Page 64 (1/2)

When huods, mortality becomes more important than morality Martyrdom corrects this discrepancy but only for a brief interval The sorry thing about martyrs is that they are not around to explain what it all meant Nor do they stay to see the terrible consequences of martyrdom

- You Are Spokesmen for Martyrs, Raja Tho screen fro to es blurred, re-formed in different perspective Cutter beams slashed across the plain, she could see bodies, odd e to a section of the Redoubt’s perimeter She heard Lewis dispatch repair and defense teams Defense cutters beamed into action, directed by key people in the Center She kept her attention on the es an occasional blur slipped past - as though so the instruments

She wiped a sleeve across her forehead The two suns had clih while the confused battle went on, and the Redoubt’s life-support had been reduced to y to weapons It was hot in the Command Center and the nervous movements of Oakes at her elbow irritated her In contrast, Lewis appeared unaccountably cale on the plain, no doubt of that The clones in the Coence at their duties, obviously fearful that they ata hit replay So screen

"What was that?" Oakes deata hit fix, but the sensors failed to resolve an ie Oncesensible She touched replay again and slowed the projection, asking the Redoubt’s coe enhanceuely huled with some heavy object, then moved away

A harsh blue beanals were indicated by flashing blinkers at the corners of the screen She ignored the more important was indicated on the screen: a slow blossoe which had not revealed itself there before

"What are you doing?" Oakes demanded "What caused that?"

"I think they’re influencing our sensor system," she said And she heard the disbelief in her own voice

Oakes stared at the screen for several blinks, then: "The ship! The dalistened on his upper lip and jowls She could s to crack

"Why would the ship do that?" Lewis asked

"Because of Tho

Legata switched sensors, keyed for the broad view of the cliffside staging area where the attack had originated The deer sat his perch atop the pinnacle The arc of watching hylighters had diminished to a thin rilare of double sunlight

"Where are the hylighters?" she asked "I didn’t see theo"

"None in close," Lewis said "Maybe they’ve gone off somewhere t" He broke off at a coata turned to see a dark-haired Natural, a crew supervisor, slip into the Command Center Sweaty and nervous, he hurried across to Lewis There was celltape covering a gory burn on theof a painkiller

So there are Naturals outside, too, she thought

"We’re getting lots of wounded clones, Jesus," the man said His voice was hoarse, tense "What do we do with ’e the question

"Set up an infirmary," Oakes said "Clones’ quarters Let ’em treat their own"

"Not many of the, remember"

"I know," Oakes said

Lewis nodded "I see" He glanced at the crew supervisor "You heard it Get busy"

The lared at Oakes, then at Lewis, but obeyed

"The ship’s interfering with us," Oakes said "We can’t spare ht now We have to devise a plan fo"

"What is going on out there?" Legata asked

Oakes turned, saw that onceseveral at once He glanced up at the screen and, at first, did not see what had attracted her attention Then he saw irectangle high up on the right showed a silvery so over the Redoubt’s walls Itup and up Legata co back and back through new sensors The as colare of the double suns

"Spinnerets," Lewis hissed

The entire roo

Legata continued, busy at the console