Deathstalker Return

  Could Owen be sleeping somewhere on Unseeli? Was that why the Ashrai guarded it so jealously?

  Except according to the Dust Plains of Memory, it was Carrion and not Owen who'd flown with the dragons, who were really the Ashrai. Lewis had to wonder what else the story might have got wrong, and whether his Deathstalker name really did have the currency with the Ashrai that he hoped.

  The Hereward dropped out of hyperspace at a very respectable distance, and approached Unseeli slowly and cautiously, sending very respectful messages ahead of them. There was no reply, but they achieved high orbit unmolested, and Lewis started breathing again. It had been so long since anything had gone right in his life that he'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Rose hauled Brett out from under his chair, while Jesamine checked the ship's sensors, just on the off chance, but they weren't operating. Diagnostics said there was nothing wrong with the systems; they just weren't picking up anything. Lewis called up what little was known about Unseeli and put it on the main viewscreen so they could all study it. He interpreted the data aloud, as much to hear himself think as anything.

  "Conditions are tolerable for human life," he said. "Which is just as well, as we don't have any hard suits or full body force shields. Air is breathable, though there's some unusual trace elements, and the temperature is… well, hot and sweaty, basically. Gravity's a bit heavier than we're used to, but not by much… which is odd, given the sheer size of the planet. It ought to be a lot heavier… still, that's Unseeli for you. Never what you expect. As you can see, there's only the one continent, and no oceans. No freestanding water at all, that I can see. And the metallic forest stretches from pole to pole… damn, some of those metal trees are so tall they actually pierce the upper layers of the atmosphere! I've never seen anything like this…"

  "No one has," Jesamine said softly. "Unseeli is unique, in all the

  Empire. Trees of gold and silver and brass, and every other metal you can think of, with cores of heavy metals that used to be mined for starship drives. There's never been a human colony here, not even back in the most gung ho days of Lionstone's reign. People couldn't live here. It was just too alien."

  "And this is where you expect to find the man called Carrion?" said Brett. "In a place where no human could stand to live? Who's to say he's still alive anyway, after two hundred years?"

  "He went through the Madness Maze, and came out transformed," said Jesamine.

  "Supposedly," said Rose. She was studying the viewscreen intently, as though searching out a new opponent's weaknesses.

  "I'm surprised we haven't detected any power sources, at least," said Lewis. "This close, nothing should be able to block our sensors. There was supposed to be an old mining base here, but I'm not even getting a homing beacon. God alone knows how I'm going to land this ship."

  "You're not," said the ship's AI. "That's my job. You just find me an open space, and I'll put this ship down as gently as a leaf falling from a tree—only without the ups and downs and spiraling around that usually accompanies a falling leaf. Not really a good metaphor, after all. Just forget I ever said anything. Gosh, is that the time? I've got important synapses to file."

  "You know, given time and sufficient motivation, I'm pretty sure I could rip out his entire personality," said Brett.

  "I'll bear that in mind," said Lewis.

  Try the comm again," said Jesamine. "If Carrion is down there, he must know we're here by now—if he is what he's supposed to be. Use the name again, sweetie. It's the only calling card we have."

  Lewis fired up the comm panels again, though if the old mining base was actually offline, he wasn't sure what or who might be receiving him. "This is Lewis Deathstalker, aboard the Hereward. We do not represent the Empire. I need to speak most urgently with the man called Carrion. Please respond."

  They waited, listening intently to the empty hissing of dead air. Brett stirred uneasily.

  "If there really was a base here, its systems should have come back online automatically, once it heard us. Even after two hundred years."

  "Something could have happened to it," said Jesamine. "There are some strange stones about Base Thirteen…"

  "Base Thirteen!" said Brett. "I knew coming here was a bad idea. That's it. Let me out of here. I'll walk home."

  "Don't tempt me," said Lewis.

  "This is Carrion," a voice said suddenly, breaking through the static. It was a harsh, rasping voice, almost too deep to be human, with strange, unsettling undertones. "Been a long time since I answered to that name. You've come a long way, Deathstalker, and only your name buys you this much welcome. Humans are not needed or wanted here. You are the enemy, and always will be. Give me one good reason why we shouldn't just rip your ship apart around you."

