for her to survive。 She confirmed that when she spoke； her voice a faint bubbling。
〃Father； you see？ What is Haydon IV under the Invid but a beautifully appointed slavepen？ War might destroy us； but it can never defile us the way enslavement has。〃
She had no expression that a Human could read； but the note in her voice wrenched at Max's heart。 Vowad raised his face to regard the wounded and dying among the Praxians； the determined…looking women who showed their suffering in every line of their faces。
Then Sarna spasmed。 From deep within his faceless depths； Veidt let out a wail that was terrible to hear。 With no arms for a last embrace； he dropped until he lay draped across the corpse of his mate； and the sound of something he had learned among the Sentinels came from him； a sound no Haydonite had ever made before。 Veidt wept like a lost soul。
Max's mouth fell open。 From the eyeless visage of Veidt； tears were seeping。
〃Ah； Veidt： you are my love；〃 Sarna managed； though the voice sounded far away； as if it were ing now from outside her body。 〃And all of time and space will not keep us apart。〃 Then she shuddered again； and was still。
It took the others a moment to realize that a new sound was rising to drown out Veidt's sorrow。 Vowad floated there； head thrown back； blank face raised to the sky。 Max somehow knew that if the Haydonite had arms； those arms would have been thrown wide； hands clenched to fists。
The sound that issued forth from somewhere within Vowad was animal pain； and animal anger。
〃More Inorganics！〃 yelled a woman who had leaped to the roof's edge。 The alarm was repeated by others all along that part of the building。
Max rose tiredly； ignoring the pain of his burned hands； to take up his gun。 The amazons were right； at least there was time to kill some more Invid before the final defeat was nailed down。 Too bad the Sentinels had to end this way。。。
But just then； with Vowad's shriek echoing off the buildings of Glike； the world began to shake。
It wasn't like an earthquake； it was more like the whole artificial planet Haydon IV resonating like a tuning fork to Vowad's pain。 The sky seemed to shimmer like a pan of water being struck and struck again on its rim。 A deep sympathetic vibration was felt by everyone there on the roof。 Even more amazing； the Invid teeming in the street below stopped what they were doing and stood stock still。
Then there was a sound to be heard all through Glike； like wind…whipped flames…like the surging of a funeral pyre's inferno。
Those on the roof abruptly saw movement all through the city。 From hidden crannies and the very seams of the Oz urbanscape； incandescent colors emerged in shapes that seemed alive。 And all at once the Invid in the street below were attacked by a moving ant…army of shapes。
Max yelped and leapt back as one scampered past him； brushing his ankle。 It didn't hurt； but the contact made his skin tingle and feel a bit numb。 It was obvious； though； that the thing wasn't after Max； hundreds； thousands of others like it were emerging from every crevice and homing in on the nearest Invid。
And then he realized what the thing was： a miniature humanoid figure； whose likeness Max had seen often enough to recognize it： Zor！ The humunculi…Zors were the size of a kid's toy model； made of kaleidoscopic colors； bounding through the air or running at unbelievable speed to take on the Inorganics。
The myriad Zors were seeping from the fabric of the city to attack the Regent's troops。 Apparently； the ghost in the machine that was Haydon IV's Awareness knew the Invid mind well…and had chosen to form its antibodies in the image of the Regent's most hated foe。
In seconds； the Invid mecha were battling enemies that knew no surrender or retreat。 Blasts from Protoculture weapons disintegrated Haydon IV's antibodies； but in the time it took to shoot one； a dozen more tiny Zor simulacra rose up to attack。 As the antibodies fastened themselves to the Inorganics； coating them； the war machines began to glow。
Unlike the contest in which Jack's raiders had fought beneath the planet； the antibodies weren't in unending supply now。 There were limits even to Haydon IV's power。 As Inorganics everywhere blazed away at the tiny demons fashioned in Zor's image； fewer and fewer appeared to take their places。
But the city was still blanketed with antibodies eager to hurl themselves onto the mecha。 As Max watched； a Hellcat； coated with the shifting； coruscating colors of the antibodies that had plastered themselves to it； rolled and spat and flopped； clawing at itself uselessly。 Its destructive aura grew brighter； and a moment later it was ruptured by a dazzling explosion； vanishing from sight。
Elsewhere； an Odeon staggered drunkenly； firing into the air； as antibodies engulfed it。 It tried to decontaminate its arm with blasts from its hand weapon； but only succeeded in blowing the arm off。 A moment later it； too； blew apart。
Max spun on Veidt。 〃Hurry！ Get that elevator back down for the others！ Quick； before this whole plex goes！〃
Veidt was still stretched out across Sarna； oblivious to everything around him。 At length； Vowad regained some part of his posure。
〃I will go；〃 he said。 In a moment； he had started the elevator back down in a race to save as many others as he could。
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
Graffito found on Sentinels barricade in the Central Slavepen； thought to be attributable to Bela
When the Regent heard of the revolt among the Praxian slaves； he took mand of the situation himself。 He left his hive just outside the city and called for his Land Cruiser…the grotesque mobile ground fortress that was the centerpiece of large…scale Invid surface action。
When he was told that the Sentinels were in some way responsible for the slave uprising； he sent word to his torturers to prepare for a much more demanding schedule。 But once he was informed that the antibodies of Haydon IV had turned against him； he instructed his personal flagship to stand ready against immediate departure。
Not that he counted the battle lost yet； the Haydonite defenses had been designed to eliminate most of an invading force before that force got to the planet's surface； and the Invid were already at close range。 The Regent had an advantage no invader had ever achieved before。
〃Destroy all power sources！〃 he ordered。 〃Obliterate the planet's energy production centers！ The Regent was certain that without power； the antibodies would quickly de…rezz into nothingness。
Those Invid not engulfed in Zor antibodies immediately began destroying all power sources they could detect； which meant razing things at random。 The biped Inorganics； in particular； destroyed ages of craftsmanship and art in minutes； turning their aim haphazardly from one target to the next。 Minarets toppled； domes shattered； and delicate mansions collapsed like fragile pastry crust。 Fires flared up； and smoke began to block out Briz'dziki； Haydon's sun。
Then mo relays showed the Regent the nature of the antibodies。 Zor； again！ The Regent's entourage ducked and ran from his berserk blows； he lashed out at the consoles and instrument panels around him。 He wrenched the mand chair from the deck； flinging it against a bulkhead so hard that the chair dented the plates。
Zor！ The perversity of the Haydon IV machinery！ The towering affrontery of it！ 〃I will have this planet or I will destroy it！〃 the Regent roared。
Though he was in a part of the city that had been spared the appearance of the antibodies； the Regent thought better of his plan to travel on the ground。 He called for a Terror Weapon troop dropship； but of the three on Haydon IV at the moment； two were elsewhere on the planet picking up reinforcements and the third had been destroyed while hovering near its landing pad not far from the Central Slavepen。
The Regent changed his instructions； and the Land Cruiser swung toward the starport。 Time to make a break for his flagship； while he still had other cards to play。 A screen relayed the scene from the Land Cruiser's brig； showing him that Rem was still firmly chained there。 The Regent stroked his mammoth Hellcats and contemplated the horrors he would inf