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〃You have to stop loving me； Scott。 You have to stop treating me so human。〃
Elsewhere in the Ark Angel Minmei and the sister clones sang：
Little Protoculture leaf；
Waiting for our palates；
Where will you take us？
Flower of Life！
Treat us well！
What had happened on this world？ Zor recalled having asked himself only a few days before。 What enchanted hand or conspiracy of sky and soil had shaped that grand experiment in life？
For as far as the eye could see there had been nothing but this： a living landscape under skies tinged with aquamarine。 Life pure and unadulterated； which here had chosen but two forms of expression。 The one； vegetal but without question sentient； the other； more the animal stuff of his own being but seemingly free of the gross entanglements so often given rise to by bone and sinew。 The one； a flower； fruit； and tree； pulsating with occult power； the other； feeding from that power but returning everything to it； tranquil and self sufficient； with no need to look outside itself to answer the questions that burned in Zor's soul。 It was symbiosis of the most perfect sort； true synthesis； two life forms nourishing each other in every possible way and altering in the process of that joining the physical structure of their environment。 Nothing there seemed fixed or constant； neither natural law； nor dictated shape； nor evolutionary design。 All was potential 。 。 。
He recalled Vard calling out to him。 Vard and several of are ship's crew on the trail below； the one that switchbacked down from that bit of high ground the creature had guided them to。 An eagerness in Vard's voice Zor had rarely heard before； excitement prompted by the thrill of discovery。 Zor； e！ Hurry！ He had ignored the young man's direction？drill too mesmerized by sky and landscape to tear himself away 。。。
Weeks before； the dropship had put down in a boundless field of the tri petaled flowers。 Triumvirate in their groupings； they were of a coral color； with elongated teardrop…shaped buds and long trailing stamens。 And oddly enough they cast forth both pollen and seeds。
The landing party had made its way into a forest of sphersically canopied fruit…bearing trees…impossibly tall； some of them with rainbow…colored fluids coursing through translucent trunks。 Zor remembered： Tzuptum's rays warming limbs stiff from space sleep： the spongy ground cover wondrously wele to feet too long accustomed to deckplates of cool and unyielding alloy。 The air thick and redolent； almost too perfumed to inhale unfiltered。 And in fact two members of the party had succumbed to a kind of delusional psychosis and had had to be returned to the ship。 But for Zor those bet weeks had been magical。 He and his science team had run scans and collected botanical samples while other teams charted distances and topography and probed the surface for useful metals。
It was shortly after he had determined the inherent sameness of flower； shrub； and tree that the landing party had had its initial encounter with the planet's indigenous beings。
Limbless； amorphous； asexual creatures…vaguely mushroom…shaped when Zor first saw them…they lived munally in conical； hivelike structures from which they made daily forays into the surrounding countryside for the purpose of hover…gathering fruits and flowers of the planet's singular plant life。 After several days of observing the creatures in their routines and rituals…all of which centered on the flowers and trees…Zor came to understand that the beings made use of the plant for physical as well as spiritual nutrition。 Seemingly oblivious to the presence of off…worlders； they ingested the flower petals and fruits of the mature crop and often sipped the sap of the seedlings； which Zor had discovered possessed strong psychoactive ingredients。
Ultimately he had approached what he took to be the hive leader and had learned that the creatures were capable of telepathic munication。 He realized； too； that they had the capacity to alter their physical being to suit their circumstances。 While Zor and the hive leader had conversed； the creature had actually assumed a semblance of sexually differentiated humanoid form。 It was that one who had identified the race by the name Invid and first used the term 〃Flower of Life。〃 This one who led the landing party to the overlook and told Zor about the Queen…Mother they called Regis。
Zor！ Are you ing； Zor？ Vard had shouted once more； and； reluctantly； Zor had begun to follow him down the steep slope； along a path strewn with velvety Flower of Life petals。
And so had menced a marvelous journey of two Tzuptum days through Flower…crowned hills and bustling hive settlements that weled them with silent chant and delivered them finally to the lair of the Queen…Mother。 。 。
Zor stood gazing at her now； eyes next to closing from the soporific warmth of the hive's central chamber。 She had conjugated herself in an approximation of humanoid female form in his honor。
In his honor。 The phrase she had sent to him。
〃We have anticipated your return to Optera for so long； Bringer of Life。 Forgive me if I am not yet adept at fully mimicking your present form。〃
You anticipated our ing？ Zor had asked her； confused。
〃The memory is ancient but deep within me。 The Flowers were your gift to us。〃
Zor realized that he was being mistaken for someone who had visited Optera in the dim past and was about to correct the Regis when a sudden paralysis gripped his thoughts。 The Flowers of this world contained a form of novel bio…energy。 They endowed life…indeed； nature and matter itself…with the power to shift and reshape； to wrestle from the gods themselves the ability to control the course of evolution。
Then consider； Zor found himself thinking； what the result might be if the plant's bio…energy could be harnessed and directed。
Would the power to light a thousand worlds seem too much to ask？ The power to drive a thousand ships across the sweep of stars？ The power to shape and reconfigure the very continuum itself？ The extension of life 。。。
And yet the secret of municating with the Flower and harnessing that energy lay with the unknown being that had brought it to Optera。 And with this Invid shape changer who had fallen heir to the Flower's fortunes。
Zor was intrigued。 He realized that the Regis was the key unlocking Optera's mysteries； and in an instant of mad inspiration he decided to set himself the goal of possessing that key…if he had to seduce this queen to make that happen！ 〃Yes； your highness；〃 Zor said to her at last。 〃I have finally returned。〃
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I knew Lisa was serious the moment she stepped out of the vanity； dressed…barely！…in that revealing black camisole Karen Penn gave her for her thirty…ninth birthday。 I was surprised； even though I shouldn't have been。 I mean； I remembered the look in Lisa's eye when she saw Kaziana with Drannin that first time； and； after all； we had talked over the idea some。。。Well； Lisa must have caught the look on my face （that night on the Ark Angel）； because she laughed and started to accuse me of backing out。 But I told her no way。 And； well； let's just say I put my whole heart into what naturally followed。
The Collecte