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sslike spires swayed and snapped； falling in a prismatic rain of deadly gems。 Skyways danced loose their walls and roofs of transparent sheathing and sent them crashing to heaving； buckling streets and garden…lined thoroughfares。 Onion domes and entablatures fissured； ornate facades and friezes peeled away from buildings and archways； water surged from canals and drained from lakes into the planetoid's ruptured seams。
〃'Bout time there was action around the place！〃 Dana yelled to no one in particular。
She leapt back from the railing to flatten herself against the building's exterior wall as a plummeting guillotine blade of permaplas struck the balcony edge and splintered into hundreds of angry fragments。 At the same time the entire city seemed to tilt radically to one side； the normally clear skies tainted with smoglike roilings of clouds。 Where she could see the horizon； Glike's backdrop of photo…perfect mountains wavered； as though dazzled by atmospheric heat。
We're finally seeing Haydon IV's other face； Dana thought。 She had heard all about the battle that had been fought there years before between the Sentinels and the Invid Regent； but that might as well have been a campfire tale。 Glike had been fully rebuilt by the time she had arrived； and it had been nothing less than paradise since。
Hopelessly boring。
But something had finally happened to shake things up。 It did not seem possible that Haydon IV could be subject to tectonic shifts； but who could tell？ Well； Exedore maybe； or his free…floating good buddy Veidt。 Some internal malfunction； then； some glitch in the unfathomable technology that kept the world turning。 An actual invasion was too much to hope for…a chance to see for herself those well…concealed planetary defenses everyone talked about。 The ones said to react to the mere suggestion of aggression； the ones that forced everyone on…world to hang up their hip howitzers when they rode into town。
But even if it turned out to be nothing more than a quake； it was certainly more excitement than she had seen since Exedore had burst into the Sterling's high…rise quarters three months ago； raving that the planetoid's so…called Awareness had gotten itself all fired up about something or other。
The collapse of a structure down below sent a swirling cloud of debris up the face of the building。 Dana heard panicked cries in several offworld tongues。
〃Dana！〃 her parents shouted from inside their living quarters。
She turned and passed through the balcony's field portal in a long…legged rush； blond hair in wild disarray。 Her father was by the lift…tube door； a few obviously irreplaceable items clutched to his chest。 Her mother had Aurora； Dana's eight…year…old sister； by the wrist。 Dark…eyed and otherworldly； she was nearly five feet tall already and a regular pain in the ass。 It was hard for Dana to believe they had had the same father； but that was a thought she kept to herself。 Veidt claimed that Aurora's rapid development and psychic gifts had e about as the result of Miriya's experiences on Garuda； but Dana ventured that it had more to do with something the Haydonites were putting in the food。
Aurora was not calling Dana's name。 The child spoke so infrequently that when she did； everyone stopped to listen。 But even though she was mouse…quiet； one always knew when she was around。
〃Hurry； Dana！〃 Miriya said； joining her husband at the lift。 She； too； had a few things in hand。 Dana glanced around the room and quickly decided that there was nothing she needed to keep。
Let it all e down； she thought。
Llan and Anad； their two Haydonite advocates； were already in the tube。 It was the only place planetside where everyone got to hover together； except on the city's Arabianlike flying carpets。 Dana often wondered just whose bright idea those things had been。 Some planet…hopping culture hero named Haydon was credited with building the world； Dana had him figured for some kind of kidder。
The tube field was as calm as the eye of a storm。
〃What do you think； Max；〃 she said excitedly； 〃an attack？〃 She rarely called him 〃Dad。〃 Somehow it didn't feel right to her after their thirteen…year separation。 Not that she didn't love him and Miriya both； it was simply that they had changed so much。
〃I hope not； Dana；〃 Max told her； adjusting his glasses so that they sat where they were supposed to。 〃For the sake of whoever'd be foolish enough to try。〃
So gentle…voiced； Dana thought。 It was a continual source of amazement； especially when she tried to picture her parents mixing it up inside the SDF…1 with knives or battle mecha。 And Max…cripes！ Max had been gobbling Malcontents for breakfast when Dana was a toddler！
〃Upon exiting the lift tube； you must proceed across the plaza and descend the elevators to level four；〃 Llan sent； as if he were giving orders all of a sudden。 But only Dana seemed disturbed by the tone。
〃Level four； my ass； Llan。 I think we better shuttle up to one of the trade ships。 I'd rather ride this out up there瓀hatever this is。 Wouldn't you； Max？ Miriya？〃 Dana noticed that Aurora was giving her one of those funny looks。
〃No； Dana；〃 Miriya answered。 〃I think it's best that we follow Llan's advice for the time being。〃
〃Your mother is correct；〃 Llan sent with emphasis。 Dana folded her arms across the sequined bib of her jumpsuit and faced off with the taller of the two Haydonites。 〃Yeah？ Then tell us what's going on。〃
〃A slight readjustment；〃 Anad answered。 〃Slight？〃
〃We are arrived；〃 Llan interrupted as the tube field opened onto the plaza。
Things were even worse close up； Dana realized。 On the far side of the plaza； the entire colonnade of a Tiresian…style mercial hall had crumbled； burying dozens of Karbarran traders and visitors under tons of debris。 The ursinoid beings； who had been enjoying great prosperity among the Local Group worlds since the fall of the Regent； constituted the majority of Haydon IV's alien population； but Dana could see quite a few injured Praxians emerging from the ruined building。 Elsewhere； a couple of dazed Spherisians were wandering aimlessly through the pandemonium。 The Haydonites themselves； however； were unhurt； it was as though they had known beforehand which areas to avoid。
