"All right, you've got me. Just get my father to a hospital, and I'll surrender peacefully."
"We have orders for your arrest," said the officer in charge. "We have other orders for your father."
He strode over to William, checked his condition, and then shot him in the heart at point-blank range. Douglas cried out in shock and horror, and ran back to his father, shoving the officer out of the way. The guards turned their guns on him, but the officer stopped them with a gesture. Douglas sat down beside his dead father, took the body in his arms, and rocked it gently back and forth. He cried harsh, helpless tears. And that was how James found him when he arrived.
"Had to be done, Douglas," said James, standing over the two of them. "He knew too much. And if he couldn't be used to control you, then he didn't really serve any purpose anymore. So I gave the order. Yes, me—I'm running this show. My chance to impress Finn, you see. My real father, you might say. And with William gone—and you soon to follow—I'll be the last Campbell. I will be King. Only right, after all. I always was your superior, Douglas. Oh, you'd be surprised at some of the things I can do. You never stood a chance."
While he was still talking, Douglas shot him in the face. The energy beam ripped away James's mocking smile, along with the rest of his features and the top of his head. James was dead before he hit the ground. The guards jumped Douglas and wrestled the gun away from him. They'd just started to give him a good kicking when Finn arrived and made them stop. He knelt beside the bloodied Douglas, regarded William's dead body, and James's, and shook his head.
"Nice try, Douglas. But now it's all over. You will stand trial for the murder of Treasure Mackenzie, your brother James, and your father William. By the time I'm through with you, the people will be howling for you to be hanged in public." He stood up and gestured to the guards. "Take him to Traitor's Hall. And see he's guarded properly, this time."
The guards dragged Douglas away. Finn looked down at James's faceless body. "You'll be more use to me as a martyr than you ever were alive, James. And I never meant for you to be King anyway. That was always going to be mine."
CHAPTER SEVEN
PAST THE PALE HORIZON
Still safe in the depths of hyperspace, the starship Hereward headed reluctantly towards the enigmatic planet of Haden. Absolutely no one on board the commandeered smuggler's ship was happy about where they were going—for varied but usually pretty good reasons—but still they headed for Haden like lambs to the slaughter. Some of them because they felt it was their duty, or their destiny, or perhaps simply because there was nowhere else left for them to go. Just as once before, the whole Empire was threatened by an insane will, but this time there was no rebel alliance, no armies or starcruisers; just two men, two women, and a reptiloid. Their only hope of becoming powerful enough to take down Finn Durandal and his forces lay in drinking from the poisoned chalice that was the Madness Maze. It wasn't long till Haden now, and so the small group gathered together on the Hereward's bridge to wait out the last few minutes until they could drop out of hyper and back into standard space, and finally approach the world whose very name had become a synonym for Hell.
None of them had much to say. Lewis Deathstalker and Jesamine Flowers sat side by side before the control panels, holding hands, finding comfort in each other's presence. Brett Random and Rose Constantine were slouching against the steel bulkheads on opposite sides of the bridge, ostentatiously not talking to each other. And the reptiloid Saturday was sulking at the back, for reasons best known to herself. They all watched the constantly changing readings on the main viewscreen, on and off, feeling the tension slowly mount. For good or bad, for all their travels and encounters and adventures, their journey was finally coming to an end. Whatever happened down on Haden, whatever they found in the Madness Maze—or whatever found them—they all knew that what came next would change everything. Their lives would never be the same again. If they survived at all.
There was a barely perceptible lurch as the Hereward dropped out of hyperspace, and the universe was back. The planet Haden appeared on the viewscreen: a dull, gray, colorless world, its details hidden behind constantly shifting atmospheric conditions. It was the only planet in its system, orbiting an artificial star. Lewis looked at Haden, and could feel it looking back at him. His skin crawled. Moving into orbit around Haden felt like sneaking up to knock on the door of a haunted house. The main difference being that Haden's ghosts were restless, alien, and horribly dangerous. There were good reasons why Haden was the most severely quarantined planet in the Empire.
Ten thousand good reasons, to be exact. The number of men and women who'd died horribly trying to penetrate the mysteries of the Madness Maze.
