violating laws of engineering and strengths of materials by means of higher powers Haydon reserved unto Himself。
But still the transformation was too slow to suit the Elders。 The rabble are too close！ Nimuul protested； following developments via the planet's mental data dissemination nets。 Where are your weapons？ Why do you not fire？
Haydon was smaller than they had yet seen Him； appearing from the west like a moving crag。 I WEARY OF YOUR STUPIDITY。
There was a multiplicity to the voice； as if more than one were speaking。 The Elders became aware of other moving shapes。 BEHOLD AND LEARN。
From east； north； and south came other embodiments of Haydon returning from unguessable missions。 As the four merged； there were outpourings of radiance too intense to bear； when the Elders could look again； Haydon was a single figure； back to his original size。
Once more he flew off over the terrain of His synthetic world； which had in effect bee a mecha； and the Elders' carpet lifted off to follow。
They were not far from the right arm's juncture to the body； but from their viewpoint it was more like a curve in the world； vanishing away； with another even greater bulge rising out of sight far beyond。 They were too small to have any sense of the planet's new shape。
A yawning opening appeared in the surface of the planet； and Haydon entered in serene； floating fashion。 The carpet trailed obediently after。 Haydon IV reverberated to the shocks of the final reconfigurations。 As it did； the first maximum range salvos began to blossom around it。
The war machine waited in space as the flotilla of Local Group ships rushed to the attack。
PART IV
FINALE AND OVERTURE
CHAPTER THIRTY…NINE
It's been said that we're all three people： the one we see ourselves as being； the one others see us as being； and the one we really are。
The Regis seemed determined to explore all of those； and I don't know which frightened me most。
Dr。 Harold Penn； The Brief but Timeless Voyage of the Peter Pan
Because Dante and Gnea had been accosted there by the Regis's strange luminous effects； it was decided that the attempt to establish contact with her should be initiated on the planet； which some scholar in the SDF…3 crew had dubbed Omphalos。
Most of the mand people were all for it； since it was seemingly the only course of action open to them。 Rick and Lisa were more hesitant； since the experts felt the only plausible method of municating with the vanished racial entity/queen lay in Roy and the other children； everything that had happened regarding newspace thus far indicated that it was a domain with a special affinity for psi…phenomena。 Certainly the Regis had not responded to any conventional attempts at munication。
Calculations showed that the breach draining the substance of the universe into newspace was widening； though。 There was a growing faction among the theorists； lining up behind Lang； who believed that real spacetime would be altogether sucked into the adjunct province of newspace and find itself under the dominion of the Regis。 Thus； the children's lives were already horribly at risk； and the perils of contact with the Regis must be borne。
A lot of people in G2 and G3 wanted to make a landing in force to secure the area against any possible hostile action by the Regis…post Battlepods； hovertanks； Veritechs； and the rest in a layered defense。 But cooler heads prevailed； mecha firepower probably would not amount to much against the entity that controlled newspace。
So； two shuttles flanked by one Alpha and one Beta descended as if on a diplomatic mission； slow and steady； followed by two pods and two suits of powered armor。 Once down on Omphalos； the party formed up on the ground and moved out for the field where Angelo and Gnea had disappeared。
They could have dropped in for a landing directly in the field； of course； but it was felt that going in on foot would help re…create the circumstances of the first encounter and look much less belligerent。 The Alpha was sent back aloft to patrol； and the ground party started walking。
Rick and Lisa led the way。 Roy was farther back； with the children and most of the other parents。 Scott Bernard was following close behind the Hunters。 Marlene came after him； a part of the group at her own insistence and over his objections。 The Hunters and the rest weled her presence； she was the closest thing the expedition had to an expert on the Regis。
The landing party was armed； but it did little to assuage Rick's nervousness。 He did not really think guns would do much good against the dangers that menaced his ship； friends； and family。
Lisa cast a glance back to make sure the kids were all right and to see if the other parents were coping emotionally。 All of them were under stress； but she was particularly worried about Max。 If the Veritechs' top gun was starting to see things that weren't there； anybody could lose his grip。
In the last few hours others had begun falling prey to the insidious effects of the new continuum。 Word had it that the Karbarrans' morose augury chants had brought them Wagnerian visions of doom。 The Garudans' hin sendings had the lupine XTs fatalistic and despairing。 Baldan had had ghostly encounters on the Crystal Highways of Omphalos and at length had been ejected by them。
Even the music of the Muses and the Cosmic Harp had taken on a doleful sound they seemed helpless to rise above。
The libidinous climate of the past few days had changed； and the only possible explanation was that something about the Regis had changed。
And what if Her Highness doesn't feel like granting us an audience？ Rick was asking himself at the same moment。 Do we sacrifice a few oxen； blow on a ram's horn； or what？
But as he pushed through the last screen of bush； he saw that there was reason to hope for an audience with the Regis； after all： The field had changed； even though nobody from the SDF…3 or the recon flights had seen it。
Where the swaying grasses had grown to midcalf height； there was a structure that brought a sinister grunt from Scott。 〃Invid hive。 Huh。 Looks like a miniature Reflex Point。〃
It did indeed； but it was far smaller than the sprawling stronghold/nerve center that had been the Regis's seat of power on Terra。 It was a dome with the same organic look； the same glowings in orange and red and yellow； like a super…high…speed photograph of a thermonuclear explosion。 Around it was the strange foam of bubblelike objects suggesting concentric waves ing in at the dome； as at Reflex Point； there were the same smaller peripheral nodes； much like the central structure； all of them interlinked by a network of conduits or accessways as brilliant as tubes of flowing lava。
〃Maybe we should send in a recon team；〃 Lisa said。
〃I don't even see a way in。 Scott？〃
But before the Invid invasion veteran could answer； there was a motion from farther back in the line。 It was Drannin and the other Zentraedi children； followed by Roy and the humans； pushing to get through and head for the miniature hive。
〃Roy； wait！〃 Lisa dodged around Payton； another Zentraedi giant…youngster； to try to stop her son。 Just then； knocking small trees aside； Kazianna and a Zentraedi male caught up to head off their kids。
Roy did not push Lisa away； but he writhed 〃in her grasp。 〃Mommy； please！ She's waiting to talk to us。 But we haveta hurry！〃
Lang had left his place in line； too； with Louie Nichols and his cyber…whiz disciples in his wake。 〃I understand your reticence； Admiral； but the lad is right。 Right now our chief jeopardy lies in delay。〃
〃But how do we get…〃 Rick swallowed the question when he turned back to the mini…hive。 There was a dark semicircular opening directly in front of them。
His lips became two thin lines； and he turned back to his little mand。 〃Listen up！ We're going in。 Remember your orders； and I want all weapons on safety and either holstered or slung。〃
The door was high enough even for Zentraedi。 The party filed into the unfortably warm darkness under the dome； smelling again the strange aromas and alien odors…some pleasant； others not…of an Invid hive。
It was like being inside a cathedral of dark stained glass。 Most of the space enc