Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

or beast or insect, just the steady chugging of the ship's engines. The never-ending hush had an expectant quality, as though at any moment some great voice might begin speaking, to which all living things must listen. So both the humans and the toys were all listening hard when the first piercing notes came tumbling out of the dark toward them.
    The song came first, a bright, vibrant melody, joyous and free. And then came the singers, tiny glowing winged sprites, flying through the trees like tiny stars come down to earth. There were crowds of them, bustling and animated, breaking over the ship like a wave of light, swooping and soaring all around the paddle steamer, but never, ever, coming too close. The humans and the toys watched with wide eyes and wider smiles, touched by unexpected joy in a dark place. The sprites were human in shape, but only a foot or so long, with great, pastel-colored wings. They shone with a brilliant inner light, dazzling and vivid, luminous beings, like living moonlight.
    And they sang, singly and together, high delicate tones of rippling arpeggios and endless harmonies, a choir of angels on the wing, a sound so pure and beautiful it broke the heart to hear it. It was the Forest given voice, a place and a mood and a meaning wrapped up in song. Everyone on the ship felt that they were on the brink of answers to every question that ever really mattered. And then suddenly the sprites were gone, surging away into the Forest, their song dying away in the gloom and the distance.
    "What the hell was that?" said Toby finally, after they were all gone. "And did you get it on film, Flynn?"
    "Don't ask me," said Flynn. "The camera was running, but I was away with the fairies. Weren't they beautiful?"

    "Marvelous," said Finlay. "But what are they doing here? What is this Forest doing here, on Shannon's World? This was never intended as a place for children.
    Hell, I'm not sure if I'm ready for it at my age."
    "Could it be real?" said Julian. "Something original to the planet? It looks old, even ancient."
    "No," said Evangeline. "This planet was a lifeless rock before Shannon had it terraformed. Everything here is his."
    "Then why did he build this?" said Giles. "What's its purpose?"
    "It was to be his next project," said Poogie, and they all turned to look at him. The cartoony figure didn't look around. His voice was calm, certain.
    "Shannon's purpose had always been to reach the soul of Humanity, to heal its wounds. Summerland was just the first step. A place for children of all ages to find peace and comfort. The Forest was to be the next step. A place men and women could disappear into for as long as they needed, to find their spiritual roots and grow strong and sure again.
    "Once the Forest was completed. Shannon walked into it and never came out. He's still in there, somewhere, if he's still alive. That's why Harker chose this place for his retreat. This is a place of rebirth. The rebirth of the soul of Shannon's World."
    "Wait a minute," said Bruin Bear. "How do you know why Harker chose this place?"
    "Because I'm one of his people," said Poogie, turning round at last to face them with his large, knowing eyes. "I'm going to lead you right to him."
    They all questioned him for some time, but he just shook his head, and said Harker would answer all their questions soon enough. The Goat was furious at being deceived, and even threatened Poogie with his club, but the Bear made him back off. Nothing had really changed in their mission, and if the Friendly
    Critter could lead them directly to Harker, so much the better. The Goat subsided, muttering, but wouldn't put his club away. Poogie stood alone at the tip of the bow, looking eagerly up River. The humans talked quietly among themselves. Giles said he'd never trusted the toy anyway. Finlay pointed out that one rogue toy was hardly any danger to them. But only Evangeline spotted the real implications of Poogie's revelation, that Harker knew they were coming.
    They pressed on through the twilight. After a while, they began to hear drums beating up ahead, like the slow heartbeat of a sleeping giant. Or perhaps even the heartbeat of the Forest itself. There were traces of smoke in the air, sharp and spicy. The feeling of being watched by unseen eyes became increasingly powerful, causing the humans and the toys to huddle together in the ship's bow, weapons at the ready. The humans were thinking less about their mission to get important tactical