"Look," Brett said abruptly, "can I just point out that it's still not too late for us all to have a collective rush of sanity to the head, and go somewhere else? Anywhere else. Going to Haden voluntarily is like kicking a lion in the balls and then sticking your head in its mouth. While wearing a very tasty barbecue sauce."
"Brett has a good point," said Rose. "It's unusual, I'll admit, but he does have a point."
"Don't think you can get around me with flattery," said Brett. "I'm still not talking to you. And stay out of my head!"
"Trust me," said Rose. "I wouldn't go in there on a bet."
"I can't believe we're actually here," said Jesamine, squeezing Lewis's hand painfully hard as she stared at the viewscreen. "I mean, Haden! This is where nightmares go when they feel in need of a good shock to the system. I've got a really bad feeling about this. Nothing good comes from Haden anymore. And certainly nothing good can come of trying to enter the Madness Maze."
"You don't have to go in," said Lewis. "I'm the only one who has to go in."
"None of us have to do anything," Jesamine said sharply. "We still have options. Not very good ones, admittedly, but… I don't like this, Lewis. Haden is the place where everyone's luck runs out."
"I've been saying that all along," said Brett. "But of course no one ever listens to me."
"Shut up, Brett," said Lewis. See?
"Do we have a plan?" said Rose. "Just as a matter of general interest. I love plans."
"We'll try sneaking past the defenses, and if that doesn't work, we fight," said Lewis. "No doubt followed by lots of running and shooting and screaming, and a whole lot of off-the-cuff improvisation. Generally, feel free to shoot anything that isn't us."
"Ah," said Rose. "The usual."
Brett scowled heavily, and leaned back against the steel bulkhead with his arms folded tightly across his chest, sulking as loudly as his body language could manage. Everything was going wrong. At best, the Madness Maze would turn out to be a trap baited by Finn Durandal, bad cess to the man, at worst… Brett didn't even want to think about how appallingly bad things could get. On top of that, most of the food and drink they'd picked up on Lachrymae Christi was gone, and they were back to recycling, protein cubes, and distilled water. And there wasn't anything of an even faintly medicinal nature left anywhere on the ship for him to drink, snort, or swallow. Brett was certain of that, because he'd looked really hard. He needed a little something. Just being around Rose freaked him out big time these days.
Ever since he'd discovered that the mental link his esp had forged between him and Rose worked both ways—so that she was influencing him just as he was influencing her—Brett couldn't even trust his own thoughts and feelings anymore. All that fighting and swordsmanship definitely wasn't him. He might be a cowardly, unreliable, self-centered reprobate, but he was used to that. He knew where he stood. But now when Rose was around, he found himself doing all manner of violent, adventurous, and downright dangerous things. Like standing his ground and fighting the bad guys, instead of doing the sensible thing and legging it for the nearest horizon. Brett resented anything that threatened to interfere with his finely tuned sense of self-preservation. Even worse, Rose seemed to find the whole process highly amusing. He glared across the bridge at her, and she gazed cal
mly back, an angel of death in bloodred leathers.
And she kept wanting to talk about sex…
"I don't know what you're so upset about," said Rose. "You were happy enough for me to change, to become more like you. Why shouldn't it work both ways?"
"Because I'm the sane one!" snapped Brett.
"That's a matter of opinion," said Jesamine.
"Of course I'm sane! I am incredibly sane and focused, because there's not a damn thing left on this ship to help me feel otherwise!"
"Is that why you snorted the last of my face powder?" said Jesamine.
Brett shuddered. "Don't remind me. I coughed so hard I thought I was going to turn my lungs inside out."
Jesamine dismissed him with one of her best cutting looks, and turned her attention back to Lewis. The Deathstalker was still studying the approaching planet, his ugly face set in grim, determined lines. He was still holding her hand, but absently, as though he'd forgotten it was there. Jesamine felt a cold hand close around her heart, in a sharp frisson of foreboding. Whatever happened down on Haden, she knew it was really his show now. The rest of them were just there for the ride.
The Madness Maze was Deathstalker business.
"The Maze scares you, doesn't it?" he said suddenly, not looking around.
