Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

everyone waiting for them,
    including John Silence and the Shub robot, sank to one knee and bowed their heads respectfully. Owen sighed heavily.
    "Is this going to happen all the time now?" he said, just a little waspishly. "I never did go in for all that bowing and scraping stuff. Everybody up!"
    They all got to their feet again. Most of them looked confused. Silence was smiling. The blue steel robot stepped forwards, and Owen looked at it with interest.
    "I represent the AIs of Shub, Lord Deathstalker," said the robot. "No longer your enemy, now your most trustworthy servant. Welcome back, Owen. We have waited so long for this moment. We never stopped believing that someday you would return to us. We have dedicated our life to the service of Humanity, in your name. Ask anything of us."
    "You can start with filling me in on what's happened while I was away," said Owen. His voice was courteous, but distinctly cool.
    "In the past two hundred years, you have become a legend," said the robot. "And much has changed."
    "Tell me," said Owen. "Tell me everything."
    While Owen listened to the robot describe recent history, Lewis and Jesamine moved a little aside to hug each other tightly.
    "What happened, Jes?" Lewis said finally. "You were right there with me when I went in…"
    "The Maze separated us," said Jesamine. "Seems only Deathstalkers are allowed to know the secrets of the Maze, after all. So I'm expecting you to tell me everything later. Do you feel any different, Lewis? I don't feel any different."
    "Apparently it sneaks up on you," said Lewis. "What do you make of Owen?"
    "Well he certainly looks the part, darling, but he's going to have to brush up on his people skills."
    Owen finally dismissed the robot, and turned to Silence. "Good to see one familiar face, Captain. The years seem to have treated you kindly. What happened to everyone else? What happened to Hazel?"
    "Of all of those who went through the Maze, only you and I remain," said Silence. "Hazel is… missing, presumed dead. She disappeared after the last great battle against the Recreated, when she heard you were dead. No one's seen anything of her since."
    Owen nodded slowly. "Was it worth it?" he said finally. "All we sacrificed? All the good people we lost?
    Did we buy anything worth having with the precious coin we paid?"
    It seemed everyone heard that, and they all hurried to reassure Owen that there had indeed been a Golden Age, for well over a century. Until one good man went bad, and the Terror arrived.
    "It's always something, isn't it?" said Owen. He smiled at Jesamine. "Don't look so impressed, lass. I put my trousers on one leg at a time, and leave the toilet seat up, just like everyone else." He looked at Lewis. "I trust someone is going to supply me with trousers at some point?"
    "I played you, in the opera Deathstalker's Lament," Jesamine said abruptly. "And Hazel d'Ark too, of course."
    "There are operas about me now?" Owen raised an eyebrow. Maybe I should look into the royalties situation, when I get back. Now, who are these other two people, and what is that?"
    Lewis introduced Owen to Brett, Rose, and Saturday. Owen sniffed briefly. "So, a con man, a psycho, and a reptiloid. Ah, well, if I can get used to Ruby Journey, I suppose I can get used to anything."
    "You knew my ancestors, Jack and Ruby," Brett said hesitantly. "Can you tell me… what were they really like?"
    "Canny fighters," said Owen. "And good friends. I'm glad you're here, Brett. I'm sure you'll make your ancestors proud in the battles to come. Now, let's get out of here. Lead me to your ship, find me some clothes, and we'll start making plans. I'll bang the necessary heads together and put things back in order, because that's what I do, but afterwards… I'm going to find Hazel."
    "Trust me, Owen, we looked," said Silence. "We looked everywhere."
    "She isn't dead," said Owen. "I'd know if she was dead."
    Shub found him some clothes, and then they went to the annex containing the twelve monstrous survivors. Owen stopped while their nature and situation were explained to him. Lewis added what he'd learned in the heart of the Maze. They'd expected Owen to be appalled, but his white-hot anger surprised them. He strode up and down the aisle, staring into each cell in turn. The twelve survivors watched him silently, in their own way. Lewis shrank back a little as Owen turned his cold glare on him.
    "This is intolerable," Owen snapped. "They belong in a hospital, not a