lone into neutral。 We were on a small rise above the causeway； Scott off to my left； staring at the junk heap with a kind of morbid fascination。
〃Then we saw the Cyclones。〃
〃And the bodies。〃
〃You couldn't ride the wastes in those days and be a stranger to death； and like everyone I had seen my fair share of Human remains； but there were fresh kills in the heap； and it was obvious what had happened。〃
〃‘This isn't any junk pile！' I heard Scott say。 ‘It's a goddamn graveyard！'〃
〃Annie gave a start and hugged herself to my back。 ‘What's it mean？' she cried； panic already in her voice。〃
〃Scott glanced over at us； his face all twisted up。 ‘It means I smell a rat and it's got your boyfriend's face！'〃
All at once we heard a deep whirring noise acpanied by sounds of mechanical disengagement。 I looked back toward the causeway in time to see it give a shudder； then begin a slow retraction toward the main island。 But I was more puzzled than alarmed。 I'd already seen Scott leap that mecha of his twice the distance to the island； so our being able to get off this one alive only meant that I was going to be learning the secrets of Cyclone reconfiguration in spite of myself。 Moreover； I couldn't figure why Ken needed to resort to such elaborate plans to rid Laako of intruders。
〃I think Scott must have been way ahead of me on this one； because he didn't seem at all surprised when two Invid suddenly surfaced in the lake。 Annie's pounding me on the back； shouting； ‘We gotta get outta here！' and Scott is just sitting silently on the Cyclone taking in the situation like he's got all the time in the world。 I'll always remember the look on his face at that moment…and I would have reason to recall it often during the following months。 I thought to myself： The eye of the storm。〃
〃Two more Invid were now heading our way from up the street； looming over us； pincers gleaming like knives caught in the light； the ground shaking from their footfalls。 These weren't Scouts but Shock Troopers； the larger； meaner version whose shoulder…mounted organiclooking cannons gave them a wide…eyed amphibious look。 The lake creatures had submerged； only to reappear behind us； rising up through the plastar streets and putting a radical end to thoughts of escape。 In a moment the four were joined by a fifth； who had also taken the subterranean route。〃
〃I felt pelled to point out that we were surrounded； and Scott said； ‘Take off！' Which I was all for。 I spun the cycle around my left foot and was gone； Scott not two lengths behind me； his Cyclone launched from the street by an overhead pincer slam that nearly flattened him。 Later； Annie apologized for the fingernail prints she left in my upper arms； but at that moment I was feeling no pain。〃
〃I had what I thought was the presence of mind to head for the narrower streets； but the Troopers were determined to have us for lunch； their leader； airborne now； simply used its shoulders to power a wider upper…story path between the buildings。〃
〃‘How'd they find us！' Annie was yelling into my left ear。〃
〃‘Your boyfriend； Ken；' I told her。 ‘He delivered us right into their claws。' But she didn't want to hear it。 Who…Ken？〃
〃‘He'd never do anything like that…never！'〃
〃It wasn't really a good time for an argument； though。 The Troopers were sticking to us like magnets； firing off bursts of plasma fire。 The fact that I had seen what those annihilation discs could do to a Human body was probably responsible for the chancy moves I made on the Cyclone。 But the memory of those liquid remains paid off； because I got us through the first stretch unscathed。 Then； after we had taken them around one block； down an alleyway； and through half a dozen more right angles； Scott told me to get the kid out of there； he was going Battle Armor to lure them away。 Scott was nothing if not noble。 But I couldn't resist getting another look at that reconfiguration act； and caught some flack for it。〃
〃‘What're you looking at？' Scott berated me over the externals。 ‘Get moving！'〃
〃Annie seconded this with a couple of cleanly placed kidney shots。 So Scott and I parted pany at a T intersection； and the next thing I heard was a massive exchange of cannonfire and a series of crippling explosions。 But the Invid had done their part in sticking to Scott's tail； and Annie and I were in the clear for the moment。〃