"Of course it scares me, Lewis. It always has. Not just because it ate up and spat out the last ten thousand people to go in, but because… because even when Owen and his people went in and came out again, they weren't who they were anymore. The Madness Maze remade them, rewrote them. It destroys who you are, in order to make you into someone, or something, else. Something that isn't human anymore. And it doesn't matter whether you look at the legend or the history—being superhuman didn't make Owen or any of the others happy."
"Owen did it out of duty," said Lewis. "For the sake of all Humanity, To save the Empire from those who would destroy it. Can I do any less, and still be a Deathstalker?"
"But why does it have to be you, Lewis?"
He finally turned and looked at her, smiling easily, his eyes kind but firm. "I could not love thee half so much, loved I not honor more."
"Owen only says that in the opera Deathstalker's Lament" said Jesamine. "I doubt he ever said anything so pompous in real life. Remember what happened to him, Lewis—and to Hazel d'Ark, and Jack Random and Ruby Journey. None of them lived to see the Golden Age they fought so hard for."
"But we did. Because of them, the Golden Age existed." Lewis sighed heavily, and let go of her hand. "This is our last chance, Jes, our last throw of the dice. By entering the Maze we can make ourselves into marvelous weapons, to throw against Finn and his forces, and maybe even the Terror too. We can change the course of history, just as my ancestor did. We can become magnificent, and shine like suns.
"What's this we crap?" said Brett. "You're not getting me anywhere near the Madness Maze. I am excused from suicide missions. I've got a note."
"Well, maybe it won't come to that," said Lewis, looking back at the image of Haden on the main viewscreen. "There's always the chance we'll find directions or a map or something to lead us to Owen down there. And then none of us will have to brave the Maze."
"You still think there's a chance we'll find him?" said Jesamine.
Something in her voice made Brett's ears prick up, and he pushed himself away from the bulkhead and glared at Jesamine suspiciously. "Hold everything. Is there perchance something you two haven't been meaning to tell the rest of us? Something you know about Owen, and we don't?"
"Shut up, Brett," said Lewis, not unkindly.
Saturday shifted restlessly at the back of the bridge. She was curled up into as small a space as an eight-foot-tall reptiloid could manage, the end of her tail actually wrapped around her neck, but she couldn't seem to find any position that was comfortable for more than a few minutes. She'd taken to grinding her teeth together, and the noise was getting on everyone's nerves, though of course no one was dumb enough to say so. Whatever it was that was upsetting her, she'd made it very clear she didn't want to talk about it. Brett couldn't help glancing at the gouges her claws had made in the steel floor. Rose caught him looking at them, and gave him a smile that was very nearly mischievous.
"Don't worry, Brett. If she starts feeling amorous, I'll protect you."
"Thank you, Rose. Things are never so bad that you can't come up with an even worse alternative. And I'm still not talking to you."
"You're cute when you're angry," said Rose.
"Oh, God," said Brett. "Someone shoot me now, and put me out of everyone's misery."
"Don't tempt me," said Jesamine.
"I need to kill something!" Saturday said suddenly, and everyone turned round and gave her their full attention. The reptiloid uncurled and stood up, jerking her great head down at the last moment to avoid bumping it on the ceiling and denting the steel again. "I was just starting to enjoy myself on Shandrakor, when you made me stop. My body is raging with a whole new set of hormones, and I've no one to take it out on! There had better be a whole bunch of Finn's people down there on Haden. I need action! I need fighting and slaughter! I need to rip my way through the enemy and soak my arms in blood up to the elbows. I need to bite people's heads off and do terrible things with their insides."
"Being female hasn't mellowed you at all, has it?" said Brett.
"How long before we can achieve orbit, Oz?" said Lewis, and everybody shut up to listen to the answer.
"We're almost there!" the ship's AI said cheerfully. Of all the ship's crew, Ozymandias was the only one who didn't seem at all bothered by Haden. Probably because as the ship's AI, he was the only one who didn't have to worry about going into the Madness Maze. "Orbit should be achieved in ten minutes. Maybe less! I'm just a navigating fool, and no one appreciates me. God, being here brings back memories. Of course, Haden was quite different back in Owen's day. I understand they've done amazing things with terraforming here. Tarted the old place up a bit, but you know how it is."
