Ozzie! Living Dream really is desperate to find me.

She carefully separated herself from the treacherous traps. Beyond that brash bright constellation of human thoughts was the ever-present serenity of the Silfen Motherholm.

'Do you know me? she asked in trepidation.

The answer wasn't specific, not speech in human terms, more a warm feeling of acknowledgement and welcome.

'Can you help me?

Sadness, not cold, it was regret rather than a rejection.

'I might make a real hash of things.

The comforting warmth of a mother's embrace.

'I wish I had that much confidence in me. Do you have any idea what's at stake here?

A glowing gold light bathing every cell of her body, as if an angel's smile had broken through Colwyn City's fug of misery.

'Oh for Ozzie's sake; all right, I'll ask it again. And she reached beyond the Silfen Motherholm for the entity that lurked right on the edge of her perception. Carefully this time, avoiding the vigilant watchers, speaking softly within herself rather than the cry across thirty-thousand lightyears. A call which found her bathed in a luminescence similar to the Void's nebulas, relishing the smooth flow of the universe around her.

'Hello, she said to the Skylord.

'I wait for you.

'Was that you with my friend? The one who is inside your universe.

'I have not guided one of your species for a long time.

'Doesn't mean much, Araminta muttered sourly. 'If I come to your universe, would you guide me to the nucleus?

'I will.

'Immediately?

'Once you have reached fulfilment.

'Ah. You just won't do it, will you? None of you will.

'I am gladdened by your desire to reach the nucleus. I will guide you.

'When our species first arrived in your universe, where did you guide them?

'My kindred showed them where they might live and reach maturity.

'So you will take people to planets, just not the nucleus? Interesting.

'I will guide those who have reached fulfil—

'Yeah yeah, I get it.

'Do you come?

'Many of my species will try to reach you.

'I await with joy.

'By reaching you, they will slaughter billions of other people, trillions of lives will be lost as your universe destroys the galaxy. How do you feel about that? She knew she was risking triggering another devourment phase, but she'd managed to calm it last time.

'Not all reach fulfilment. Your species grows strong. Few of your kind will be left to ascend into the fabric alone.

'Do you even understand that there is a universe outside yours?

'There is only hero, the universe and the nucleus. You will emerge here somewhen.

'Deja vu, she grunted. 'Okay then, she told the Skylord. 'Maybe 1 will.

'I wait for you, it said as she withdrew her consciousness. She hurriedly checked round outside the cab. Night was falling, the low sunlight diffused to a smear by the city's force field weather dome. She peered upwards urgently, but couldn't see any of the Ellezelin capsules swooping down on her, so presumably they hadn't overheard her conversation with the Skylord.

'Big deal, she snorted to the inside of the cab. 'I can't stop the Void from taking us in. The bastards have just about won.

Which left her with some decisions to make. She told the cab to swing past Bodant Park, using the rail on the marina side, away from her apartment block. It wasn't as foolhardy as it seemed. Well, all right maybe a little stupid. But she wanted one last look at what she'd considered her first real home since — well, leaving Langham. It was becoming clear to her that she would have to get out somehow. The only way to stop Living Dream from using her was to get beyond their reach. That cut her options considerably. Cressida's offer of a starship ticket was clearly impossible, events of the last few days had made it obvious that even a diplomatic starship wasn't going to lift her away from Colwyn City. Thinking of that made her remember Cressida's claim of a Silfen path in Francola Wood. Now that was a definite possibility. But she was more confident that Laril might negotiate for her. He was part Higher now, he must know a reliable Faction, one that was opposed to the Pilgrimage. Everyone knew the Factions had agents with all sorts of enrichments; and Gore had said they were looking for her. If anyone could get her out of Colwyn City and away from Viotia it would be them.

That came hooked to the sheepish thought that if a Faction took care of her she wouldn't have to make the big decision herself.

Forget that. You just need to get out of here.

It was dark by the time the Wurung Transport cab slid along

Aeana Street, parallel to the Cairns. Strong white light shone through one side of the cab's bubble window, coming off the big deco marina buildings. She could hear the crowd now, that unnerving buzz of so many people sharing their anger.

The cab pulled in to a marina slot and Araminta got out. She was surprised by how many people were in the park, it was in the thousands now. On this side they were milling around in loose groups; while over near her apartment block they'd concentrated into a dense knot, shouting abuse and clashing with the barrier set up along the road.

Araminta suddenly realized what the problem was. The cordon the paramilitaries had thrown up around her apartment block was acting as a huge provocation.

My fault. Again.

She walked forward into the crowd. The gaiafield was a storm of hatred and resentment. Her macrocellular clusters reported a colossal amount of pings zipping across the park. Directionless, without any author code, not routed through the cybersphere nodes and therefore untraceable.

'>file< Binder frequency at the second segment.

'Counter that with a patch from Etol, they have the fixes.

'Managed to hit one scumfuck with a maser pulse.

'Cheer.

'Cheer.

'Cheer.

'Cheer.

'Left side of the building, road crumbling around a segment.

'Gather there people.

'Free Viotia.

'Bot attack ready. Maybe. Are you listening fuckheads? Are we joking?

'Fuckheads, we're coming for you.

'Free Viotia.

'Gonna carve the memorycells right out of your living dreaming brains.

'None of you is ever going to see re-life.

'Gather at segment five. Push hard people.

Araminta soon realized that the segments were part of the barricade the paramilitaries had set up. The mob was organizing for a assault. There was no leader — not obviously — they were reacting like antibodies to the invasion forces.

'Got me some disruptor rifles that'll cut clean through their armour.

'Good.

'Great.

'Laugh.

'Handing out the rifles.

'Hey, scum in armour; if you think your Waterwalker's strong enough to save you from us, start screaming for her.

'Laugh.

'Laugh.

'Laugh.

'Ready? Go.

Araminta tensed. The paramilitaries fired a barrage of jangle-pulse shots through the barricade. Screams echoed over the park.

'You believed me. Stupid dumb shits.

'Laugh.

'Laugh.

'We hurt now, you die later.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she thought looking across the sea of agitated people. But the nostalgia was reassuring.

If she craned her neck she could just see the six storey apartment block. Strangely dark behind the bursts of purple light along the barricades. Its edges were framed by the blue and violet sparkles of the glass column corners.

Okay, seen it. Let's go.

Araminta turned and began to push her way back through the rowdy crowd. Emotional pressure was building in the gaiafield, a compelling surety replacing the edgy tinge of anticipation. Something was about to happen — whatever something was. She paused, glancing back over her shoulder to see the flickering dapples of light become constant all along the barricades.