rystal； revealing a dazzling facet。 Teal struck again and again； each stroke sure of its mark； each rendering the inanimate thing gemlike and plete。 Crying all the while； Teal took the infant in her hands and began to carve away more of its extraneous crust。 Miriya； Bela； and Jean could hardly believe their eyes when a polished face slowly emerged； then a miniature torso of sorts。
It was Baldan。
If the Sentinels remained divided on any one issue； it was what was to be done with Tesla。 While certain they would exercise more caution the next time the Invid volunteered for a mission； they had as yet no clear…cut policy toward him。 Was he a prisoner； a hostage； perhaps an ally in some sense？ After the meeting in which the Sentinels' direction had been put to a vote； Tesla and Burak had had a chance to answer the 〃charges〃 Wolff brought against them。 They were acplices； Wolff maintained； in the laconic and cynical fashion that had everyone aboard guessing。 （That Minmei was the cause of Wolff's distress was no secret； but he kept to himself the fact that she had been seeing Edwards。）
Tesla didn't deny that he had tried to mandeer the module； his actions； however； had not been directed against the Sentinels。 In fact； quite the contrary。 〃I am your rade in this war of liberation；〃 he told the Human and XT assembly。 〃I am as eager for peace as the rest of you； and my aim in taking over the ship was simply to speed to Optera to convince the Regent of the error of his ways。〃
Burak； though； was innocent to hear Tesla tell it； and had merely been overpowered； as Janice had。 And much to Tesla's surprise； Janice backed up the story。 But what Tesla didn't realize was that Janice had briefed the Sentinels beforehand on the stand she would take； suggesting that they allow Burak and Tesla their partnership； which she herself would monitor。 There was more here than met the eye； she had explained； and the arrangement would have the added benefit of keeping the Perytonian out of everyone's way。
This was the voice of Lang's reprogramming； but no one recognized it as such； least of all Janice。 Tesla； Lang had established； was worthy of study。
So in the end it was decided that things would remain much as they had been before the attempted mutiny： Tesla was neither prisoner nor ally； but more in the way of 〃ambassador。〃 And Burak was to remain the Invid's aide/jailer/ keeper。
The two XTs were in one of the ship's cargo holds now； a place well…suited to Tesla's size。 Only a few morsels of fruit remained； but Tesla knew that more would be available to him on Garuda…a crop as different from the Praxian variety as those had been from the Karbarran。 He still hadn't gotten over his case of the guilts； and was in fear of the moment the Sentinels learned of the Regent's assassination。 With luck； though； that news could be months off。 The beauty of it was that there was no one who could even tie him to the act…not as long as the SDF…7 remained inmunicado。 Even that little Zentraedi； Exedore； would have no proof。 〃Circumstantial〃 was the Human word for such evidence。 So in spite of his anxiety； his spirits had improved。
Burak's； however； had not。 Although pleased （albeit baffled） that he had been absolved of any wrongdoing； he felt as though the Sentinels had simply dismissed him and Peryton's cause。
〃You mustn't be so glum about it； my friend；〃 Tesla told him； while he contemplated one of the tidbits。 〃Your world is as good as freed。〃
〃What makes you so certain？〃 Burak asked； his face a true devil's mask now。
Tesla popped the fruit into his mouth。 〃Because。。。I sense something wonderful is about to happen。〃
Burak regarded him with a frown。
〃Truly；〃 Tesla continued。 〃You must have faith if you are to assume your proper place in this world。 There may be one or two dark spots in our future； but afterward。。。〃 Tesla offered an approximation of a smile。
〃But what about now； Tesla？ All these grand events you speak of…they are always one step ahead of us。〃
Tesla threw back his shoulders。 〃No； my young friend； you have it backward。 It is we who are one step ahead。 But change is in the air。 Soon the reshapings will catch up with us。 And then we can begin to transform the world。〃
CHAPTER NINE
A footnote in Kahler's work （The Tirolian paign； Fantomadiscs； third issue； 2083； scr。 1099） refers those interested in Garudan psychism ＇sic＇ to a series of twentieth…century autobiographical novels written by a young anthropologist recording his attempts to enter into various states of altered reality through the guidance of an Yaqui Indian 〃man of power。〃 And while La Pea is willing to concede that there is some justification for Kahler's remendation； he points out that the Garudans required nothing in the way of extrinsic agents to attain 〃non…ordinary states。〃 Unless； however； one views the planet's atmosphere in this regard。 It is hoped that the much…awaited translations of Haydon's texts will shed light on this continuing controversy。
