspheme！〃　〃Anything！　Anything　for　the　Whaashi！〃

The　former　Sentinel　allies　had　engaged　in　open　bat；　and　the　political　brew　of　the　Local　Group　was　turning　toxic。　The　concerns　and　dangers　of　other　planets　were　no　longer　the　Praxians'　affair；　especially　since　defying　Haydon　would　jeopardize　the　granting　of　the　Whaashi。　Such　was　the　popular　sentiment　in　the　plaza。

The　singular　organ　in　the　center　of　Haydon's　forehead　burgeoned　open　and　lit　like　a　star。　Her　wrathful　voice　filled　their　minds。　THAT　IS　NOT　FOR　YOU　TO　QUESTION！　DO　AS　I　BID　YOU　OR　FEEL　MY　DISPLEASURE！

Even　more　terrifyingly；　Optera/New　Praxis　ground　like　ill璮itting　bones　under　their　feet。　The　Amazons；　who　had　already　lost　one　homeworld　to　upheaval；　moaned　their　dismay。

There　were　hundreds　of　voices　crying　out　to　surrender　the　Flowers。　Bela　drew　her　weighty；　two…handed　shortsword　from　its　scabbard　so　that　the　blade　flashed　with　light　from　the　torches　and　from　glimmering　Haydon。

〃I　forbid　it！　Not　until　we　know　the　purpose　behind　this　mandment。〃

She　had　received　word　of　the　SDF…3's　disappearance；　of　course；　and　the　events　at　Haydon　IV…conflicting　reports　that　only　added　to　her　misgivings　about　setting　free　more　Protoculture。　The　apparition　Haydon　might　even　somehow　be　the　trick　of　an　unknown　enemy。

But　the　crowd　was　not　with　her。　Their　fear　of　Haydon's　anger　and　planetary　catastrophe　and　their　need　for　the　Whaashi　were　too　great。　With　a　unified　roar；　they　swept　up　the　steps。

Bela's　personal　bodyguard　wavered；　some　of　them　more　attuned　to　the　crowd's　position　than　to　the　queen's。　But　it　hardly　mattered；　hesitating　to　hack　or　open　fire　on　their　own　Sisters；　they　went　down　under　the　wave　of　tall　fighting　women。

Bela　herself　stood　straddle…legged　on　the　steps；　sword　in　one　fist；　assault　pistol　in　the　other；　to　meet　them。　But　when　she　saw　faces　she　loved；　rades　she'd　served　with；　mothers　of　children　she'd　held　ing　for　her；　she　knew　she　could　not　do　them　harm。

The　crowd　had　stopped　short　before　her；　daunted　by　her　even　in　the　extremity　of　their　passion。

Bela　holstered　her　pistol；　sheathed　her　sword；　and　stood　with　arms　hanging　limply　at　her　sides。　The　crowd　turned　back　the　way　it　had　e。　Already　Amazons　were　organizing　harvesting　operations。　Haydon；　looking　down；　found　Her　handiwork　good。


〃And　so　the　final　phase　of　my…Zor's…plan　was　set　in　motion；〃　Rem　said。

He　lifted　his　hand　to　Rick　and　Lisa　Hunter。　〃And　the　cycle　of　the　story　es　around　to　Earth　once　more。　The　last　planet　Zor　seeded；　or　rather；　in　Earth's　case；　reseeded　with　the　Flower。　With　the　SDF…l。〃

〃And　Zentraedi　help；〃　Kazianna　murmured　while　she　was　mulling　over　all　the　things　he　had　told　them。

〃Yes；　the　first　to　fall　prey　to　the　lure　of　song；〃　Rem　told　her　soberly。　He　reached　out　his　arm　to　encircle　Minmei's　shoulders。　〃I　suppose　every　child　of　Tirol　is　susceptible　to　it；　really。

〃The　Protoculture　gave　me　insights　into　the　power　of　the　Cosmic　Harp　and　how　music　could　throw　down　even　the　Robotech　Masters'　mental　domination。〃

Dolza　found　that　out；　Lisa　thought；　but　kept　it　to　herself　so　as　not　to　switch　the　conversational　track。

