Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda

again. Up and down the long street, over a hundred men and women sat shaking and crying and holding each other, free at last. The air had that clean, focused feeling that follows a thunderstorm. The twelve young women turned as one to face Diana Vertue. They were all grinning broadly and looking very pleased with themselves. Diana nodded slowly.
    “All right, I’m officially impressed. Now who the hell are you?”
    One of the women stepped forward. “I am Alessandra Duquesne, and we are the Psycho Sluts! Defenders of the right, avengers of the downtrodden, and arse-kickers supreme! We modeled ourselves on your legend, and swore to do your name honor by performing feats of great glory!” She stopped for a moment to get her breath, and Diana cut in quickly. She knew a long speech coming when she heard one.
    “Yes. I’ve heard of you. Headstrong young troublemakers, too impulsive to follow the ways of the oversoul, and far too powerful for your own good. I thought you all left with New Hope, in the Icarus Working, and were on your way to Mistworld?”
    The Psycho Sluts exchanged smug glances, and sniggered amongst themselves. “We never really got on with the oversoul,” said Alessandra. “We were always far too individual, and proud of it, to settle comfortably into the mass-mind. We left the oversoul to come to the Rookery, just before New Hope headed off into orbit and exile. We wanted to stay and fight. There’s always been a rogue esper presence here; minds too crooked or strange for the mass-mind. We fit in just fine. We earn our keep sniffing out thralls and blasting them free, but we’ve never seen so many in one place before! They really do want you dead, don’t they?”
    “What do you want with me?” Diana said bluntly.
    The Psycho Sluts look at each other, caught off guard. “Well,” said Alessandra, “we want to be your army! We always worshiped your memory, your take-no-prisoners, kill-them-all-and-let-God-sort-them-out policy towards the bad guys, and once we learned you were back in the flesh, we’ve been waiting for you to come here. We want to work with you, to spread terror and destruction in your name! The rebellion starts here! Well, actually, it’s already started, and Douglas Campbell is leading it, but of course now that you’re back—”
    “No,” Diana said immediately. “The Campbell is King. He leads. I came here to support him, and if you want to work with me, so will you.”
    The Psycho Sluts considered this, and then shrugged, pretty much in unison. Diana looked from one eager young face to another. Had she ever been this young, this gung ho? She sighed quietly. She wasn’t at all sure she needed or wanted the support of a bunch of wannabe loose cannons, but they’d probably do less damage to the cause in the long run if she kept them where she could keep an eye on them. So it seemed she had her own personal army, whether she wanted one or not. She wondered fleetingly if Owen ever had to cope with problems like this. Still, she was glad she had something to bring to Douglas, apart from her own rather controversial legend.
    “We know where there are more thralls!” said Alessandra, almost jumping up and down on the spot in entirely unsuppressed excitement. “Let’s kick some more ELF butt before we go to see Douglas!”
    “Yes,” said Diana. “The more people we can free from ELF possession, the better.”
    “That too!” said Alessandra.

    And so, Diana and her newfound friends the Psycho Sluts went, eventually, to meet with King Douglas and his people. He wasn’t an easy man to get to see, these days, and Diana had to perform a few minor miracles and wonders to get her due attention, but once people realized she really was who she said she was, they couldn’t pass her on fast enough. Just as well. No one stopped Diana Vertue when she was on a roll. Douglas, Stuart, and Nina met with her in their hotel room, which had somehow become the center of rebel operations, despite its cramped size. The Psycho Sluts stood guard outside the door, putting the wind up the regular guards. Everyone had heard of the Psycho Sluts, who, when they really got going, could cause more property damage than an earthquake. There was talk of getting up a collection to send them to help out another planet. Any other planet.
    Diana studied the three dubious faces sitting on the opposite side of the table, and smiled easily. “Hi, I’m Diana Vertue, and you need my