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〃How is she different？〃 Cabell wanted to know。
Max and Vince traded looks； but left the question unanswered。 〃Can I see her？〃 Max said suddenly； getting up。
Vince laughed。 〃That's a good start。〃
Max started off for the small area of the med dome Jean's team had partitioned off。
〃Remarkable；〃 Cabell mused as he and Vince walked back to where Rick； Lisa； and Karen were undergoing treatment。 The three had yet to emerge from semiconsciousness。。。
〃Any change？〃 Vince asked his wife a moment later。 She was standing over Rick just now； looking almost as drawn and pale as her patient。 Vince put his arm around her narrow waist。
〃I'm worried； Vince。 They should have e out of it by now。 We've tried everything…antipsychotics； transfusions。。。〃 She threw up her hands。 〃I don't know what to do。〃
〃It is the hin〃 Veidt said； hovering over to them from the foot of Karen's bed。 He had spent the last several hours absorbing everything Jean's medical library databanks had to offer。 〃Garudans live in the womb of the hin。 It is what you might term 'an alternate reality。' The microorganisms here； the same which keep Kami's people in a constant state of hin； have caused your friends to bee unstuck in what constitutes Human reality。〃
〃Yes； and it's killing them； Veidt。 It's not providing them with psychedelic trips or allies or personal power。 It's draining the life from them while we sit here and。。。and…〃
〃e on； Jean；〃 Vince said。 〃You're doing what you can。〃
Cabell tugged at his beard。 〃There is a treatment； of course。〃 He turned to Veidt as Vince and Jean's eyes fixed on him。
〃I will be succinct；〃 the Haydonite began。 〃On my world there are devices capable of reversing the Garudan effect。 'Mental illness；' as some of your disks name it； is unknown to us； it is as archaic a thing as your own smallpox。〃
〃Then what are we waiting for？〃 Jean said； looking up at Vince。 〃Our work here is finished； isn't it？ Garuda's liberated。〃
Vince removed his hand from her waist to feel his jaw。 〃Yes； in a way。〃
〃In a way？ What's that supposed to mean？〃
〃We've learned that the Regent is on his way to Haydon IV；〃 Cabell told her。 〃With what remains of his fleet； no doubt。〃
Jean pressed her lips。 〃More fighting； then。〃
〃It's not even as simple as that；〃 Vince added。
〃Our world；〃 Veidt said； 〃cannot be approached with the same tactics you employed to liberate Karbarra； Praxis； and Garuda。 Haydon IV is in a certain sense beyond both conquest or liberation。 And while it is true that the Invid have assumed control of our political structure； they have not in any way attempted to tamper with our lives。 They could not。 Haydon IV is an open world and will always remain so。〃
〃Couldn't we sneak through or something？ I mean； isn't there a back door we could use； some way of getting to those devices without confronting the Invid？〃
Veidt stared at Jean and shook his head。 〃It is impossible。〃
Vince was pacing up and down； hands clasped behind his back。 〃We've gotta ask ourselves whether it's worth the risk。〃
〃Whether Rick； Lisa； and Karen are worth the risk； you mean。〃
〃And Rem；〃 Cabell added。
Vince nodded。
〃Look what you've already risked to save them；〃 Veidt pointed out。
Everyone fell silent； then Vince said； 〃Gather the Sentinels。 We've got a decision to make。〃
〃I will not have him here！ I will not！〃 the Regis railed to one of her servants。 Was there no escaping him？ she asked herself。 Even here on Haydon IV？
〃I'm afraid it's too late； Your Grace；〃 the servant said； unmoved from its posture of genuflection。 〃The Regent's flagship has already left Optera to rendezvous here with the remnants of his fleet。〃
〃How long do I have？〃 she asked； whirling on the sexless creature； the tassels of her long gloves whipping about。
〃Less than one period； Your Grace。〃
She dismissed the servant； when it left the room； she clenched her fists and waved them in the air。 〃Must he stalk me？〃 she said aloud。 〃Must he continue to punish me？〃
Abruptly； she turned around to regard Rem； the Zor…clone was asleep； perhaps unconscious after his sessions with the Regent's scientists from Garuda。 They had cured him of the madness induced by that world's atmosphere； only to induce a more controlled state of hallucinatory dread。 And then they had picked his brain。 Oh； how they had picked his brain。
For the better part of five days now the Regis had had him much to herself； hers to toy with； hers to examine…his dreams and thoughts to dissect； his memories to relive。。。United with him on some psychic plane； she had walked again through those fields they had walked on Optera。 Old Optera； Optera before the fall。 She had been able to view those times through his eyes now； and had found herself stirred。 He had seen how much she wanted to emulate him； in every way； and she had seen how much he had desired her。 Not her physical being； not the form destiny had wed her to； but her spiritual self…her essence。 There was at one time a semblance of love there； and this discovery filled her with joy。 But it was a rapture that could not survive the realities his war…hungry race had introduced into her garden； a rapture that could only endure on that etheric plane； where things cast beautiful but ultimately painful shadows。。。
Still she could hardly tear herself away from that realm； even though her self…indulgence might mean death for the clone。 He was her plaything； much as she had been Zor's！
She understood； however； that Zor had somehow meant to redeem himself by sending the Protoculture matrix far from his Masters' reach。 But much of this remained unclear； muddled by what she had accessed from Haydon IV's data systems。 These grand designs again： Zor； the Masters； the Invid； all locked together in some immense； unfathomable framework。
Along with this mysterious blue…white world revealed by the clone's thoughts； this nexus of events； this pleroma。。。
She had yet to learn either the name of the planet or its continuum coordinates； but she now had a sense of where to begin her search。 And sooner or later her sensor nebulae would locate it。
I will follow the nebulae； she decided all at once。 I will quit this Quadrant and