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and down； dying to ply Aurora with questions。 Max laid a restraining arm on him。 〃Give her a minute； Doctor。〃
〃Jean； I'm perfectly fine；〃 Aurora insisted gently； pushing the scanner away。 〃And we really haven't any more time to waste。〃
〃What happened to the children？〃 Louie burst out； unable to contain himself anymore。 〃Why'd they break contact？〃
〃I'm still in fourth…level contact with them；〃 Aurora corrected。 〃But second…level； which you saw earlier； is somewhat draining。 And it's no longer necessary； I know our course now。〃
She stepped through the circle of people around her to a makeshift ramp that led toward the control area。 Jean protested； 〃Wait； sugar； you need to rest a bit。〃
〃There's no time； Jean。〃 But before Aurora could set foot on the ramp； Max blocked her way。 〃Hold on a second； hon。 You have to tell us what's going on。〃
She smiled at him sweetly。 A smile like a springtime sunrise； he thought； her shoulders felt so frail in his hands。
〃Well； I have to take control of the interfaces； to direct the Peter Pan on the last leg of the trip；〃 she told him。 〃Basically； we're navigating through as mind continuum； you might say。 As Marlene told you； it's what the SDFers call newspace。 Different from the physical universe and even from Doctor Nichols's cyber…dimensions。 So I have to take the helm to guide us。〃
Her face changed then； being sober； and Max felt her delicate hands close on his。 〃And there's something else。 Newspace reacts to what's in us； our thoughts and emotions and experiences。 It has no true form of its own； and so it draws from what it finds。 The children say be very careful what we say and do and think。〃
〃Yes；〃 someone agreed； and Max saw Marlene standing nearby。 A somber； intent Scott Bernard hung back a step behind her。 〃We must all be careful now；〃 Marlene went on。
〃Mm…hm；〃 Aurora said； hair bobbing as she nodded her head。 Then she drew his head down so that she could whisper in Max's ear。 〃But especially you； Father。〃
〃And the Praxians don't respond？〃 Exedore frowned。 Cabell； raised his hands hopelessly； then dropped them again。 Before them； the big transignal municator was silent。 〃The installation we left on New Praxis was working；〃 Cabell insisted。 〃The last message from Bela talked about disturbing dream aberrations； and our remote instruments indicated that Haydon IV was approaching the planet。 As you can see； our link with the Amazons is now silent。 The obvious conclusion is that Haydon is awake。 I fear the worst。〃
〃The Flowers；〃 Exedore rasped； running a hand through the bright disarray of his hair。
Cabell inclined his head slowly。 〃The Flowers； of course。 And after that； inevitably； the matrix。〃
They turned as one to look out the window of the lab at the immense rebuilt pyramid that was the Royal Hall； where the only Second Gen matrix…the 〃facsimile；〃 as Lang called it…had been stirred to fitful； difficult…to…control life。
〃What if we simply surrender it to Haydon？〃 Exedore mulled。
Cabell answered； 〃It may e to that in the end； but I would see our subsequent chances of survival as very slim。〃 And by 〃our〃 he meant every single living thing in the universe and possibly； knowing Cabell； its inanimate material as well。
〃We could create another matrix；〃 Exedore said。
Cabell put into words what they both knew。 〃Yes； but that would take time； perhaps months； and Haydon will not endure such a wait。 No； He means to supercharge the matrix with the Flowers from New Praxis and start at long last on His final journey。〃
There was a rapping at the open door： Lantas； Cabell's new student and research assistant since her return aboard the ship andeered by Dana Sterling and the 15th ATACs。 She was the last surviving member of a Scientist triumvirate； a bright and energetic young woman； her hair a mass of pink ringlets。 She had adopted a protective； almost proprietary attitude toward Cabell and Exedore； making them the missing members of a new triumvirate。
Now； though； Lantas looked young and frightened。 She said； 〃The captains of the Local Group are here。〃
They trooped into the room Karbarran and Spherisian； Garudan and Perytonian。 Strange to see them striding along together； when in the near past there had been so much friction among them。
The captains drew to a halt before the three。 Hodel； the burly Karbarran； spoke for them； the flotilla was mostly Karbarran； after all。 〃We have had word of Haydon's approach。 Tirol has given us reason to hate it over the centuries； but in the Sentinels War； you here became our allies。 More to the point； we think your researches into using the matrix to halt the shrinkage of the cosmos are our only hope of survival。 We therefore cannot surrender the matrix to Haydon； no matter what。
〃Tracialle will lead the fleet into battle。 Your Tiresian techs have agreed to man the Valivarre。〃 His main regret was that the powerful Ark Angel had； after delivering the scientists to Tirol； departed for return to Earth； it would have added tremendously to the flotilla's firepower。
Exedore had heard something about the Tiresians' crewing…Valivarre for battle。 With all the Zentraedi gone save only himself； the ship had to be refitted for use by Micronians； of course。 But how surprising that the clones； after centuries of docility； should leap to defend their planet and the matrix with all the stoic determination of Zentraedi in a suicide charge。 It was a time of horrors but； truly； a time of wonders as well。
〃I tell you again that I doubt you have any chance of victory；〃 Cabell was saying。 〃But I know that won't dissuade you。 What； then； do you wish of us？〃
A Perytonian； Purg； spoke up； tossing his needle…sharp horns as he did。 〃Tell us of the Awareness； the seat of its consciousness； where its vulnerabilities lie。 It is weak now； if we destroy it； Haydon will be unable to wage war。〃
Cabell was shaking his head measuredly。 〃Firstly； the planet has gone through such radical mechamorphosis that there is no telling where the Awareness is now。 Nor is there any reliable way of detecting it。
〃But more importantly； destroying the Awareness will not guarantee that Haydon is powerless； far from it。 I implore you all t