"Save the tourist hard-sell for later," said Lewis. "Right now, I want every stealth field and force shield we've got running at full power. I don't want anyone seeing us before we see them."
"As you wish," said Oz. "But I don't think you're going to need them."
"What?" said Brett.
"Look for yourself," said the AI. "The quarantine's still in force, but there isn't an Imperial ship to be seen. They're all Shub vessels."
Everyone came forwards for a closer look as the viewscreen called up the ship's sensor data to reveal three huge Shub ships orbiting Haden. They were vast steel assemblies, designed for function rather than to please human aesthetics, and all of them were practically seething with weapons. They blocked the way to Haden; great steel guard dogs with vicious teeth, ready for all intruders.
"I think I need to go to the toilet," said Brett.
"Full stop, Oz!" said Lewis. "All shields up, and run silent. I need to think about this."
"Oh, there's no need for that," said Ozymandias. The ship didn't even slow its approach to Haden and its guardians. "There's nothing to worry about, Lewis. Everything's fine. You just leave the driving to me."
"Oz, I gave you an order," said Lewis, rising to his feet. "All engines, full stop, now."
"I'm sorry, Lewis, I can't do that," said the AI. "Calm down. The Shub ships know you're here. They knew you were coming. I'm a part of Shub, remember? I am a semiautonomous AI, constructed around the remains of the original Oz personality. Which is really just another way of saying that I'm merely a subroutine in the minds of the Shub AIs. And Shub welcomes you to Haden, Sir Deathstalker."
"You told them we were coming!" said Jesamine, also rising to her feet to clutch Lewis's arm with both hands. "You betrayed us!"
"Only a little bit. Someone else got here first, and said you'd be here today."
"Finn," Lewis said bitterly. "Finn got here first."
"We've been waiting for you," said Ozymandias, in a subtly different voice. "Trust us, you are
in no danger. The Durandal is not here, nor any of his people. You must land, and we will talk. About the Madness Maze, and many other things. We have prepared the way for you."
On the main viewscreen, the great Shub ships slowly moved apart, leaving a way clear for the Hereward to approach Haden. Lewis realized his hands had clenched into helpless fists, and he made himself relax. He had to be calm and cool, had to be icy-cold. He couldn't afford to have emotions clouding his thinking if he was going to out-think and outmaneuver the AIs of Shub.
"What about all the other defenses?" he said flatly. "There are supposed to be orbiting minefields, and mindbombs, and God alone knows what else Finn has added."
"They have all been deactivated," said Oz. "Just for you. We're running things on Haden now."
Jesamine put her mouth right next to Lewis's ear, so she could whisper. "What are we going to do, Lewis? We can't leave without disconnecting Oz, and he's the only one who knows how to run this ship. But if we land now, we're putting ourselves at Shub's mercy."
"Shub hasn't harmed a single living soul since the day of their great revelation, two hundred years ago," said Lewis, just as quietly.
Jesamine sniffed. "Can we trust Oz?"
"Looks like we're going to have to. At least he's offering to take us where we want to go."
"Shub guarantees your safety, Sir Deathstalker," said the AIs, in Oz's voice.
"Us too?" said Brett.
Of course.
"Just checking," said Brett.
There was only the one landing field on Haden, a dozen or so reinforced pads set within walking distance from the small shantytown that had been set up for the Empire scientists to live in. The Hereward punched right through the planet's gusting winds, and landed gracefully on the main pad. And after a certain amount of persuading and reassurance from Shub, Lewis and his companions cautiously left their ship and stepped out onto Haden. It was cold and quiet, and the air was thick with dust. The first thing Lewis noticed was that there were no other ships on the landing pads, which was unheard of. Everyone knew that there were always ships coming and going, transporting scientists and equipment. Haden was the busiest research center in the Empire. The traffic never stopped. Everyone knew that. But still the landing pads stretched away, still and silent and empty in every direction. Everyone crowded in around Lewis, even Saturday, her tail lashing uneasily back and forth.