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engths critically； while he explained。
〃Okay； we can't get our mecha anywhere near that fortress without being detected； right？ So one of us has to get cross…country to the fortress and knock out their Protoculture detection gear。〃
〃And so you'll just ski on in there？〃 Lancer asked with a tug of a grin。
But Scott admitted； 〃It might work。 What other chance do we have？ When Rand signals us that； he's knocked out their sensors； we'll run the gauntlet and hope nobody notices。〃
〃There's only one hangup； isn't there； Rand？〃 Rook asked； giving him a look he couldn't quite read。 〃You don't have any idea what an Invid sensor looks like。〃
〃I'll know it when I see it；〃 he grumbled。
Annie grabbed one of the skis and began sighting along it as if she knew what she was doing。 〃Hey； Rand！ You're gonna let me e along； aren't'cha？〃
He shaved another paper…fine layer off the ski he was working on。 〃Actually； Mint； I'm afraid I cut these for somebody a little older and taller than you。 With blue eyes and long； strawberry…blond hair and a shape that…〃
A snowball hit him in the back of the head。
〃I mean； a team spirit that we all admire；〃 Rand amended。
〃Well； you can count me out；〃 Rook told him。 〃This dame isn't wandering around in the wilderness with you； country boy…〃
It was just then that Marlene went into another seizure。 Nobody but Rook saw how hurt Rand looked； nobody but Rand saw how confused Rook seemed by what she herself had said。
Lunk； Scott； and the others kneeling near Marlene didn't seem to be of much help and she appeared to e out of the fit by herself。 Rook； standing and looking down at her； said； 〃It's almost as if she's got some horrible memory locked up deep inside； that's trying to push her over the edge。〃
Rand looked at Rook's profile in the firelight； and wondered how much of that was something Rook was projecting。
The Invid fortress was cut into a mountain face that resembled a miniature Matterhorn pockmarked with hemispherical openings。
〃Look： I cut those skis down for you； Mint；〃 Rand told Annie； 〃but don't get cocky。 Practice runs are a lot different from what we're gonna have to do today。〃
〃Don't call me ‘Mint'！〃 was all she had to say； as she adjusted her improvised bindings。
The others looked on from the treeline。 Watches had been synchronized； explosives packed； weapons charged…all of it checked a dozen times over and then checked again。 Rand had managed to snatch a little sleep； but he doubted that Scott had slept at all。
The fact that Annie should acpany Rand was less and less of a surprise to them。 Aside from the Forager； she was the only one with cross…country experience （she insisted that some undyingly devoted boyfriend had taught her）。 And aside from Rand； she was the only one who could hope to cross the open country to the fortress in a reasonable amount of time。 The snow was so chancy that even snowshoeing was out of the question。
At five A。M。； when the sun was beginning to light the sky； Rand and Annie moved out。
As Rand turned to go； snatching his makeshift ski poles out of the ground； Rook seemed to be about to say something or even grab his arm。 But when she saw he was looking at her； she abruptly turned away。
Annie turned out to be a better skier than Rand himself； though neither of them was very good。 Then Annie got fancy； Rand tried to chastise her…a bad move while skiing…and they both ended up in a snowbank。
It proved to be a heaven…sent spill； shadows crossed the snow and Invid Pincer Ships landed to examine things that had fallen from Annie's pink rucksack。 Somehow； the skiers' tracks had been obliterated by the drift of snow on the slope。
〃That's my bikini！〃 Annie yelped； struggling to get to her feet and take on the entire Invid horde by herself。 Rand pushed her face down further in the snow； stifling her。
The Invid hooked the bikini bottom in question （Why was she carrying it on a ski run？ Rand wondered） in its claw； and raised it close to its optic sensor for examination。 The mini…panty had in turn hooked one of the metallic submarine…sandwich…like charges the team had prepared for the fortress job。
Seeing it tottering there in the seat of the bikini； Rand pushed the struggling Annie even further into the snow。 The sapper charge tottered and fell。 Rand exhaled in relief when the charge proved inert。 The Invid personal armor mecha dropped the bikini bottom and rocketed away on a wash of thruster…fire。
Skiing to the base of the fortress mountain held no other terrors； they kicked off their improvised bindings。 A modified grenade launcher got a grapnel up to an opening。 There was terror in the climb； as they watched a patrol of Shock Troopers cruise by below them。 But the Invid didn't notice the climbing rope； and the Humans pulled themselves up near the topmost access tunnel。
Annie nearly fainted back into Rand's arms； a Shock Trooper mecha was standing there。
Rand shoved the edge of his hand in Annie's mouth and she bit down so hard that she drew blood。 But the Trooper appeared to be looking at the surrounding peaks with no more interest than an Alpine sightseer。 It turned to go； each step sounding like a boiler being thrown down on a concrete floor； back down the dark； arched tunnel from which it had e。 Rand rubbed his hand and wondered if Annie had had her shots lately。
The two pushed their goggles back and went in after the Trooper。 The tunnel was a place of heat gradients； the chamber at the end being almost womblike in its warmth and moisture。 It was a bizarre landscape of structures that looked like neurons and axons （or were they stalactites and stalagmites？）。 Dendrites bent and arched； and the undulating ceiling resembled Liver Surprise。 Cable…thick creepers ran from the squishy…looking support members。 A knee…high mist obscured everything。 〃All this place needs is bats；〃 Rand whispered。
Bela Lugosi； where are you？
They sprinted through the echoing； gutlike halls of the Invid； trying not to breath。 Annie had banished all rational thought from her brain； and so she was surprised when Rand hauled her behind one of the sticky…looking dendrite pillars。
There was a strange echo as the three smaller mecha stumped by； these ones only eight or nine feet tall； their optical sensors set in long snouts。 They had the faces of metallic archer…fish。 Even the two Humans heard the resonating message in the Regis's voice； the very armor of the enemy reverberating with it； 〃All my outlying units； report to transmutation chamber at once！〃
Rand watched them lumber off。 〃This could be a lot harder than we figured。〃
He had pushed Annie into the shadows of a doorway of some kind； and she began experimenting with the wet…looking； illuminated membranes that looked like buttons。
A door…size sphincter opened next to her； she gasped； seeing what lay beyond； then giggled。 〃Open Sesame！〃 Words she had always dreamed of using； so appropriate now。 There were certainly more than forty bad guys in this cave。
The two stepped into the next chamber； awestruck； gazing around them。 Their stage whispers were lost in the size of the place。
〃Wouldja look at…〃
〃Holy…〃
It was the size of the biggest indoor arena Rand