lant on…line again as one of the latter group was passing beneath him。 Curiously； the Invid stopped short； its would…be head rotating upward。
Rand took a sudden； sharp intake of breath…not out of fear but from realization。 Of course！ he told himself。 At the river they stopped when I activated the power cell on my blaster。 And just now。。。
It made sense； but it was time to try an experiment to validate his findings。 He disarmed the power cell； and sure enough； the Invid lost interest and stomped off。 〃Yeah； that's gotta be it；〃 Rand said softly。 He was exhaling pent…up fear when something orange and menacing suddenly dropped on him from the branch above。 His throat refused to utter the scream his guts demanded； but he gave a start nonetheless； raising the weapon like a club； only to realize that it was Annie； upside down and dangling from her knees； carrot…colored hair like an unfurled flag。
〃Were you talking to yourself？〃 she demanded。 〃Were you？ Huh？〃
〃Don't ever sneak up on me！〃 Rand seethed。
Scott； Rook； and Lunk were on the ground now； telling Rand that the coast was clear。 Excitedly； Rand scrambled down out of the tree。
〃I think I know why we've been having so much trouble getting these blasted walking lobsters off our trail；〃 he announced。 He gestured to the weapon's on…line switch。 〃We've been giving ourselves away every time we switch on our Cyclones or our blasters。〃
〃How so？〃 said Lunk。
〃They can detect the bio…energy given off by our Robotech mecha。〃
Lunk helped Annie down from the tree。 〃You could be right；〃 he said to Rand。 〃Back at the river Scott left the panel gauges of his Cyclone on。 They could've homed in on that。〃
〃Right！〃 Rand agreed。
〃It makes sense；〃 said Scott。 It had never been an issue on Tirol； but then； there were a lot of things about Earth that separated it from Tirol。。。
〃Of course it makes sense；〃 Rand was continuing。 〃They thrive on Protoculture； right？ Well； it's like they can smell the stuff； the same way a shark is able to smell blood in the water。〃
〃Charming thought；〃 Rook said distastefully。
Annie laughed。 〃Mr。 Wizard！ You really thought that out by yourself； huh？〃
Rand smiled with elaborate modesty。
〃Sure doesn't happen very often； does it？〃 Rook scoffed。
Rand whirled on her。 〃Yeah？ Besides your looks； what have you contributed lately？〃
Rook's nostrils flared。 〃All right； that does it！ Let's step aside and settle this once and for all！〃
〃You sure you don't just want to get me alone in the bushes？〃 Rand said； smiling and stroking his chin。 〃Admit it…〃
〃Stop it！〃 Scott broke in； silencing the two of them。 〃Arguing among ourselves isn't going to help matters any。 We're supposed to be friends； in case you've forgotten。〃
〃Oh； is that so？〃 Rook said； arms akimbo。 〃Well； I don't remember him ever being a friend of mine；〃 she threw to Rand。
〃Then what the hell are you doing here？〃 Rand barked。 〃I didn't ask you along！ We don't need this kind of nonsense。〃
Rook and Rand faced off defensively。
〃Cool off；〃 Lunk told everyone。 〃There'll be plenty of time to scream at each other later。 But right now we gotta get back to the Alpha。〃
〃Kiss and make up；〃 Annie said to Rand as Lunk walked off。 〃Or at least shake hands。〃
〃Fine with me。〃 Rand shrugged and glared at Rook。 〃But maybe you should ask the lady with the chip on her shoulder！〃
Gradually； in single file； they began to work their way back to the river。 Rook and Rand opened a second front in their war when Rook insisted that something was following them and Rand called her paranoid。 Scott came down on them again and ordered Lunk to walk between them as a buffer。 And it was in this way that the three men managed to avoid the leeches。。。
Scott and Rand heard Annie's scream and turned around in time to see the descent of the mutant worm rain。 They dropped from the forest canopy； instantly attaching themselves to the two girls。
Lunk made a sound of disgust and backed away。 〃There's millions of them！〃
Annie was crying and stamping her feet。 Rook's face was contorted； her body shaking all over。 〃Do something！〃 she screamed to Rand； but he only smiled。 〃You creep！ Get these things off me！〃 She stood paralyzed； as if not knowing where to begin…on her arms； her neck； her face。。。Just then another leech dropped from the trees and landed on her forehead； Rook screamed and collapsed to the ground； wailing and kicking her feet in frustration。
〃Hold still；〃 Scott said； kneeling alongside her and pulling the leeches off Rook's arm。 But Rand stopped him before he had detached more than two or three。 He took Lunk's lit cigarette and touched the lighted end to one of the creatures。
