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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