They　were　assembled　in　the　big　bilevel　conference　area？most　of　the　leaders　and　certain　others　whose　testimony　was　pertinent。　Caffie　and　other　refreshments　had　been　brought。　Screens　kept　a　constant　vigil　on　the　children　and　their　chanting；　but　nothing　seemed　to　have　changed　except　that　Aurora's　term　phased　in　and　out　from　time　to　time。　She　would　not　or　could　not　respond　to　any　of　the　grown…ups；　but　everyone　got　de　feeling　there　was　a　lot　of　information　being　exchanged　between　her　and　the　SDF…3's　children。

〃With　music；　Zor…reprogrammed；　I　guess　you　could　say；　a　few　of　the　Zentraedi　most　loyal　to　him；〃　Rem　said。　〃Although　I　prefer　to　think　of　it　as　liberating　them。　It　never　occurred　to　the　Masters　that　the　Zentraedi　could　find　a　cause　higher　than　obedience。〃

〃Lucky　for　Earth　they　didn't　learn　their　lesson；〃　Rick　whispered　to　Lisa。

The　thought　troubled　her　for　a　moment。　What　if　the　Robotech　Masters　had　somehow　eliminated　their　Achilles'　heel？　Surely　Earth　would　have　been　devastated　far　worse　than　ever　Optera　was。

But　it　had　not　happened；　it　was　not　meant　to。　She　dismissed　the　thought；　it　was　not　time　to　be　morbid。

And　yet　she　felt　sure　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of　all　aboard　were　being　probed　and　in　some　cases　manipulated。

Lisa　hurried　to　get　a　word　in　before　Lang　could；　the　scientist　looked　half…ecstatic；　half…deranged　with　all　that　new　insight。　〃Rem；　we　must　stick　to　the　point。　What　is　the　nature　of　new…space；　is　there　really　a　relief　ship　on　the　way；　and　are　all　personnel　safe　at　the　moment？〃

She　meant　the　children；　and　no　one　begrudged　her　the　preoccupation。　Rem　replied；　〃Just　so。　I　believe　the　story　told　by　Gnea　and　Sergeant　Dante　is　entirely　true。　I　believe　that　all　that　has　happened　is　tied　in　with　the　master　plan　of　Haydon。

〃The　Regis　told　you　both　that　she；　which　is　the　same　as　to　say　her　entire　race；　now　desires　a　return　to　the　Invid's　pre璟or　state　on　Optera；　isn't　that　right？〃

Angelo　responded；　〃Yes；　sir；〃　and　Gnea　inclined　her　head；　making　her　malthi…winged　helmet　glitter。

〃Very　well。　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　Zor's　dream　has　e　to　pass；〃　Rem　said。　〃The　fleet　you　sent　to　Earth　must　have　driven　her　from　it　in　a　supreme　mating　with　the　Protoculture　itself。　But　for　whatever　reason…I　suspect　because　the　Regis　was　forced　into　it　by　violence…this　transcendence　has　not　worked　out　as　intended。〃

〃We　find　ourselves　in　a　situation　of　danger　not　only　to　ourselves　but　to　the　entire　universe。　I　believe　that　unless　some　solution　is　found；　by　the　nature　of　Protoculture；　all　of　the　Creation　that　we　know　will　vanish　as　if　it　never　existed。〃


At　his　end　of　the　table　Lang　watched　and　listened　to　Rem　with　a　fascination　and　a　sense　of　dismay　that　had　been　growing　for　months。

The　clone　had　been　scarcely　more　than　a　boy　when　the　REF　had　first　encountered　him。　Now；　grown　and　filled　out；　he　was　very　much　the　image　of　Zor；　albeit　with　some　slight　genetic　alteration。　But　even　more　tellingly；　in　the　wake　of　his　clonesong　dreams；　he　spoke　with　the　voice　of　Zor…with　an　utter　certainty　about　the　nature　of　Protoculture　and　the　fate　of　spacetime。

