Deathstalker 05 - Deathstalker Destiny

me?
    And my private comm channel, for that matter?"
    I'm with Shub now. Nothing is hidden from us. We have agents everywhere.
    "Nice try, but no. If you could locate me that easily, you'd have sent somebody to kill me by now."
    Why should we want to kill you, Jack, when you're doing such a wonderful job of
    spreading dread and despondency among your fellow humans? But as it happens, you're quite right; you've hidden yourself very well. But you gave yourself away when you entered the undermind. That place is a mystery to us; we can see into it only dimly, and there are things there we dare not look at. But when you and the others of your kind appeared in the undermind, you shone like suns. And when you left, you left a trail we were able to follow. So; we thought we'd have this little chat. You don't mind, do you?
    "What could we possibly have to talk about?" said Random flatly.
    You're an official Enemy of Humanity now, Jack, just like us. And after all you did for them. But then, you never really fitted in with the common crowd, any more than I did. We were both leaders, both had a vision of the Empire and what it should be, and we both saw that vision betrayed by those with smaller minds.
    You don't owe the people anything anymore, Jack. They weren't worthy of you. You put your life on the line for them, over and over again, helped them set up their own government, only to see your great dream disappear in the face of petty self-interests. I could have told you, Jack. People are just no damned good. They'll always need someone to do their thinking for them. To dream the dreams they are not capable of.
    "Get to the point, Lionstone."
    Very well. I propose an alliance. A limited partnership, between you and I, to achieve certain specific goals. Nothing to do with the war, of course. We will help you to stay free and unobserved, supply you with whatever you need, and in return you will perform certain missions for us. Nothing that will outrage your precious sensibilities, I assure you. Be honest, Jack; you know you have more in common with us than you do with the pathetic creatures currently pretending to
    run things. They betrayed the Empire much more than you and I ever did. I would never have let things fall apart like this.
    "So," Random said slowly, "the enemy of my enemy is now my friend, or at least my ally. Nothing new there. I made equally repellent deals and agreements in the past, to sustain my rebellion against you. How time makes fools of us all. What is it exactly that you want from me, Lionstone?"
    We need something that only you can get for us. In return, we'll make it easier for you to continue with your chosen mission. What could be simpler?
    "And if I say no?"
    That would be very foolish, Jack. We can reach Ruby Journey through the undermind too, if we have to. It would be simplicity itself to contact her and tell her where you are. In return for her helping us get what we need. I think she'd go along with a deal like that, don't you?
    "Yeah," said Random. "I think she probably would. Tell me more about what it is you want."
    Some time back, workmen performing everyday maintenance in the depths of my subterranean Palace stumbled across something interesting. A hidden crypt; hidden so well in fact, that no one had disturbed it in over nine hundred years.
    The workmen stopped what they were doing immediately, and contacted my security people, who drew the matter to my attention. I was fascinated. The Empire of those far-off days was far more technically advanced, in ways long lost to us.
    Such knowledge is worth more than armies, and I wanted it. So I had the workmen executed, to be sure the secret stayed secret, and a few of my security people too, just to keep the others on their toes, and then I went down into the depths of my Palace, to see these wonders for myself.
    Unfortunately, much of it was so advanced as to be meaningless to me. I was no
    scientist. But I did find much of interest, including a stasis chamber, with clear instructions on how to lower the field. And when I did, who should I find sleeping there but the man you knew as Dram, the Widowmaker. We struck a deal.
    In return for helping my scientists unravel the mysteries of the past, he would become my right-hand man. Of course, you know how well that turned out. So; after Dram died on the Wolfling World, I had the crypt sealed away behind stasis fields of my own, and a few new booby traps of my own devising. I couldn't trust my