  "Give him a good reason!" yelped Brett.

  "Calm down, Random, or I'll have Saturday sit on you." Lewis thought for a moment, considering his options. "Hello, Sir Carrion. I am Lewis Deathstalker, a descendant of the blessed Owen, and I ask your help in his name. Like him, I have been unjustly outlawed, and am pursued by evil men. My four companions and I request permission to land and discuss the situation with you. Much has changed in the Empire. All of Humanity, and your world too, are under threat. The Terror has finally found us."

  "You're just full of good news, aren't you, Deathstalker," said the voice. "Just like your ancestor. Very well. I grant you permission to land. I will meet with you. There's no starport or landing pads, but there is a clearing where you can put your ship down, not far from Base Thirteen. I'll join you there. Don't go wandering off, or I can't guarantee your safety. The Ashrai have no love for Humanity. Still… it will be interesting to speak with a Deathstalker again."

  The communication shut off abruptly, and that was it. Lewis shut down the comm panels, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the others.

  "That was one seriously spooky voice," said Brett. "Sent chills up and down my spine."

  "A mouse in a bad temper could put the wind up you," said Jesamine. "But still… Lewis, are you sure this Carrion is human?"

  Lewis shrugged. "He was. But he went through the Madness Maze, and he's lived alone with the Ashrai for two centuries. He's hardly going to sound like the guy next door, is he? I'm more concerned about landing safely. Oz?"

  "Still here. Still underappreciated," said the AI. "It might interest you to know that the sensors have suddenly started working again, and no, I don't know how or why. I've pinpointed Base Thirteen, and the clearing's location. The Hereward has quite excellent navigation systems. I could put this ship down on a single credit piece, and give you change."

  "How far is the clearing from the base?" said Rose.

  "Oh, walking distance, easy. Do you all good to get some healthy exercise, after being cooped up in here. No obvious dangers. I mean, apart from the Ashrai. The sensors can't seem to make head nor tail of what they are, apart from uncomfortably large. And there's lots of them, everywhere. No obvious natural hazards… nothing much except trees, actually. So, what do you think, Lewis? Do we go for it?"

  "Take us down, Oz," said Lewis.

  "Yes, sir!" said the AI enthusiastically. "Down to Unseeli! On, to death or glory! A Deathstalker has come to parlay!"

  "We're all going to die," said Brett.

  The Hereward dived into the planet's atmosphere, plunging down through the heavy cloud layers, and threaded an expert path between the tops of the tallest trees. It was a short and surprisingly smooth trip, and Oz set them down expertly in the designated clearing. He was almost unbearably cocky about it until Lewis threatened to rip out his voice circuits, and then he sulked. Lewis tried running the sensors again, and the limited data scrolling across the viewscreen seemed straightforward enough. He still made the others wait till he'd finished before he allowed them to disembark. There had to be some reason why even Lionstone's Empire had never colonized Unseeli.

  In the end, there was nothing left but to shrug uneasily several times and insist on being first out of the
airlock. He stepped out into the Ashrai world, his hands conspicuously away from his weapons, half braced for some unknown blow or attack, but it never came. The air was still and hot, and had a sharp smoky scent to it. Silence lay across the clearing like some heavy enveloping blanket, as though someone was listening. But Lewis hardly noticed any of it, because all he could look at was the trees. They filled his eyes and his mind; the huge glowing metal trees of Unseeli. They stretched away in all directions, farther than the eye could follow, and soared up into the clouds high above. Magnificent trees of unburnished metal, that had never known leaf or bud. Gold and silver and brass, verdant and azure, shining bright and clean, with needle-sharp branches thrusting out from smooth and perfectly circular trunks. So many towering metal trees, like nails hammered into the planet by God himself. In Lionstone's day they had been mined and processed almost to extinction, but the forest was restored in its entirety by the blessed Owen. Or so it was said.

