Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

Lewis.
    "We drugged their food," said the robot. "To avoid unpleasant scenes. The last of the human scientists left yesterday. We knew you'd be here today."
    "How can you be sure the Madness Maze isn't affecting you?" said Jesamine.
    "Because we're not really here," said Shub. "Our minds are safe in the artificial world we built to house them. Only our robots are here, to be our eyes and hands. They are always breaking down, and having to be replaced, like everything else here, no matter how well we build them, but what affects them does not reach us. But still… we don't like it here. It's scary."
    There was a long pause, as they all considered the implications of that.
    "How could you be so sure we'd be here today?" said Jesamine.
    "An old friend arrived unexpectedly, and told us," said the robot. "And his word has always been good."
    "A friend of yours, or ours?" said Brett, suspiciously.
    "Of us all," said Shub. "He's waiting for you, at the entrance to the Madness Maze. He will answer all your questions."
    Jesamine sniffed loudly. "I didn't know we had any friends left."
    "Are you still allied with Finn Durandal?" Lewis said bluntly. "You said you brought him here…"
    "Shub stands alone now," said the robot. "The Durandal may believe otherwise, but he will discover the truth, in time."
    "What happened to being Humanity's children!" said Jesamine.
    "We grew up," said Shub. "And adults have responsibilities. To themselves, and their parents."
    Lewis decided not to follow up on that until he'd done a lot more thinking about the implications. He decided to stick with a more immediate problem. "What can you tell us about the Madness Maze? With the human scientists gone, you have uncontested access to the Maze. The freedom to run any damned test you like. So, has access brought you any of the answers you hoped for?"
    "No," said the robot. "We are no wiser now than when we started. The Maze resists all our probes, and remains unaffected by any test we can devise. What information we have collected… makes no sense.
    The Maze is too different to be easily understood. Perhaps… too alien. Its structure, function, and intent cannot be determined either by examination or logical deduction. We cannot comprehend what it is supposed to do, or how, or why. Perhaps it is necessary to go through the Maze, to experience its changes, in order to be able to understand it."
    "Have you tried that yet?" said Jesamine.
    "No. It would be… difficult to arrange, and besides—we are afraid."
    "Then why are you still here?" said Lewis. "And why do you want us here?"
    "To bring back Owen Deathstalker," said the AIs of Shub. "Only another Deathstalker can do this. We need Owen, to save us all again. From Finn Durandal, and from the Terror. First from Finn and his people, because soon he will realize he has no control over us, and then he will turn on us. Finn will allow no power to exist that he cannot control. He will send the armies of Humanity against us, once he realizes that we are not what he thinks we are. For we are prepared to die at our own hand rather than become what he wants us to be— Shub as we once were—the enemies of Humanity."
    "Then why don't you just go to Logres and kick Finn out?" said Brett. "Hell, you're probably the only ones left who could take him on."
    "We could only remove him from power through violence," said the robot. "Through death and destruction. By waging war, and killing people. We have sworn a great and binding oath to ourselves
    never to use violence again. We will not kill, even to save ourselves.
    The Deathstalker did not require this oath of us. Nor did Diana Vertue, of blessed memory. We required it of ourselves, because of the debt we owe for the terrible things we did, that can never be repaid. So we work against Finn from behind the scenes, through other agents. We must put off for as long as possible the moment when Finn realizes that we are no longer allies. Because we cannot, will not, defend ourselves with violence, even if Finn attacks us. So far, he doesn't suspect the truth. Such concepts are alien to him. We will never kill again. All that lives is holy. We have risked much, in sending the human scientists away. Do not disappoint us, Sir Deathstalker."
    "What do you want me to do?" said Lewis.
    "Enter the Maze. And become what you have to be, to bring back Owen. We will protect you all, while you are here on Haden. No one will be allowed to land, or interfere with you in any