〃I pulled the bike over and told her to hop off。 There was no way I was going to let Scott take all the heat； I just had to get my Cyclone to reconfigure； battle armor or not。 Trouble was； the damn thing wouldn't respond。 I thumbed the switch above the starter button； but nothing happened； so I started flipping switches left and right； cursing the thing for being so obstinate。 Annie； the little darling； stood by me； hands behind her head； taunting me and telling me in no uncertain terms to hurry the hell up。 Of course； I have since learned that that is precisely what you don't do with a piece of mecha； but what did this basically backwoods loner know about mecha then？ I just kept jiggling this； pounding that； turning the other； and all of a sudden I found myself flat on my back in the seat； the Cyclone grotesquely reconfigured； with both wheels behind it now； its nose kissing the street。〃
〃Annie was kind enough not to laugh in my face； she turned aside first。 And I did something brilliant…like leap off the cycle and try to place kick it into the lake…which only resulted in an injury to my foot to match the one already sustained by my pride。〃
〃But now Annie was shouting and pointing up at something。 Scott； in full battle armor； had taken to the buttressed top of a building a few blocks away。 One minute he was standing there like some sort of rooftop Robostatue； and the next he was playing dodge…the…plasma…Frisbees。 I saw him drop into that annihilation disc storm and execute one of those Bernard bounces that carried him out of sight； just short of the explosions that turned the building into a chimney； flames roaring up from its blasted roof； black parabolas of slagged stuff in the sky。〃
〃Meanwhile； I had worked through my frustration and managed to get the mecha back into Cycle mode。 Annie still wanted to know why the thing wouldn't change。 I started to explain about the armor and ‘thinking cap；' and the next thing I knew she was running off toward the causeway。〃
〃‘I'm gonna go and find Ken and get him to tell me once and for all why he went and sold us out to the Invid！' she yelled after I tried to get her to stop。 'If you don't like it…tough！'〃
〃I had to admit that I was thinking along those very same lines； but Annie's timing left a lot to be desired。 And since I didn't relish the thought of finding that pink backpack of hers dangling from a bloody pincer； I threw the Cyclone into gear and went after her。 I reached out； and she swatted my hand away； telling me to get lost。 Angry now； I decided I would just scoop her up in my left arm and put an end to the foolishness； but I misjudged both my course and her weight。 No sooner did my arm go around her waist than I was pulled from the mecha。 Worse still； we were right alongside an open freight elevator； and down we went； eight feet or more； would…be opponents wrapped in each other's arms。〃
〃I blacked out for a moment； perhaps we both did。 But Annie came around first and laid into me as though I had just tried to maul her。 I came to with her shouting： ‘Get off of me； you monster！ You dirty Forager sleaze！ You're all alike！' She heaved me off her and scrambled up out of the shaft with a nimbleness and speed that surprised me。 By the time I poked my head out； she was nowhere in sight。 But I heard her rummaging around in a nearby pile of mecha scrap； still cursing men in general； me in particular。 When I saw her e up with an oldfashioned automatic rifle； I started having second thoughts about showing myself。 Fortunately； she was only interested in emptying the thing's clip against the already devastated facade of a building across the street。 Then she tossed the depleted thing aside and dove back down into the scrap heap。 Meanwhile； I was wondering what had bee of Scott and whether the Invid would home in on Annie's gunfire。 When I looked over at her again； she was wrestling an antitank weapon up onto her shoulder。〃
〃‘Watch where you point that thing！' I started to warn her。 ‘It might be…'〃
〃And it was。〃
〃The small missile nearly put a center part in my hair； then changed trajectory and detonated against the side of the building。〃
〃A little to the right and she would have connected with the Invid who was just stepping around that same corner。〃
〃I ran for the overturned Cyclone； hopped on； and darted over to pick up Annie； who now had control of the weapon。 She located another missile and launched it against the approaching Shock Trooper。 I backed her up with Scorpions from the front…end launch tubes of the Cyclone； but neither of us managed to connect with a soft spot in the thing's shell； and it kept up its menacing advance。 Annie screamed and made a run for it； not a second before the creature's right claw came down at her； the tip of its bladelike pincer swept the pack from her back and ripped open the jumpsuit neck to waist but left her otherwi