It took all of her nerve just to say that word. Whatever that horror she had confronted at Colony, the name of The Garden would not be shaken off, even though she could not remember. But she saw it made Lewis uneasy to think about it and she would be damned if she would ease anything for him.

Lewis was obviously shaken by the sudden reference to The Garden. It meant Scream Room to him, too. She could see the questions forming behind his eyes: How much does she know? Why isn’t she afraid? She refused to allow herself the luxury of fear. Let him see that much. Until she herself remembered what had happened, she would not allow anyone else to capitalize on her experience there.

“Yes,” he said, his voice almost hushed, “of course. The Garden. You can relax there until Morgan comes. This way.”

Lewis led Legata through the finished parts of the resort and into the main dwelling, a mammoth structure carved entirely out of the mottled stone of the mountainside and lined with plasteel. She turned at the entryway and looked back over the grounds and out across the sea.

“This hatchway opens to Morgan’s quarters. The study, library and cubby are all in this unit. Further back are the meeting and dining areas, all of that. I’ll take you through them if you like.”

She watched the pulse of waves explode against the seawall ahead of them and imagined she could hear the slap and crash of the water through the insulating plaz.

“Legata?”

“Yes. I mean, no, you don’t have to guide me. I’d like to be alone.”

“Very well.” Lewis spoke abruptly, “Morgan said that you are to be comfortable. I suggest you check with me before wandering around. You may need a sentry for some of the more exposed areas. It’s still early and I’m not due back at Colony until after midmeal. Call if you need me.”

With that, the hatch hissed shut and she was alone.

Once more, she looked at the sea. It tumbled away forever, drawing her consciousness outward, reaching.

There’s a power here that even Morgan can’t buy, she thought, and fought back the temptation to run past the plazzed-in trees, the flowers, and the pond, past the stream meandering through the grasses, past the protection of the compound itself and into the wild sea air of Pandora. Then she noticed the kelp. The great masses of it which had glutted the beaches and the bay outside the Redoubt were reduced to a few isolated clumps and some long, serpentine tendrils undulating at the surface. Lewis’ doing! A sudden sadness filled her eyes with tears and she whispered aloud to the kelp, “I hope they’re wrong. I hope you make it.”

She caught a movement out of the comer of her eye and turned to see two clones working on the tower at the shuttle station.