Read Online Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return by Simon R. Green - Free Book Online

under the huge foot. Her sword flew from her hand as the impact crushed the air from her lungs. Brett shrieked, turned, and sprinted for the cover of the trees. Lewis shook his head slowly.
    "Saturday?"
    "Yes, Lewis?"
    "Fetch."
    The reptiloid nodded and set off after Brett, his long stride rapidly eating up the distance between them.
    Lewis gently put Jesamine away from him, and cautiously approached the Ashrai. The harsh face studied him thoughtfully with its glowing golden eyes. Up close, its heavy breathing sounded like thunder, though it smelt of nothing at all. Damn, the creature was big. Lewis cleared his throat carefully.
    "Hi. I'm Lewis Deathstalker. Nice moves. Could we please have our psychopath back? She's impulsive and annoying, and has several appalling personal habits that you really don't want to know about, but she has a certain sentimental value. If you let her up, I'm pretty sure I can guarantee she won't try that again.
    Or anything else, until she can get her eyeballs uncrossed."
    The Ashrai considered the matter, nodded its awful head, and stepped back, raising its huge foot. Lewis and Jesamine dragged Rose out from under, and set her down with her back propped against a tree. She was having trouble getting her eyes to track, but she seemed to know who and where she was.
    "Caught me by surprise," she said thickly. "Get me on my feet and find my sword and I'll tear his wings off and beat him to death with the soggy ends."
    "No, you won't," said Lewis. "You behave yourself and stop embarrassing me, or I'll shoot you myself."
    "You do realize," said Rose, "That if anyone else spoke to me like that I'd fillet them? Good thing for you that I'm a little under the weather. And that you're a Deathstalker."
    Yeah," growled Lewis. "Lucky me."
    Saturday came striding back with Brett tucked securely under one arm. Brett was calling him every name under the sun, and Lewis really hoped the reptiloid didn't understand most of them. Saturday dropped Brett at Lewis's feet, and glowered down at him.
    Next time, I'll bite off something superfluous. Fleeing in the face of the enemy? The very idea. What kind of impression does that make?"
    Brett clambered painfully back to his feet. "Sorry. Trained reflexes. Also, bone deep cowardice. I did warn you. How's Rose doing?"
    When I can trust my feet again, I'm going to kill everything in this clearing," said Rose.
    "Back to normal," said Brett. "You go talk to the monster, Sir Deathstalker. I'll look after Rose. From a safe distance."
    And then they all stopped talking and looked round sharply as the Ashrai reared up again, presenting its wide curved chest to them. The shimmering silver scales split suddenly apart, unfolding like a rose, and out of the pink interior of the Ashrai walked a man, dressed all in black. He strode unhurriedly towards Lewis and his companions, and behind him the opening in the Ashrai's chest slowly closed itself. And then the huge alien was gone, vanished in a moment, as though it had never been there. Only the man remained. He came to a halt before Lewis. Tall and whipcord lean, he wore black leathers topped with a billowing black cape. He was dark-haired and pale faced, his features subtly ageless. His mouth was a grim flat line, his eyes dark and accusing. He carried a long staff of polished bone, almost as tall as he was. His movements weren't entirely human. Just looking at the man sent shivers up Lewis's spine. He knew who this was, who this had to be. He could feel Jesamine pressing in close beside him, like a frightened child.
    "You are the Deathstalker?" It was the same rasping, inhuman voice they'd heard on the ship.
    "Yes. I'm Lewis Deathstalker, descendant of the blessed Owen."
    "I am Carrion," said the man dressed in black, though he didn't sound entirely sure of it. "I have been an Ashrai for many years. I haven't been human since John Silence and I returned to this world. I'd forgotten how small and limited a thing it is, to be a man. Even