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For a while it was quiet in the underground room. When Truzenzuzex finally spoke again his symbospeech was shorn of the usual abrasive clicks. But his words were underscored with as much resolve as ever.

“It's not that Bran and I don't feel for our young friend, Clarity-bearer, or that we fail to understand and sympathize with his challenging physical and mental condition. But the threat we face is far, far greater than any individual or any individual concerns. Everything—everything including personal happiness—must perforce be sacrificed in the attempt, however futile it may seem, to deal with this oncoming danger. Otherwise we abrogate our responsibility as sentient beings, to civilization and to the generations yet to come.” Downy antennae dipped in her direction.

“Do you think that I am ‘happy’ having to devote to this peril what little time remains to me? Considerably less time, may I point out, than remains to you or to Flinx. Do you think I do not ponder what may become of my own scattered progeny if it is not overcome?” Glistening compound eyes regarded each of them in turn. “We are all of us here among the few who are even aware of the monstrousness that is sweeping toward our home, our Commonwealth. And among that few, we know that we have only one realistic possibility of confronting it. Without Flinx's intimate involvement, we have not even that.” His golden gaze eyed her unblinkingly.

“In light of all that, my dear, I am afraid that individual concerns, no matter how poignant or involving or intense, must necessarily be set aside.”

This time the ensuing silence lasted even longer than the one that had preceded it. For a change it was Flinx who spoke up first.

“Uh, actually, I have an idea.”

Tse-Mallory took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and deliberately.

“I'll take that as encouraging. An idea about what, Flinx?”

“How to find the artifact—the Tar-Aiym weapons platform.”

The older man frowned at him. “You've said from the time you left Nur months ago that you thought it would be impossible for you to track it in the vastness of the Blight. That you would have to embark on a random search pattern fueled by hope. It was the best any of us could expect from you.”

Flinx reached up to stroke the back of Pip's neck. “And that's still the case. But while I don't think I can locate the artifact, it has occurred to me that there's another who might be able to do so.”

The two scientists exchanged a glance. “You are the only individual who has been able to establish any kind of contact with the device,” Truzenzuzex reminded him.

“No,” Flinx insisted, “there's another.”

“Who?” a startled Tse-Mallory demanded to know.

Flinx's lips creased in a thin smile. “It's not a who—it's a ‘what.’”

“The boy plays mind games,” Truzenzuzex muttered. “Explain yourself.”

Flinx let his gaze shift from philosoph to soldier. “The original Tar-Aiym Krang. The one we found so long ago on the world called Booster, in the Blight. Remember, I activated it once.”

“Indeed you did,” admitted Tse-Mallory.

Flinx warmed to his proposal. “I'd be astounded if you two neglected to record the coordinates. If we can find Booster once more, and if I can make contact with the machine again, perhaps I can get across the need to contact the much bigger weapons platform. Maybe what it takes to locate one alien machine is another alien machine. All we need to get from the Krang is the platform's position and course.”

Truzenzuzex looked thoughtful. “Use one weapon to locate the other. Why shouldn't weapons converse? A better prospect, certainly, than simply striking out blindly through empty space.” He eyed his companion. “Bran?”

“I wholeheartedly concur.” Deep blue eyes regarded Flinx. “Your ship has been adequate for all your personal searching. I presume it can make the journey to Booster.”

Flinx's smile widened. “To this day I still don't know all of the Teacher's capabilities. The Ul … its builders endowed it with all kinds of abilities I'm still learning about. I don't doubt for