Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda

disloyal elements.”
    “Just like that,” said Brett, not even trying to keep the disbelief from his voice.
    “No. We know it will be a hard and vicious struggle. But there are more of us than you think, and we have God and the Emperor on our side.”
    “Rose and I need to talk about this for a moment,” said Brett, and Leslie politely stepped back a way so Brett and Rose could have some privacy. Brett scowled. “I always did think the fleet surrendered to Owen too easily. If there really are as many fanatics as this guy makes out, they could just pull this off. The Deathstalker’s a hell of a fighter, but even he couldn’t take on the fleet by himself. And those rag bag ships from Mistworld and Virimonde wouldn’t stand a chance either. The rebellion could be over before it even got started . . . suddenly I haven’t got a clue what to do for the best. This is why I hate being on a starship! There’s nowhere to run! Why did they have to give me a choice over which side to be on? Finn’s a bastard and a monster, but I’m damned if I’m going to be on the losing side . . . Would he really take us back? He might; all he ever cared about was winning. Oh, God, my stomach hurts. It never bothered me when I was with Lewis. I think some of his moral certainties rubbed off on me.”
    “Can we trust Finn to keep his word afterwards?” said Rose, as always getting to the heart of the question. “Can we trust him about the reward, and our safety?”
    “Probably not. Unless . . . we can negotiate from a position of strength. Stay well out of his reach at all times, and then use the reward money to disappear among the border worlds . . .”
    “Is that what you want to do?”
    “Well, not want exactly. Finn’s an evil piece of shit, and strange with it, but he could win this war. And I have no intention of dying gloriously for a lost cause, no matter who my ancestor was. But on the other hand . . . I like Lewis. Even admire him, I suppose. He’s a genuine hero, the real deal, just like my ancestors, Jack Random and Ruby Journey. It feels . . . right , being at a Deathstalker’s side. If only he didn’t keep dragging me into danger all the time.”
    “But that’s what heroes do,” said Rose.
    “I know! I know. I admire Lewis, I really do, but . . . I can’t decide right now. I need to know more. Follow my lead, Rose.”
    “Don’t I always?”
    They went over to join Leslie Springfield, who raised a polite eyebrow. Brett nodded jerkily. “Lead the way. I’m not promising anything, mind; but I’ll listen.”
    “Once you know the truth, of who and what we are, you know we can’t just let you walk away,” said Leslie.
    “I know how the game is played,” said Brett. “Lead on. I want to know everything.”
    And he only had to push Leslie Springfield with just the lightest touch of his Maze-backed compulsion.

    They ended up in a deserted weapons bay, where a large crowd of loyalists had gathered together to meet Brett. He tried to do a surreptitious head count, but there were too many of them. And every single one of them studied Brett coldly as he entered. He gave them his most professional trustworthy smile, and allowed Leslie to lead him and Rose to the guest seats of honor. Someone presented Brett with a glass of surprisingly good wine, and someone else offered him a cigar, which Brett took because he always took anything that was offered for free. He sat down, and Rose took up a position standing beside him, her hands resting on her weapons belt. Everyone was very polite to her. Various people took it in turns to present Brett with loyalist propaganda and harsher Pure Humanity and Church Militant beliefs, and he smiled and nodded in all the right places. The general pattern of the planned uprising was explained to him, but not the details. That would only come later, once he’d committed himself to the cause. Brett drank his wine and smoked his cigar, and listened carefully to everything that was said to him. His stomach ached, but he kept it out of his face. Finally, they ran out of things to say to him, and Brett looked out on a crowd of intent faces. Rose was a comforting presence at his side, but Brett really didn’t like the odds. So when he was asked, politely but very pointedly, whether he was in or out, Brett nodded decisively and said I’m in .
    There was a general murmur of relief, and the crowd relaxed a little. Several people wanted to shake Brett by the hand, and he let them.