Lang　studied　Rem's　face。　It　was　the　same　countenance　Lang　had　first　viewed　decades　ago　on　the　other　side　of　the　galaxy；　ageless　and　graceful。　Then　it　had　stared　out　of　a　screen　and　had　spoken　inprehensible　words。　Now　it　lived　before　him。

Lang　listened　carefully　to　what　Rem　was　saying；　but　within　the　scientist　there　was　a　pall；　a　feeling　of　total　defeat。　Despite　all　his　assumptions　and　all　his　efforts；　it　was　not　Lang　that　new…space　was　trying　to　contact；　to　use　and　deal　with。　The　mantle　of　ultimate　Protoculture　destiny　had　fallen　on　Rem。

All　Lang's　hopes　were　dashed。　It　had　been　his　creed　that　the　Protoculture　had　sought　him　out；　that　he　was　at　the　center　of　the　Shapings。　Now　he　saw　the　cruelty　of　it；　that　he　was　so　more　a　luminary　of　the　Shapings　than　one　of　the　children　or　Sentinel　fighters；　perhaps　no　more　than　that　overmuscled　tank　sergeant；　Dante。

It　couldn't　be！　He'd　e　too　far。　He　refused　to　be　done　out　of　his　place　in　the　Shapings。　But　how　to　avoid　it？

Lang　was　a　past　master　at　concealing　his　feelings。　Nothing　domed　on　his　face；　but　inside　he　felt　an　icy　thrill　of　hope　and　dread。

The　Shapings　had　e　full　circle；　and　in　some　ways　the　pattern　was　ripe　for　repeating。　Or　if　not；　at　least　Lang's　place　in　the　great　cycle　would　be　secure。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…EIGHT

Those　critics　contending　that　the　personnel　of　SDF…3　were　unforgivably　blind…in　not　seeing　the　implications　of　their　own　behavior　in　terms　of　the　〃birth；　trauma〃　nature　of　their　transit　into　new…space…are　nothing　but　（God　forgive　me）　lard…bottomed　armchair　generals。
Given　the　stresses　of　what　they　were　going　through；　the　emotional　wringer　pressing　out　every　one　of　them；　and　the　demands　of　constant　strife　and　danger；　the　SDFers'　confusion　was　almost　inevitable。
Only　children；　fools；　and　those　who　have　never　known　hardship　could　argue　otherwise。
Pastor　Basil　Yanamamo；　Pipeline：　Experiences　in　Birth　and　Death

〃Karen；　wait！〃

He　had　finished　postflighting　his　Alpha　and　had　rushed　so　that　he　wouldn't　miss　her；　but　somehow　she　had　pleted　her　task　even　quicker　and　left　the　flight　deck。

As　he　caught　up　with　her　in　the　passageway；　Karen　spun　on　her　boot　heel；　tapping　her　toe；　arms　crossed；　features　posed　in　heavy　weather　warnings。　〃Make　it　brief；　Jack。〃

He　trotted　to　a　stop；　feeling　something　that　would　have　been　akin　to　deja　vu　if　he　had　not　known　exactly　where　he'd　felt　it　before：　every　time　they　had　squabbled；　disagreed；　clashed；　or　vied　for　the　upper　hand。

〃Aah；　it's　no　big　thing。　Just　thought　we　could　hit　the　mess　if　you　want　some　pany　for　dinner。〃

She　was　not　looking　any　kindlier。　〃Don't　you　want　to　find　out　what's　going　on　at　the　meeting？〃

〃You　mean　what　went　on；　I　heard　it's　just　breaking　up。　But　by　the　time　we　grab　a　bite；　there'll　probably　be　an　intel　summary　we　can　get　a　peek　at。〃

Her　eyes　narrowed。　〃Then　maybe　stop　for　one　or　two　at　the　officers'　club？　Possibly　a　dance？〃

Actually；　that　was　just　what　he　had　in　mind。　He　answered　warily；　〃Why；　is　there　something　wrong　with　that？〃

〃Hah！　Honestly；　Baker；　there're　cockpit　canopies　harder　to　see　through　than　you　are！〃

〃Who　aho　wha　was　all　he　got　in。

〃This　is　so　typical；〃　Karea　said　through　clenched　teeth。　〃We're　stuck　in　newspac