〃Move quickly and orderly if you wish to avoid injury；〃 Llan sent to the Sterlings； attempting to hurry them along by hovering at their backs a yard off the plaza's adamantine smooth surface。
〃They need help；〃 Dana said； indicating a small group of Karbarrans who； heedless of the dangers overhead； were attempting to dig out their trapped panions。
〃Move！〃 Anad sent sharply in response。
Max could not fail to notice the change in Anad and Llan and was about to protest； when a series of blindingly blue energy bolts tore up into the sky from the outlying sectors of the city。 From somewhere deep outside Glike's obscuring haze came scattered reports of explosive light that reached the surface like heated thunder。
〃It is an invasion！〃 Dana exclaimed。
But even as she said it； she noted something inexplicable going on around her： Individual Haydonites had begun to employ some sort of energy weapon to herd the plaza's off worlders toward the subwaylike entrances to the city's subsurface maze of transport corridors and multilevel shelters。 On closer inspection； Dana saw that the light…prods were emanating from the Haydonites' foreheads； from the cabochonlike organs centered there； which Veidt had once called dzentile。 The English term that came closest was governor； but Dana suddenly understood that those regulators could be made to serve a double…edged function。
She took a quick head count； calculating just how many Haydonites she would have to take down to clear a path out of the plaza。 Beginning with Llan； who was still hovering at her back； although he had yet to demonstrate any light…prod capability。 Answering to Anad's telepathic insistence； Max； Miriya； and Aurora were already halfway across the square。
〃Move！〃 Llan sent with sufficient force to make Dana's eyes cross。
Oh； you're gonna get yours； she promised herself； mentally forging her spin kick。 But no sooner had she menced her turn than Max grabbed her around the shoulders and swung her off her feet。 〃Dana； we don't have a chance；〃 he told her。
Dana watched a nascent glow center itself above Llan's expressionless visage。 〃Well； we certainly don't now；〃 she said； shrugging out of Max's restraining hold。
Llan and Anad were more vigilant after that； making certain to keep the entire family between them for the rest of the dash across the plaza； relaxing their guard only after the Sterlings were well inside the accessway； dwarfed by several dozen Karbarrans who had been funneled in from the collapsed mercial center。
〃That was a foolish thing to do；〃 Max said in a lecturing tone； loud enough to be heard above the ursinoids' unnerving growls and grumblings。
〃Maybe it was；〃 Dana conceded； 〃but I don't like it when somebody says they're concerned for my safety and then aims a weapon at me。〃
The incident only pointed up the differences between them。 Dana had had reservations about returning to Haydon IV with her parents as early as those first few weeks in Tiresia； but it had meant so much to them that she get to know Aurora and give peace a chance。 And then； when she had learned that Rem had assigned himself to the SDF…3； she saw no alternative but to give Haydon IV a try。 Oh； she supposed she could have signed aboard the Ark Angel or any one of the ships of the fleet； but she saw little purpose to it。
It had e as quite a shock to find yet another Zor…clone waiting on Tirol after she had just finished her brief go…round with one on Earth。 Rem and Zor Prime were more like twins separated at birth than clones； but there were enough underlying similarities to make her feel as though she were dealing with the same person。 She thought the original Zor must have been one mixed…up character； another trickster in a galaxy full of them。
She still couldn't explain just what it was about the slender； elfin…featured clones that drew her to them。 But it seemed obvious that the attraction arose from the Zentraedi； biogenetically engineered side of her personality。
Those thoughts were with her for the duration of the short descent to Llan's 〃level four；〃 where； she imagined； luxuriously appointed shelters awaited them。 She had even begun to feel guilty about her perhaps misguided outburst in the plaza and was about to apologize to Max； when from up ahead in the corridor…the recycled air thick with the musky smell of Karbarran fur and fear…came cries of protest in trader's tongue。
〃You limbless mechanoids！〃 one Karbarran yelled。 〃May Haydon curse the lot of you！〃
Dana went up on tiptoe in an attempt to discern what all the motion was about； but all she could see was the backs of massive shoulders and knob…horned heads。 It was not until the group reached the terminus of the corridor； where it opened into a vast； domed chamber lit by an unseen source； that she glimpsed the reason for the Karbarrans' distress： A police force of black…cloaked Haydonites a meter taller than the norm were using their enabled light…prods to segregate the confused crowd into planetary types； shepherding each into separate rooms similar to ones Dana knew had been used by the Invid Regis to contain the Sisters of the Praxian diaspora。
〃port yourselves in a manner befitting the intelligence of your race and no harm will e to you；〃 the police line sent to everyone in frightening telepathic discord。 〃Your nutritional and medical needs will be attended to。 Haydon IV will strive to make you as fortable as possible in your containment。〃
〃Imprisonment； I'd say；〃 said an all…too…familiar voice off to the left of the Sterling family。 Dana caught sight of Exedore peeking out from behind the high…collared cloak of one of the hovering jailers。
〃Yes；〃 he added； folding his arms and glancing around。 〃I suggest that we consider ourselves under arrest。〃
As expected； their individual cells were splendidly designed affairs with all the necessary conveniences and furnishings； all the more sinister in their homeyness。 Exedore and the Sterlings found themselves lodged with the four Praxians whose very size dictated that they be g