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A。 Jow； The Historical Haydon
〃Max！ Pay attention！〃
〃Uh？〃 He blinked。
Jean Grant； infinitely patient； still had a way of letting someone know that she wouldn't put up with their shortings。
〃Just take it easy； Max； babies've been getting themselves born for ages now。 Besides； this is only a drill； capisch？ All you have to do is help a little。〃 She smiled down at Miriya。 〃Relax； soldier。〃
Miriya stopped her breathing exercises and chuckled tiredly。 She was pale and drawn from the ordeal that her second pregnancy had bee。 But she squeezed Max's hand； their I love you code。
Max squeezed back twice； but he was still worried。 This pregnancy shouldn't even have happened。 Apparently； conventional birth…control methods didn't apply to a Human…Zentraedi union。
Her first pregnancy had worked changes on Miriya's body that Jean still hadn't figured out pletely。 The physical readouts on her were getting more and more peculiar； and nobody； not even the saintly； floating Haydon IV healers； could say why。
Max resisted the impulse to sigh； there where Miriya could hear it。 Instead he crouched by her； pointing at the window that ran from floor to ceiling in her bedroom。
〃See there？ The urban core's almost rebuilt； and about seventy percent of the underground systemry's back up to snuff。 Vowad says the whole planet'll be like new in less than two months。〃
〃It's good that…〃 A sudden spasm of pain overcame her； and she clamped down on Max's hand with a grip so hard that he involuntarily yelped in pain。
Jean was there in an instant； reading the bed monitors。 The Haydonites had built Miriya's room so that it was a virtual duplicate of the quarters she and her husband had shared back in rebuilt Macross City…their happiest home…but the place was actually a well…camouflaged intensive…care unit。
〃Code red；〃 Jean called into the empty air； not two seconds passed before the wall slid aside and Haydonite healers floated in。 Miriya was losing consciousness。
〃Talk to her； Max；〃 Jean whispered to him； then turned to her own job。
What to say？ He wasn't used to making conversation； that was one of the reasons he had been a loner until he and Miriya found each other。
〃And…and； the interstellar trade's already starting up again；〃 he babbled； squeezing her hand but； to his terror； getting no response。 〃I've got a place all fixed up for you and me and the kid； outside of town…〃
〃Sorry； Max。〃 Jean moved him away from the bedside and he didn't resist。 She and the Haydonite healers； and medical machines that looked like hovering seashells and airborne spores； all clustered around his wife。
Max Sterling stood at the foot of the bed。 〃We're losing her；〃 one of the faceless healers said； and Max bit his lower lip until blood ran； so that he wouldn't scream。
〃Talk to her； Max；〃 Jean repeated； without looking up from her work。 〃Keep her with us。〃
〃I。。。I。。。〃
〃You're fixing up a place for her；〃 Jean prompted him； still without breaking her own concentration。
He drew a deep breath。 〃We can stay there until you're ready to go home； Mir。〃 He felt like crying； but Jean gave him one quick look。
〃C'mon； ace；〃 she told him； and went back to what she was doing。
C'mon； ace。。。
〃Dana's gonna be some big girl when we get back； huh？〃 he found himself saying。
The lifesign monitors made a slightly different sound； Miriya managed to form a word。 〃Dana。。。〃
〃Uh…huh！ God； she wants so much to go to the academy； and Emerson says if she doesn't behave； he's gonna put her in a convent； remember？〃 He was wiping the tears from his face and his glasses。 〃And Bowie said that if Dana goes； he goes。〃 He was laughing and crying at the same time。
〃She'll be。。。a big girl；〃 Miriya said。
The lifesigns were stabilizing。 With effort； Max swallowed and said； 〃Think of all the things we'll have to tell her when we get home； Mir。 She's gonna be waiting to hear them。〃
Miriya Parino Sterling smiled as she hovered on the edge of a a then came back to him。
He stood looking down on her as she slept； after Jean and the healers and the machines left。 Miriya's pregnancy had seven months yet before it came to term。
But that was only by Human calculation。 According to the lab workups； it could happen any time now。
In the barracks of the security forces posted to Dr。 Lang's plex； the officer of the day lost patience with pounding on the door。
〃Linc？ Lincoln？ Goddamn you； fall in！〃
But Right Officer Isle； REF Service # 666…60…937； wasn't there。 The duty OD looked around and found the man's flight suit missing。 Oddly； there were also hair clippings and shaving…lather residue in the cramped quarters' tiny sink。
Isle always was a strange one； but this was pushing it some。 〃Isle； you sumbitch；〃 the OD muttered。 〃What now？〃
They were like dolphins in the sea； or eagles cutting the winds。
Baldan soared； following his mother； through the netherworld of the Crystal Highways。 The mineral lattices stretched away in every direction； making their own landscape for the beings who swam in the bosom of Spheris。
Baldan found that he knew his way around there。 The emanations from the various pounds and strata were like signposts and streets…a three…dimensional highway system。
He zoomed over to catch up with Teal on a thoroughfare layed down from the molten condition。 There was a lot of veering and dodging because of the magma chambers； but the scenery was spectacular。
Disembodied； they flew through the very structure of their world。 Baldan found that he knew how to avoid metamorphic structures； knew how to slide along the crystallographic axes。
There was no gravity； except as a somewhat abstract force； electromagnetic and thermal and nuclear imperatives were the rules of the road。
And before long； he could hear the voices of his people。
Baldan understood that he was nothing but a disembodied intellect； seeping along the boulevards that molecular forces had drawn。 But it seemed that he was corporeal； flying like some character out of the Humans absurd ic books； in an element that was his to mand。
It was a world suspended in space： here； the juttings of a tectonic rift； there； the sweep of a rhodonite seam tha