  One by one, the rest of the crew of the Hereward disembarked. Rose had to drag Brett out. For a while they all stood close together, awed and numbed by what they saw and felt. There was a strange, fresh energy to this world, a vitality that stirred the blood and called to ancient instincts. A primal strength and vigor that was very different from the tamer, more civilized worlds of the Empire. This was not a safe place. Anything could happen here. It felt like being present at the dawn of Creation, when all the worlds were new. It felt… like coming home.

  They all had some kind of smile on their faces, even Rose, though she would have been hard pressed to say why. They might have stood there forever, but as always Jesamine was the first to break away. She stepped slowly forward, her head cocked slightly to one side.

  "Listen… I can hear… can you hear that? What is that?"

  Lewis frowned, moving forward to join her. "I hear… something, but don't ask me what. It's like trying to see something out of the corner of your eye… What is it?"

  "It's a song," said Jesamine. "A song that is more than a song. It's coming from… everywhere. Everything. Lewis, I think the trees are singing…"

  "I think you've been at the medicine cabinet as well," said Brett. "I can't hear any song. I can't hear anything. Just as well, really; the only songs I know all have mucky words. This whole place is quiet as a tomb, and I do wish I hadn't said that. Come on, people, snap out of it. This is a seriously weird place we've come to. No wildlife, no birds, not even any insects. Nothing but us and these oversized coffin nails. This isn't natural; no wonder no one ever wanted to live here. I am feeling nervous, upset, not even a little bit happy, and more than a little threatened, and I say we get the hell out of here right now. Please."

  "Shut up, Brett," Lewis said automatically.

  Brett scowled about him. He could hear something. He wasn't sure whether he was hearing it with his ears or his esp, but either way, it didn't sound at all like a song to him.

  "Trees," said Rose. "Quiet. Hot. Boring. Bring on the Ashrai."

  "They're not far away," said Saturday, his long spiked tail lashing slowly behind him. "I can feel their presence. Their watching eyes."

  "Then why doesn't someone drop in and say 'Hello, and welcome'?" said Jesamine, just a little tartly. "We're the first human visitors they've allowed in centuries. I didn't expect a welcoming committee, but…"

  "They know we're here," said Lewis. "They're still deciding what to do about us."

  Brett looked at him sharply. "I didn't know you had a touch of esp, Sir Deathstalker."

  I don't," said Lewis. "It's just warrior's instinct. Watch your step, people. Be polite. Don't break anything. We're only here on sufferance. Base Thirteen should be about thirty minutes' walk… that way. Let's go."

  Shouldn't someone stay to guard the ship?" Brett said immediately. "I'll volunteer."

  "You want to stay here all on your own?" said Lewis. "You're braver than I thought. Anything could happen here, while we're all gone."

  "I think I'd better stick with you," said Brett. "God knows what kind of trouble you could get into without my devious, suspicious instincts there to protect you."

  "You're so good to us," said Jesamine.

  They set off through the narrow, unerringly straight pathways that led between the endless rows of thick-boled trees. Lewis led the way, with Jesamine at his side. Rose strolled casually along behind them, with Brett tucked in close beside her. Saturday brought up the rear. The reptiloid seemed cheerful enough—not all that interested in the metallic forest, but looking around hopefully, on the off chance that something small and defenseless might turn up so he could hunt and kill and eat it. Above or perhaps behind the relentless quiet, the unheard song—if song it was—faded away, and the only sound now in the metallic forest was the quiet rasping of boots on the dull gray forest floor.

  The heavier gravity pulled painfully at their muscles, and the sticky heat grew more oppressive the longer they walked. Lewis had a growing feeling that coming to Unseeli had been a serious misjudgement on his part. The metallic forest was a spectacular sight, but so far he hadn't seen anything that would serve to refill their seriously depleted stores. Nothing to eat and nothing to drink. And yet you couldn't call this a dead world, like some he'd visited. The whole planet pulsed with vital energies. If Owen really had recreated this world, he'd done a hell of a job. The sensation of being watched by unfriendly eyes continued to nag at him, like an itch he couldn't scratch. And it bothered him that he couldn't see the sun or the sky. The overhead cloud layer was too thick, allowing only an eerie general diffused illumination. It made judging distances and directions acutely difficult, and only his comm link with the yacht's sensors kept him on course. All around him, the towering trees glowed brightly, like so many multicolored suns. It was like walking in a dream.

