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Magruder； it turned out； wasn't as primitive as he looked。 He had some experience with the two…wheeled； battery…powered putt…putts that the dam engineers had once used to get around on。 He gave the accelerator a twist； and the Cyc shot off along the wooden overhead walkway。
The Invid looked up； following the noise。 Rand； lying trussed up back where he had fallen； shrieked through his gag； Those brats stole my Cyclone！
Magruder did a daring jump from one level to the next； right above the Invids' heads； and Annie didn't seem to realize just what danger she was in。 〃Yeah； there they are！ Yoo…hoo！ e and get us！〃
The Shock Troopers rocketed after them； slowed a bit by the need to watch out for the giant trees。 Magruder zoomed down to the jungle floor and away； the aliens began making up the distance quickly。 〃Okay； remember to hold on tight now！〃 Annie yelled。
〃I will！〃 Annihilation discs began crashing nearby。
Annie seemed undisturbed as the Cyc hurtled along； finding paths through the dense foliage that only the tribes…people knew。 〃Magruder； my little Ape…Guy； we're gonna make a man of you yet！〃
Rook set her last cobalt grenade in place。 There was only one limpet mine； and Lancer was placing that to the best advantage。 The grenades and Tango…9 would have to do the rest of the job。 She didn't want to think about what would happen if it wasn't enough。
Ironically； Silverhair and his people raised no objection to the whole plan。 Deliverance in the form of the river god was what they had always looked for。 It was the reason they had defended their god's den。 It was obvious to the tribe that the freedom fighters were just messengers of the god； sent to assist him。 Rook was beginning to think the religion wasn't as crazy as it seemed。
She listened； for the two…dozenth time； for the approach of Rand's Cyc。 Don't you dare screw up this one！ she thought to him silently。 Then she wondered why she should even care about him。
Then she thought again； C'mon； Rand。 C'mon！
Lancer set the last of his charges and delicately threaded a lilylike flower in one of its adhesion legs； for an artistic touch。 He patted it； then turned and dashed for high ground。
The trooper caught up faster than Annie had calculated； jostling the Cyc with near misses in the long feeder tunnel that led to the dam。 Magruder lost control just as they shot out of the tunnel and mecha and riders all ended up plunging through a screen of fronds and leaves and spilling in separate directions over lush grass。
The Invid appeared a moment later to land and stalk closer； spreading to either side。 This Protoculture motorcycle was similar to the freedom fighters'； but its riders seemed to have no armor； no weapons。 There would have to be a little more examination before irrevocable disposition of the Humans was made。
That was the moment when Lunk blew the flares； all Invid heads turned automatically。 A dozen Protoculture mini…suns burned on the dam's concrete face。
CHAPTER NINETEEN
They were such disparate personalities…it's amazing that anyone could have believed they would e together as a result of random forces。
Crowell； Remember Our Names！ （The Road to Reflex Point）
〃Protoculture activity on the dam！〃 The Regis's voice came to her children。 〃Investigate！〃
The gleaming purple Shock Troopers boosted away； forgetting Annie and Magruder for the moment。 Lunk came dashing off the dam crest roadway； getting clear of Ground Zero。
Scott watched with satisfaction as the Troopers； joined by the others who had been bing the valley； plummeted down to the blinding…bright Protoculture flares set along the dam face。 He pushed the button。
Concrete blew out in a storm of conventional and Protoculture shaped charges； as the dam fractured and broke。 The Invid mecha were stunned by what was happening and then they were thrown backward and down by the falling concrete cliff and the freshwater sea behind it。 In a moment； a squadron of Invid were wiped away； smashed and flattened by forces that not even Robotech armor could withstand。
〃And so the river god legend es true；〃 Scott mused； looking down on the devastation from the heights。 Just lying on top of some Flowers of Life had given Rand weird visions； perhaps living in the midst of a preserve of them had given the tribe some kind of altered perception； or prescience
The water quickly pushed up dirt and trees； hunks of mecha and vegetation。 It was less a tidal wave than a moving wall of mud and solid debris that would plow down anything before it。 A lot of Flowers were doomed。 Maybe the Invid would even lose interest in the valley。
Lunk； Rook； and Lancer had e up behind him。 Lancer spoke softly。 〃Did the tribe's Visions serve us； or。。。〃
Annie pushed herself up； realizing that she had been lying on top of Magruder。 Nearby； the Cyc rested on its side； smoking； but still intact。 〃Macky！ My little Greystoke！ Are you hurt？〃
Magruder moved； then sat up； rubbing a bump on his head and knowing that by all rights he and Annie should have been torn limb from bough。 Then he heard the din of the flood。 They had barely made it high enough； a few yards away and several down； the broached reservoir had left its high…water mark。
Annie was offering him a handful of white silk； her gage for her jungle knight。 〃Need a hankie？〃
His hands closed around hers。 〃Hey； we did it； Annie！ Thank you； oh； thank you！〃 His face was alight； not even Silverhair could say no to him now！
Annie sat listening to the world…shaking noise of the flood recede。 Sunlight came directly down on them through one of the holes in the Invid…built roof。 It seemed a perfect moment； the kind she had always wanted to live； the kind she had always wanted to trap in amber。
〃Believe me； Macky； it was my pleasure。〃
Rand was beginning to get a grip on the knots that held him。 〃If they've damaged my Cyclone I'll twist the skin off their heads and strangle 'em with it！〃
He was blinded by salt sweat； but he was working mostly by feel。 He had an enormous headache from the shot he had taken。 〃What is it with kids these days； anyway？〃
It was a holy night in the treetop town； both because the Invid had been driven out by the river god's righteous wrath； and because Magruder had at last proved himself a man of the tribe。 （The team noticed that a number of people were breathing a sigh of relief about that； since they wouldn't have put up with any more of Magruder's pecadillos。）
Magruder and Annie； in the best raiment of the village； got to sit side by side in the high…backed chairs of honor in the tribe's council hall。 Annie looked a little punchy but very happy。 In addition to greeting Magruder as a man and a brother； Silverhair offered him his choice of any woman as his wife。
〃All hail； Magruder！〃
The river receded quickly； and for some reason the tribe didn't seem bothered by the loss of the dam； or the likelihood that the Invid would e again。 Prophesies had been served； had been borne out； and thus other prophesies and Visions…which the tribemembers wouldn't discuss…would be； too。 Therefore； all was well。
With the tribe's help； the building of a string of rafts went with surprising ease and spee