Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

and he keeps evading them. How does he do that? He has no powers, like his renowned ancestor. He's just one man, with a few disreputable friends. And yet still he taunts me, defying me to control or stop him. How many more of my resources do I need to commit to the chase, to bring down one ugly little man?"
    "Why bother?" said Tel, breathing painfully. "He's just one man…
    "He's a Deathstalker! That name still means something. He could use the luster of that name to raise an army against me. No, Lewis is my only real obstacle now, the only threat to my inevitable triumph.
    There's stillDouglas , of course, but I've broken his spirit quite thoroughly. I want Lewis broken, Tel. I need to see my old dear friend groveling before me in a pool of his own blood. I need to see him kiss my boot before I shoot him in the back of the head."
    The thought put Finn in a somewhat better mood, and he let go of Tel. He strolled back to his desk, while Tel wiped some of the blood from his face with his sleeve. Finn sat down behind his desk and smiled benignly at his pet MP.
    "Don't worry, Tel. I'm not going to kill you. Not while I can have so much more fun taking out my bad moods on you. For an experienced politician, you make a great punching bag. And if you stick with me, and don't whine too much, I'll make you a powerful man in this declining Empire. Under me, of course.
    And all you have to do to prove your worth is carry out the occasional little errand for me. What could be easier?"
    Tel was saved from having to answer that one when Finn's office door swung suddenly open, and a Church Militant soldier strode in. Finn glared at him.
    "Does no one knock anymore? I swear, if this keeps up I'm going to arm my secretary and install landmines in my outer office. Now, who the hell are you, and what do you want?"
    "Just a little of your time, Durandal," said the soldier in a harsh rasping voice. He smiled widely. "How do you like this body? Just a little something I threw on, but it has a certain charm, don't you think?"
    "Oh, shit," said Tel. "It's an ELF."
    Finn's glare became positively glacial. "Don't sit down, ELF; you're not staying. And I thought I told you people not to call me at the office. All right, spit it out. You can talk freely in front of Tel, because he knows I'll have him killed if he repeats anything I don't want repeated. What do you want?"
    "We want you to arrange a meeting between ELF representatives and the uber-espers," said the thrall.
    "Our glorious leaders and founders have apparently become so busy running errands for you that they don't have time to talk to us anymore. All we get are orders, and no explanations. We're feeling left out of things, and we don't like it. But if they won't listen to us, maybe they'll listen to you. So, you contact the uber-espers and persuade them to listen to our grievances, or you can forget about having Paragons at your beck and call anymore."
    "I don't take kindly to threats," said Finn, and there was something in his voice and in his eyes that gave even the ELF pause.
    "Think of it more as a wake-up call, Sir Durandal. Even ELFs have their limitations. The strain of possessing so many Paragons for so long, twenty-four hours a day, is taking its toll on us. We're having to pass the Paragons back and forth between us so our minds can get some rest, and every time we exchange control there's a very real risk of a Paragon breaking free. All these people have had special training against mental control, and they're becoming increasingly difficult subjects. We were able to overcome them in the first place only because we caught them by surprise, from ambush, and outnumbered each of them by ten to one or more. The ELFs can't guarantee to maintain control unless
    we get help and support from the uber-espers. They listen to you these days—so arrange it."
    "Why does no one ever bring me good news anymore?" said Finn plaintively. He leaned back in his chair and considered the matter. "I used the Gray Tram to control the thirteen Paragons I sent to Shandrakor, because you ELFs assured me that only an uber-esper could safely control so many subjects at such a distance. Now all these Paragons are dead, and the Gray Train is reportedly in shock. And you want me to hand over more Paragons to the uber-espers?" Finn smiled encouragingly at the thrall. "What's the matter? Aren't you boys having a good time anymore, doing nasty things in Paragon bodies?"
    "That's not the point," the ELF