Taken from the 〃Imminent Immaterial〃 column of Psycho…physics Digest
Garuda。 Kami and Learna had told them what to expect。 A mostly cold and barren world of steppes and tundra； with vast frozen regions and glaciated mountain ranges。 What little there was in the way of flora and fauna was principally confined to a narrow band of equatorial forestland of evergreen analogues。 There were two seasons； wet and dry； Garuda was in the latter now； and that； Kami explained； would account for the differences in fur coloration the Sentinels would notice among members of his and Learna's tribe。 The Garudans； who numbered in the thousands； were not； generally speaking； offworlders。 Some； however； had volunteered for mining work on Rhestad…system moons after the arrival of the Zentraedi generations ago； and later on； the Masters' clones。 But most Garudans feared the thought of having to leave the planet； and had little tolerance for the breathing harnesses life anywhere else would require。 Their society was a simple one； organized along the lines of any hunter…gatherer group； however； they were anything but nomadic； and kept domesticated animals and raised some crops。 Religion was of a decidedly individual variety； with each clan answering to a different totem； and each member his or her own shaman。 Oddly enough； neither Kami nor Learna had the slightest knowledge of history in the sense that most of the Sentinels； including Burak and Lron； understood the term。 Unlike the Karbarrans； or Praxians for that matter； the Garudans seemed to live entirely in the present。 This is not to say that they were a placent group…they were certainly devoted to securing a free future for their world…but at the same time； they could supply no answers to questions concerning their racial past。
This enigma had bee something of a preoccupation with Cabell during the four months the Sentinels had remained grounded on Praxis。 Cabell was different than the Masters in this regard。 Those who had ousted the Tirolian regime after the Great Transition were more interested in expansion and conquest than in the accumulation of knowledge； to the Elders and their subordinate Triumvirates； knowledge of the past presented something of an impediment to change。 They had their gaze fixed on the day after tomorrow； on issues of uncontested rule； ultimate power； and selective immortality。
The rest of the Sentinels； though； saw Garuda more in terms of its tangible challenges； and foremost among these was its very atmosphere： though Earthlike in position； it was essentially toxic to all but the planet's indigenous life…forms。 There were one or two exceptions to this； but only Veidt and Sarna among the Sentinels qualified。 Surface scans verified the presence of dozens of varieties of airborne spores and microorganisms whose chemistry Jean Grant likened to certain laboratory…produced psychotropic drugs。 According to Cabell…based on what he had gleaned from Zor's notes…the vulpine beings' mental processes were linked to the planet itself in a kind of submolecular partnership。 Life…forms incapable of entering into this long…established microcosmic symbiosis were not； however； simply ignored or exempted； rather； they were sensed as potentially disturbing to the ecological balance and consequently counterattacked by those same microorganisms responsible for the Garudans' nonordinary psychic states。
It had therefore fallen upon the med group to outfit the landing party with transpirators and resp canisters。 But if logistics was about to hamper the operation's effectiveness； the Sentinels could take some fort in the fact that the Invid had also fallen prey to the planet's proprietary nature。 In fact； their presence on Garuda was essentially restricted to the hemispherically shaped hives they had erected in those areas where Zor's Flower of Life seedlings had taken root。 The crop was a mutant but bountiful one； and it was believed that Garuda provided largely defoliated Optera with much of its needed supply of nutrient。 With Karbarra liberated； the Regent had lost his mecha factories； now the Sentinels meant to strike him at the gut level； destroying as many of Garuda's orchards and 〃farms〃 as they could。
Rick； Lisa； Cabell； Rem； Jack； Karen； Burak； Kam