Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda by Simon R. Green

Author:Simon R. Green [Green, Simon R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

Soon enough, the rebel fleet pulled away from Mistworld, joined by a strange collection of very individual Mistworlder ships. Silence asked Lewis where they were heading next, and Lewis’s answer upset almost everyone. Shandrakor, he said, and everyone else said Oh, shit, in varying disgusted, appalled, and terribly distressed ways. Everyone had heard of the legendary planet of monsters. No one went to Shandrakor by choice, unless they were suffering from a very serious death wish. Jesamine and Brett found themselves in agreement for perhaps the first time in their lives, saying Why? in pretty much the same dismayed tone of voice. Rose, predictably, was the only one who seemed pleased at the prospect.

“Trust me, Lewis,” Silence said heavily, “everyone is already seriously impressed that you and your companions survived one journey through the deadly jungles of Shandrakor. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“Though it is just the sort of thing a Deathstalker would do,” said Captain Price, and the rest of the bridge crew nodded respectfully.

“You’re not helping, Price,” said Silence. “Lewis, what is to be gained by going there? The world has no ships, weapons, or even people to add to our cause. You said yourself there was nothing worth salvaging from the old crash-landed Standing. All Shandrakor has is monsters . . . Oh. Oh, no . . .”

“Oh, yes, Admiral,” said Lewis.

“I do feel I should point out,” Price said diffidently, “that every hour we spend not heading towards Logres does give the usurper Finn that much extra time to prepare for battle. It would be a shame to throw away what little advantage we’ve got.”

“We’re going to Shandrakor,” said Lewis. “I gave them my word.”

“To monsters?” said Silence.

“Many of them were human once,” said Lewis, locking Silence’s gaze with his own. “Some of them still remember. Do you remember, John Silence? Were you part of the decision to take all those made into monsters by Lionstone or Shub, all those poor unfortunates, and just dump them among all the other monsters on Shandrakor? To leave them there, so they could be forgotten?”

“Robert and Constance made the decision,” said Silence. “And I . . . went along with it. There was no way of curing or restoring them. Relocating them to Shandrakor seemed kinder than just killing them all.”

“Excuse me,” said Captain Price. “But what are you talking about?”

“One of the Golden Age’s nastier secrets,” said Lewis. “Back when the rogue AIs of Shub were still the official enemies of Humanity, they routinely captured and experimented on humans, making them over into monstrosities in their secret laboratories. Sometimes for information, sometimes as part of their psychological warfare. And sometimes the Empress Lionstone the Fourteenth ordered the same thing done in her secret laboratories, in her search for new weapons, or just for the fun of it. And then there was the Mater Mundi, trying to turn espers into super-espers and failing as often as not. So when the Great Rebellion was finally over, and

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