Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

been out in the main compound. What’s the latest news?”
    Moon hesitated, running the information available through a filter of what most people found interesting.
    “The holes in the wall have been dealt with. The few fires did remarkably little damage.”
    “The people, Moon,” said Hand impatiently. “What about your friends, the living legends?”
    “The Deathstalker was badly injured but has recovered. Hazel d’Ark and Midnight Blue are helping Mother Beatrice in the infirmary. Bonnie Bedlam suffered extensive damage, but is healing at an accelerated rate, and expects to be fully functional within an hour or two. Those of us who have been through the Madness Maze are very hard to kill.”
    “Yeah,” said the Colonel. “We noticed. You’re probably even immune to what we’ve got.” Hand looked at Moon for a long moment. “What would you have done if the Hadenmen had broken through our defenses and got in here? Would you have fought your own kind?”
    “Yes,” said Moon immediately. “Because they are not my people anymore. I am neither man nor Hadenman. I owe allegiance to no race now, only my friends.” “In the end, that’s all any of us have,” said Hand, lifting the flask to his gray lips again. “Friendship and honor. Nothing else matters.” “But what if honor requires that you turn against your friends?” said Moon. “Tricky one,” said Hand. “I guess you have to ask yourself: would they still be your friends if they knew you’d betrayed your honor?” “It is very hard to be human,” said Moon, sighing.
    “Got that right,” said Otto.
    By the time things had started to settle down, it was night. The dark fell early on Lachrymae Christi.
    Saint Bea and Sister Marion were still working in the infirmary, struggling to save lives with insufficient medicines and instruments. It was starting to look less like a hospital, and more like a slaughterhouse.
    Hazel d’ Ark and Midnight Blue helped as much as they could, taking breaks outside when they couldn’t stand the screams or the suffering or the stench of exposed guts anymore. They sat together on the steps outside, breathing in the fresh air, gathering up the courage to go back in again. It was hard to be so powerful and so helpless at the same time. After a while Bonnie Bedlam came striding out of the shadows to join them. She wore the standard gray clothing, and was perfectly healed, so much so they barely recognized her. All her piercings and tattoos and body modifications were gone, blasted away by the energy beam, and not recreated when she healed. She was scowling fiercely as she sat down beside Hazel, just a little unsteadily. “I hate looking like this. Like everyone else. Years of hard work gone in an instant! Even my old leathers were destroyed, that I was wearing under my cloak. I’ve had them for years. Made them out of the skin of an old enemy. And I’m still weak from the regeneration. Never had to do that much work before. If the Hadenmen attacked now, I couldn’t beat them off with a paper towel.” “Nice to see you too,” said Midnight. “We’re fine, thanks.”
    “You look a lot more like me now,” said Hazel.
    “Oh, God,” said Bonnie. “It’s not that bad, is it?”
    “Any disturbances out in the jungle?” said Midnight. “Just the plants, eating and humping each other.
    How’s it going in the infirmary?”
    “Depends on how you look at it,” said Hazel. “We’re losing more than we’re saving, but given the appalling conditions, it’s a miracle we’re saving so many. She really is a Saint, you know. Been working all day, and she’s still going when we’re out on our feet. I’ve never seen so much blood in one place. The floor’s awash with it, no matter how much disinfectant we sling about. Shock kills a lot of them, either from their wounds or from the surgery. I guess leprosy weakens all the body’s defenses.”
    “It’s not fair,” said Midnight. “They fought so bravely. They won the battle.
    They deserved better than the little we’re able to do for them.” “Yeah,” said Bonnie. “It’s one thing for us to go out and fight; we’re practically unkillable. We can get hurt, but nothing really threatens us
    anymore.”
    “And in the end Sister Kathleen won the battle,” said Midnight. “Not one of us.
    And gave her life to do it. Didn’t even hesitate.”
    “Lord, what marvels these mortals be,” said Bonnie. “We’re like the monsters in the old