按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ken his tortuous relationship with Marlene to its predictable conclusion。
Back on the Angel after the nearly disastrous summit in Tiresia； he had gone to her cell…against his better judgment…where one thing had led to another； and had ultimately found the two of them pressed against a spot of bulkhead inaccessible to the prying eyes of the security cams； making love with animal intensity。 Green blood or no； Marlene was a woman of human needs and passions。 And while Scott was still deliciously dazed from their sensual intertwining； the encounter had left him more confused than ever。
〃I'm sorry to make it sound like this； Cabell；〃 Vince was saying； 〃but we didn't make the jump from Earth to get ourselves entangled in Local Group affairs。 We came back for the SDF…3； not to assist Karbarra in its push for control of the spaceways。〃
Cabell's clear eyes narrowed。 〃Perhaps not； mander； but I suggest the time has arrived for Earth to consider itself part of the Local Group。 After all； it was at the insistence of your Plenipotentiary Council that this war machine was built to begin with。〃
The Terrans waited。
〃I would point out to you that the SDF…3 had the capacity to fold to Earth shortly after the end of the Sentinels' campaign。 You could have returned then； with the Local Group's blessings and thanks； instead of anchoring yourself in Tirol璼pace for an additional three years。〃
Vince snorted。 〃Embark on a five…year voyage to find our homeworld occupied by the Invid Regis？〃
〃So you chose to defeat her in a war；〃 Cabell said in a casual way。 〃The result is the same。 You perhaps succeeded in chasing her off； but at what cost？ The fleet you labored to construct is gone； atomized。 Your planet is devastated。 And your philosophy of answering might with might has had a telling effect on the Local Group worlds。〃 The Tiresian raised an accusatory finger。 〃You knew full well when you left Tirol what you had set in motion on Karbarra。〃
Scott was grateful for the momentary silence that followed Cabell's remarks。 On the voyage out from Earth； Vince had brought him up to date on Local Group grudges； but Scott had not expected the once morose Karbarrans to be so radically affected by their recent economic windfalls。 And aside from problems of a localized sort； there were； to hear Cabell and Nichols tell it； problems in the grand scheme of things as well。 Scott could not follow half the mathematical proofs the scientists had offered up as evidence； but something had apparently worked a bit of underhanded universal micro/macro magic； tugging matter in both realms just that much closer together。 Cabell had even said something about pulsar stars disappearing entirely a 〃Big Crunch〃 in the working。
〃I don't see what Karbarra or Haydon IV's got to do with us；〃 Scott interjected。 〃General Grant's already said it； Cabell： It's the Regis we're after。〃
Scott noticed Nichols and Cabell trade looks。
〃We were hoping you could update us on that score； Colonel；〃 Nichols said at last。
〃Me？ How so？〃
〃Well； you've been having intimate 。。。 discussions with her agent； haven't you？〃 Nichols asked。 〃We thought maybe Marlene had told you something in confidence。〃
Scott's face went crimson。 He might have known it was not that easy to get around the security cams in Marlene's cell。 〃She hasn't told me anything；〃 Scott muttered； eyes averted from the table。
Nichols made a dismissive motion。 〃All the more reason for municating with Haydon IV； then。〃
〃If we only knew more about the descendants of Haydon；〃 Jean said。
Cabell looked at her。 〃Descendants of Haydon？ Surely you don't mean Veidt's brethren？〃
The expression on Jean's brown face flattened。 〃Well； yes； I did。 〃
〃The beings we call Haydonites；〃 Cabell said； 〃bear no more relation to Haydon than do Karbarrans； Praxians； or any other Local Group race。〃 He caught sight of Jean's puzzled look and added； 〃Perhaps I should explain。〃
Vince said； 〃Perhaps you should。〃
Cabell rubbed the side of his nose。 〃The one we call Haydon is thought to have been a member of an ancient； highly evolved spacefaring group； whose collective name…if indeed they possessed one…has not been passed down to us。 Nor； for that matter； can we be certain that ‘Haydon' was the name applied to a single entity or the group itself。
〃Jean； Vince； Scott； you have all seen some of the shrines erected to Haydon； and certainly you recall how dissimilar they are to one another； save for their age and gargantuan size。 But not one is believed to represent Haydon as a living being。〃
〃But there has to be some record of him； or them；〃 Jean said。 〃Instruments； tools； artifacts； that sort of thing。〃 Cabell chuckled to himself。 〃You're familiar with Garudans； Praxians； Karbarrans； and such； are you not？〃
Jean nodded。
〃Well； Haydon's handiwork is these very races。〃 Cabell adjusted the high collar of his cloak。 〃You see； each planetary race was in a sense ‘altered' by Haydon。 And each perpetuated Haydon in a form appropriate to their own world view。 So one hears Spherisians speak of ‘the Great Shaper' or Karbarrans mention ‘the Great Augury；〃 when in effect they are all talking about the same entity or group。〃
Cabell shook his head in a self…amused way。 〃Where that group came from we cannot begin to guess。 But from myths； legends； and fanciful historical accounts that have been handed down to us emerge 'through a glass darkly；' if I may borrow a Terran phrase…two versions of the final days of Haydon's race。 In one we are told that they were on the threshold of an incredible turning point in self…generated evolution when they were destroyed in some catastrophe their own tamperings may inadvertently have brought about。〃
〃And the second？〃 Nichols asked。
Cabell let out his breath。 〃In the light of recent developments； this version is by far the more interesting。 For it suggests that the race did not vanish…though we are so led to believe…but placed itself in a state of what I once heard Dr。 Lang refer to as suspended animation。〃
〃We're all familiar with the term； Cabell；〃 Vince assured him。 〃But what are these 。 。 。 geniuses supposed to be waiting for？〃
〃An event；〃 Cabell said with a faraway look。 〃A cosmic event that would alter the fabric of spacetime。〃
Nichols gaped at the Tiresian from across the table。 〃The Invid；〃 he said； gazing at everyone。 〃Don't you get it？ Their mating with the Protoculture； their transubstantiation。 That's what Haydon's race was waiting for。〃
He threw his head back and laughed。 〃They're getting ready to wake up。 They're figuring on hooking onto the Invid phoenix and following it right off the map！〃
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Of course； we had a sizing chamber aboard ＇the SDF…3＇； but Cabell's suggestion that micronization of Drannin or the other Zentraedi children could result in developmental problems had naturally filled Kazianna with a newfound fear of the device。 I still believe the suggestion was totally unfounded； but because it was taken as gospel at the time； it meant that those Zentraedi who had elected to ship with us had done so full…size…not to mention what it meant for the work crews who now had to construct the nursery to acmodate children of vastly