Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda

he’s not much of one, and we all drink from the same pool. We’re linked into Rose Constantine too, through Brett, and you’ve no idea how unpleasant that is. Welcome back, Owen, Lord Deathstalker. Don’t know if you remember me; this is Crow Jane. We did meet briefly, back in the day . . . No? Well, never mind, I’m sure you met a lot more important people than me. Now, we need to talk. We—”
    And the voice snapped off abruptly, as Brett forced his mouth shut. He reached out a hand to Rose, and her hand came up jerkily to clasp on to it. Their faces contorted with a shared effort.
    “Get out of my head!” said Brett. “Get out !”
    There was a perceptible change in the tension on the air, and then Brett’s and Rose’s faces suddenly looked like their own again. They both let out great sighs of relief, and clung to each other for support. Sweat trickled down their faces from the effort of what they’d done. Lewis didn’t lower his gun. Something was coming. He could feel it. There was a shimmering on the air, as of something far away coming into focus, and then images of the esper Crow Jane and the Ecstatic called Joy appeared suddenly out of nowhere.
    Crow Jane was a strapping brunette in a long, wine red coat, with a bandolier of throwing stars stretched across her impressive chest. Everyone recognized Joy, the last of the Ecstatics—religious extremists who’d had their brains surgically altered so that they existed in a perpetual state of orgasm. Ecstatics were famous for their expanded consciousness, prophetic statements, and extremely disturbing smiles. Joy was the last of the Ecstatics because Finn had had all the others hunted down and killed. Quite possibly because he didn’t like the idea of anyone knowing more than he did. Joy wore a simple white tunic—badly—and his gaze looked slightly out of focus. Crow Jane looked disgustedly at Brett and Rose.
    “This would have been so much simpler if you’d just let us speak through you. Would it have killed you to be cooperative, for once in your nasty little lives? Do you have any idea how much effort and power it’s taking out of New Hope to send our mental images this far?”
    “Oh, pardon me while I weep bitter tears!” said Brett. “I already told you once, I want nothing to do with the oversoul! I am not the joining type. And stay out of our heads! You’re no better than the ELFs!”
    “You always did overreact, Brett.” Crow Jane looked at him and Rose thoughtfully. “You’ve changed, both of you. Your minds are . . . bigger, more complex. Still pretty unpleasant, though. I feel like I need to take a bath in liquid soap.”
    “We’ve both been through the Madness Maze,” Brett said pointedly. “You just watch yourself, oversoul.”
    “Oh, we will, Brett,” Crow Jane said kindly. “We must have a nice little chat later.”
    “Do lunch!” Joy said suddenly, and everyone jumped. “But I get to choose the menu. Fish, eh? Bastards!”
    “What is he doing here?” Brett said plaintively. “Isn’t the situation complicated enough as it is without bringing a bloody Ecstatic into it?”
    “Weasels,” Joy explained.
    There followed a long and rather confused conversation as people took it in turns to try to explain to Owen what an Ecstatic was, and why, and then why anyone had ever thought they were a good idea in the first place. Joy’s attempts at explaining were particularly unhelpful. Silence finally finished it off by growling Because people are weird, and Owen accepted that.
    “So, the espers are now the oversoul, except for the bad ones, who are ELFs,” Owen said, some time later. “I can’t help thinking things were so much simpler in my day. All right, Crow Jane and Joy, what are you doing here?”
    “We felt your return, Lord Deathstalker,” said Crow Jane. “Like a great voice, crying out in the night. You shine too brightly to look at; that’s why we originally chose to contact you through those two inferior minds.”
    Brett made a rude noise. Everyone ignored him.
    “You must come to Mistworld,” said Crow Jane, now looking at Lewis Deathstalker. “The esper city of New Hope is currently in orbit above Mistworld, and the oversoul wishes to offer its assistance in the war against Finn. We could not face him and his armies alone, but we would make formidable allies.”
    “Mistworld is looking more and more like our best option,” said Lewis. “A solidly defended base for a gathering of allies.