C.P. Lew has lived in South East Asia for a total of fifteen years, and for the past ten, has worked in an assistance project upgrading medical care in province and district hospitals. She enjoys studying Asian languages, attending Buddhist ceremonies, and letting her neighbors study her. "Invasion by Birds" is her first published story.

As soon as she arrived, Satonia called the Children, but none approached their Mother. She could see them in the distance, small flying objects playing in the sky.

"I don't understand what happened," Satonia said. Jemp, the robot, had not moved since they arrived, having immediately attached itself to an audio-visual unit in the room. A human female sat cross-legged with her hands clasped in front of her.

Satonia called again. Some Children altered their flight, passing by the window. One sang out the word, "Wonder." Another flew by the window, whistling complicated series of syllables: "Worms and bugs."

"We programmed them to talk. Now they speak only a few senseless words."

Jemp disengaged itself from the recording unit and floated towards Satonia. "They are called birds." He dipped towards the human female, whose hands were clasped in front of her as she followed on her knees. "These humans are in control."

"This is the dominant species?"

"There are more powerful and dangerous ones, not like this girl. She is an outcast, who can neither hear nor speak."

"But what happened to the people that Merguot programmed?"

"That was about 100,000 years ago in local time. Evolution rushes here."

"We should have followed-up sooner. My children have regressed."

The girl tapped Satonia's foot, showing her a brown rectangular shape, from which she broke off tiny pieces and placed them on the window sill. Several birds landed on the sill and pecked at the crumbs. A few jumped to the floor, chirping the words, "Bread" and "Good stomach."

Jemp said, "From the news that I monitored, I calculate that humans will destroy this world within five years."

Satonia flared out her sensory net to try to communicate with the girl. First the girl recoiled with fright, then leaned forward as she understood.

"She wants me to save this world, even though she is treated badly here."

Jemp said, "I will miss you."

Satonia said, "You know what you have to do." She sat at a small table and meditated while Jemp prepared the concentrators and solutions.

The girl gently handed a bird to Satonia. Its tiny heart fluttered as it chirped, "Fear." Satonia pulled a feeder line from her chest and injected her life into each of the birds. The girl stroked each bird before sending it out the window.

Satonia injected thousands of birds until she had nearly exhausted herself. She looked at the girl, who lowered her head as Satonia injected her. As the girl fell, Satonia turned into a cloud of dust.

When the girl awoke, Jemp helped her to stand. She smoothed her feathers. "My name is Maton," she whistled in high notes. Birds responded to her call, rushing through the windows, flying in a whirlwind of colors and sounds. They sang of philosophy and peace, of hyperspace mathematics and bending the fabric of the universe. They had flown many places and had gathered ideas.

Maton instructed them to engulf the world.