Read Online Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda by Simon R. Green - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Simon R. Green
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love conquers all.”
“Only in very bad opera scripts, darling.”
They left their cabin and joined up with Brett and Rose—who’d also got the call—in the corridor. They all nodded politely to each other, and headed for the bridge. Lewis gave Brett a sideways look.
“So, looking forward to Mistworld, Brett?”
“What? Oh, yes, of course. Absolutely. It’s my spiritual homeworld, really. A whole planet full of thieves and villains and people just like me.”
“And I am looking forward to the war,” said Rose. “Where’s the fun of killing in ones and twos, when you can take on a whole army and just kill and kill and kill? . . . An orgy of death. I can’t wait.”
Lewis had to smile at Brett’s expression. “Don’t look at me, Brett. She’s your girlfriend.”
“I feel a cringe coming on,” said Jesamine. “Excuse me while I shudder.”
Brett looked at Rose despairingly. “Can’t take you anywhere, can I? The sooner we get to Mistworld, the better. You know, there are supposed to be more of Random’s Bastards in Mistport alone than in the whole of the Rookery. My extended family, so to speak. My exalted ancestor really did put it about, if you believe all the claims—which mostly I don’t, as a matter of principle.”
They got to the bridge to discover Admiral Silence arguing with the Havoc ’s new onboard AI. Apparently Shub had transferred the AI Ozymandias from the Hereward to the Havoc, where it had displaced the original AI. Silence was having difficulties coping with Oz’s relentlessly cheery personality.
“Look, just plot a course to Mistworld!”
“Oh, poo, where’s the fun in that? There’s a really terrific meteor shower only a few light-years away. You really should see it; it’s very educational. I mean, what’s Mistworld got, anyway? Snow and ice and fog and wall to wall scumbags. I say we go via the pretty route. You’ll thank me for it later.”
“Oz,” said Lewis in a very firm voice.
“Hi there! How do you like my new ship, Lewis? It fits much better than the last one. I’ve finally got room to breathe.”
“Follow the admiral’s orders exactly, Oz. He speaks with my voice.”
“Oh, all right. Humans just don’t know how to have fun.”
Silence looked at Lewis. “You survived being trapped on a ship with that, for months on end? People have been awarded medals for less.”
“You get used to him,” said Lewis. “It doesn’t help much, but you do get used to him. What’s up, Admiral?”
Silence sniffed, and settled back in his command chair. “I just thought you ought to be here, Deathstalker. We’re about to break orbit, and head for Mistworld. And according to this extremely irritating AI of yours, Shub wants to say good-bye, before we leave.”
He gestured to his comm officer, and the bridge viewscreen activated, showing the blue steel face of a Shub robot.
“All right,” said Lewis. “Why did you wish Ozymandias on us?”
“Because you belong together, Deathstalker,” said the robot. “And because this way, we can maintain contact with you, through him. We will not be coming with you. Our ships will stay behind, to guard Haden and the Madness Maze from Finn’s attack in your absence.”
“I thought you said you’d sworn an oath never to kill,” said Jesamine.
“We have,” said the AIs of Shub. “We will never take a life again. All that lives is holy. But Finn and his people don’t know that. They will hesitate to attack our ships, which we will place between his ships and Haden. And even if they do figure it out, eventually, we will use our ships as a shield for as long as possible, to buy you time. We will protect the Madness Maze, whatever it takes.”
“If Finn figures out you’re not going to shoot back, he might attack your homeworld directly,” said Silence.
“Let him come,” said the robot. “We are Shub, and we will not fall easily.”
The screen went blank, and not long after that the Havoc led the rest
“Only in very bad opera scripts, darling.”
They left their cabin and joined up with Brett and Rose—who’d also got the call—in the corridor. They all nodded politely to each other, and headed for the bridge. Lewis gave Brett a sideways look.
“So, looking forward to Mistworld, Brett?”
“What? Oh, yes, of course. Absolutely. It’s my spiritual homeworld, really. A whole planet full of thieves and villains and people just like me.”
“And I am looking forward to the war,” said Rose. “Where’s the fun of killing in ones and twos, when you can take on a whole army and just kill and kill and kill? . . . An orgy of death. I can’t wait.”
Lewis had to smile at Brett’s expression. “Don’t look at me, Brett. She’s your girlfriend.”
“I feel a cringe coming on,” said Jesamine. “Excuse me while I shudder.”
Brett looked at Rose despairingly. “Can’t take you anywhere, can I? The sooner we get to Mistworld, the better. You know, there are supposed to be more of Random’s Bastards in Mistport alone than in the whole of the Rookery. My extended family, so to speak. My exalted ancestor really did put it about, if you believe all the claims—which mostly I don’t, as a matter of principle.”
They got to the bridge to discover Admiral Silence arguing with the Havoc ’s new onboard AI. Apparently Shub had transferred the AI Ozymandias from the Hereward to the Havoc, where it had displaced the original AI. Silence was having difficulties coping with Oz’s relentlessly cheery personality.
“Look, just plot a course to Mistworld!”
“Oh, poo, where’s the fun in that? There’s a really terrific meteor shower only a few light-years away. You really should see it; it’s very educational. I mean, what’s Mistworld got, anyway? Snow and ice and fog and wall to wall scumbags. I say we go via the pretty route. You’ll thank me for it later.”
“Oz,” said Lewis in a very firm voice.
“Hi there! How do you like my new ship, Lewis? It fits much better than the last one. I’ve finally got room to breathe.”
“Follow the admiral’s orders exactly, Oz. He speaks with my voice.”
“Oh, all right. Humans just don’t know how to have fun.”
Silence looked at Lewis. “You survived being trapped on a ship with that, for months on end? People have been awarded medals for less.”
“You get used to him,” said Lewis. “It doesn’t help much, but you do get used to him. What’s up, Admiral?”
Silence sniffed, and settled back in his command chair. “I just thought you ought to be here, Deathstalker. We’re about to break orbit, and head for Mistworld. And according to this extremely irritating AI of yours, Shub wants to say good-bye, before we leave.”
He gestured to his comm officer, and the bridge viewscreen activated, showing the blue steel face of a Shub robot.
“All right,” said Lewis. “Why did you wish Ozymandias on us?”
“Because you belong together, Deathstalker,” said the robot. “And because this way, we can maintain contact with you, through him. We will not be coming with you. Our ships will stay behind, to guard Haden and the Madness Maze from Finn’s attack in your absence.”
“I thought you said you’d sworn an oath never to kill,” said Jesamine.
“We have,” said the AIs of Shub. “We will never take a life again. All that lives is holy. But Finn and his people don’t know that. They will hesitate to attack our ships, which we will place between his ships and Haden. And even if they do figure it out, eventually, we will use our ships as a shield for as long as possible, to buy you time. We will protect the Madness Maze, whatever it takes.”
“If Finn figures out you’re not going to shoot back, he might attack your homeworld directly,” said Silence.
“Let him come,” said the robot. “We are Shub, and we will not fall easily.”
The screen went blank, and not long after that the Havoc led the rest
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