  After a while, they all walked in silence. None of them had anything particularly vital to say or report, and the eerie nature of the place discouraged casual conversation. It felt as though they were walking through some immense work of nature, writ large and triumphant, and man was a very small thing indeed. The heavier gravity weighed down even their spirits, and they were all soaked in sweat from the effort and the heat. Not all that surprising, Jesamine was the first to complain.

  "I shouldn't have to put up with this. Why couldn't we have landed right next to the base? I'm tired, my back aches and my feet aren't talking to me. We should have brought a gravity sled! It's been years since I had to walk this far, and I hated it then. Look, why don't I take a rest break here, while you—"

  "No," Lewis said immediately. "I'm not splitting up the party. I want you all where I can see you, and that very definitely includes you, Brett. We're stronger and safer together. So suck it up, Jes, and keep up the pace. You're doing well. The sooner we get to Base Thirteen, the sooner we can all rest."

  Jesamine sniffed loudly, and kept going. The trees moved slowly past, only the size and the colors changing, and it was hard to tell how far they'd come or how much farther there was left to go. Jesamine started muttering under her breath, and when that didn't get her anywhere, began to whine and complain out loud again. Lewis commiserated but was firm with her. In the end, she lurched to a halt and threw a full-fledged temper tantrum. She stamped her foot on the hard gray ground, waved her arms around, cried loud angry tears, and positively refused to go a step further. Lewis and Brett looked at each other, embarrassed. Jesamine had been a star too long, used to people being ready and willing to do all the unpleasant things in life for her. Lewis tried being reasonable. He pointed out that they were closer to the base now than the ship, so they might as well go on, and she'd really feel better if she just kept moving… all to no avail. Jesamine just wept bitterly, said he didn't love her anymore, and refused to take another step. So Rose stepped forward, and looked Jesamine right in the eye. The star and diva shut up immediately.

  "We're going on," said Rose Constantine. "You can stay here on your own, unprotected, or you can come with us. But if you start whinin
g again, I'll hurt you. Got it?"

  Jesamine wanted to say How dare you talk to me like that? How dare you threaten me? Don't you know who I am? but she knew none of that mattered a damn to the Wild Rose of the Arena. She looked uncertainly at Lewis. "You wouldn't really leave me behind, would you, sweetie? You wouldn't let her hit me? Would you, Lewis?"

  "Jes," Lewis said quietly, "I am only a moment away from making you walk in front so I can kick your arse if you slow us down. This kind of behavior isn't worthy of you. So stop complaining and move. It's no harder for you than the rest of us. You always said you were a good trouper. Time to prove it."

  Jesamine stuck out her lower lip. "You're sleeping on the floor tonight, Deathstalker."

  As it turned out, it was only another ten minutes or so before the metal trees fell suddenly away on all sides, and they emerged into a clearing. In the center of the wide open space stood half a dozen tall metal statues. They were twice the height of a man, and the gleaming shapes made no sense at all, though they somehow felt as though they ought to. Light gleamed along their smooth curves that turned and twisted in uncertain directions. Lewis walked slowly up to the nearest statue and studied it carefully. It didn't help.

  "Ashrai sculpture," said Brett, peering past Lewis's shoulder. "I've heard of it, but usually you only see stuff like this in specialized and very expensive catalogs. I doubt there's a dozen pieces of Ashrai art in human hands throughout the Empire. Supposedly the Ashrai sculpt these things out of the metal trees using nothing but their minds."

  "And you can only really appreciate them by touching them," said Jesamine. "They were meant to be felt, not seen. The Ashrai don't see the world the way the rest of us do. I've been trying to acquire even a small piece for years."

  "I really don't feel like touching that," said Lewis, and the others nodded.

  "Forget the alien porn," said Brett. "Dump it all out, and fill the cargo bay with these. We could manage two, maybe even three… Sweet Jesus, we could sell them on Mistworld for more credits than even I usually dream of. We'd be set up for life!"