Page 59 (2/2)

Never again?

Panille whispered a chant to those lost cells of Avata, feeling his whole body transh he were, at last, truly one with Avata

The solitary blosso union, without eolden, night-bloo truth!

As he chanted, the whole line of beach gloith the low illu ar hiateway rock, Panille went down the beach to stand near this mysterious "friend of Ship"

"They’re less than two minutes away," Panille said He felt the beacon within him, a ti toward him

"Oakes will send probes," Thonals" Panille gave a smile to the dark "Would you care to join me in this?"

"No!"

You hold back too much, Raja Thomas

"But I need your help," Panille said And he felt Tho

"What do I do?" Thomas forced the words out

"It may help you to touch an Avatan tentacle Not necessary, but it helps at first"

A black tentacle caht sky Reluctance apparent in every ainst the thrusting warmth

Iuided that freighter toward the directly ahead of hi on surf-druht held him in thralldom

If anybody had told hter within the dar

And think!

The Avata intrusion could not be avoided Avata would not accept that designation as plant Tho not quite pride, but not completely separated froized

You confuse yourself Why do you hide your true identity?

Thomas jerked his hand away from the warm tentacle, but the Avata presence re where you don’t belong! Thomas accused

Avata does not pry There was no denying the hurt in this response

Panille felt like an eavesdropper on a private arguer noare that he could not break off the Avata contact at will, aware that Avata wanted to pierce the wall behind which this private idea of hihter down," Panille said "Probes are co from the Redoubt"

Panille released his part of the beacon syste himself that he had to concentrate on the probes Thomas would have to make his own mistakes

The first of the probes screa toward theainst a plot of the incoht hie all around and transmitted it to the probe He felt the projected illusion mesh with the probe’s electronic functions The probe al a sudden cliff which was not there

They’re getting closer, he thought

He knehy Each illusion of mistaken terrain formed a pattern of error fronificant results

Avata nu hi reed The patrols have increased

Tenfold in twelve hours, Avata insisted Why does Thomas not understand his role in this?

It is his nature, perhaps

Have you identified your contact on the freighter?

Panille thought about this question, reviewed his own perforht Knowing it was urgent, he reinsinuated hi the affirhter

Thohter? Panille asked

Tho presence - almost palpable If it was illusion, it was a most complete illusion

Who? Panille insisted

Thomas knew he could not be in contact with a Shiphts intruded Who could it be then?

Bitten

The freighter’s identification signal came to him clear and unmistakable: a simple intense concentration without emotion

"Ahhhhhhh," Tho was Thoht-system computer, and the realization that his mind was in contact with a computer should not have amused the man This could only be more evidence of the mystery which so attracted Avata

They were both forced to concentrate on their e with Bitten then, but Panille could not explain why this aroused a deep fear reaction in hih, a fear which radiated from his own flesh and outward into every cell of Avata