〃Make things hot for them and they'll pop out on their own；〃 he explained as the leech dropped off； sizzling。 〃Pull them off and you end up leaving the sucker intact。〃 Methodically； he moved the cigarette from leech to leech。
〃I tell you； I get a real kick seeing city girls in the country〃 Rand told Scott while he labored。 〃They look so darn cute when they start screaming。〃 He smiled at Rook。 〃You should've seen yourself。。。〃
She made a face； averting her gaze from Rand's handiwork。 〃Can you blame me？ It's disgusting。〃 She shuddered。 〃I hate to break this to you； Daniel Boone； but there's something called civilization out there。 Maybe you've heard of it。〃
Rand snorted。 〃That's where you have crime and filth； right？〃
〃Better than slimy little blood…sucking tree leeches。〃
〃Sourpuss；〃 Rand said； standing up and moving over to Annie。 〃Any leech that gets a good taste of you is gonna swear off human beings forever。〃
Rook stood up； angry at first； then flashing an enigmatic； almost seductive smile。 〃We'll see。。。〃 she said； walking off into the bushes to check for leeches off limits to Rand's search。
They stuck to the forest this time rather than risk showing themselves in the open ground that bordered the river。 Two hours along they stopped to rest below the small falls of a tributary that fed the gorge。 Rand stripped a sapling of twigs and fashioned a fishing rod for himself。 He waded out to a rock midstream and cast in his line。 Scott and the others sat under the trees along the bank。
〃Hey； Rand；〃 Annie taunted him。 〃Do you really think you can catch anything with that funny…looking stick of yours？〃
Rand frowned while everyone had a good laugh。 〃Just you wait；〃 he told them。 〃I'm an expert； and if there's a trout anywhere in this river； it's mine。〃
It was a pleasant spot； full of water sounds； animal life； and cool shade stirred by a gentle breeze。 〃Almost makes you forget where you are；〃 Scott mused。
Rook nodded absently。 〃I know。 I'm starting to feel like we're at a Boy Scout picnic。〃
Rand meanwhile was addressing his would…be catch； when something small and mean hit him on the head。 He looked around and found Lunk crouched on the limb of an overhanging tree。 〃Hey； what's the idea？〃 Rand started to ask。
〃Invid。。。〃 Lunk said softly； cupping his hands to his mouth。
Scott； Annie； and Rook took to the cover of the brush。 Rand was looking around for a place to hide when he noticed the line stretched taut。 He grabbed hold of the anchored pole； ignoring Scott's orders to abandon the fish。 It had to be a five…pounder at least； and he wasn't about to let it go。 Even so； he could sense the ground…shaking approach of the Trooper。 He pulled hard and saw the rainbow break water； it was bigger than he had thought。 The Invid's cloven footfalls were increasing； Rand gave a mighty tug and brought the fish up。 But just then the line snapped。 At the same time the Trooper appeared through the trees。
Deciding it might behoove him to be the one that got away； Rand dropped the pole and dived from the rock。
Lunk was still in the tree； standing now； his back flattened against the trunk； when the Trooper passed。 A second Trooper lumbered into view an instant later。 Peering from the bushes； his H…90 raised； Scott saw that the two were headed toward the falls。 Rand was nowhere to be seen。
Unless one happened to be a fish。
Running short on breath when the first Invid hit the water； Rand had propelled himself downstream； hugging the rocky bottom； only to run into another pair of armored legs。 His lungs were on fire； threatening to implode； but surfacing wouldn't necessarily improve the situation any。 He swallowed hard； sensing a darkness creeping into the edges of his vision。。。
The two Troopers stopped in the middle of the river and swung their sensors through a 360…degree scan。 Concerned for Rand's safety； Scott ran from cover when the Invid had crossed the stream and moved off into the woods on the opposite bank。
Lunk dived in； and found his panion unconscious on the river bottom； arms still locked around the boulder he had hugged to keep himself submerged。 He brought him up and laid him facedown on the bank； then straddled him and carefully began to use his big hands to pump water from Rand's lungs。
〃Is he going to be all right？〃 Annie asked。
Scott nodded。 〃He just passed out。〃
Rand's color started to return； and he coughed up a few mouthfuls of water。 Softly； Rook called his name。
Rand straightened up with an energy that surprised all of them； knocking an unsuspecting