"The plants! They're attacking!"
With a shout, the ex-spaceman rushed to the parapet, dragging Tamis
with him.
The Ganelon girl's ivory cheeks were flushed and she held tight to
Thorp's hand as she leaned over the parapet.
Priscilla's green eyes widened. "The Ganelons! They've set the nigel
trees onto the rebels."
Joel nodded.
"Oh, Joel! Then you did get through to the Thinkers!" She threw her
arms around his neck. Suddenly she drew back. "But are we safe here?"
Tamis said, "My people are directing the trees. We're safe. So are your
father and the other captives."
Priscilla let herself go limp in Joel's arms, nestled her head on his
shoulder.
Beneath them the sea of vegetation flooded down the streets, swarmed
over the buildings.
"The new Eden," said Joel. He glanced down into Priscilla's upturned
face. What he saw there set his pulse racing. He had come a long way,
he realized, from the dissatisfied specialist in animal husbandry.
He had come a long way, but it was only the beginning.