Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda Read Online Free PDF Page B

Maze manipulating events?”
    “More likely the Maze responded to events, to get what it wanted,” said Owen. “It’s always known about the Terror. It probably even knew who and what the Terror was, but couldn’t tell me until now.”
    “Is the Maze . . . alive?” said Jesamine.
    “That’s a good question,” said Owen. “I hope to find out the answer someday.”
    And then everyone turned sharply to look at Brett Random, who had suddenly started shaking and shuddering as though he’d just put his hand on a live wire. His whole body shook in the grasp of an invisible force. His eyes were very large and his teeth were chattering. Everyone backed away from him except Rose, who grabbed hold of him to steady him, and then seemed to catch some of the condition herself. Her head snapped back, her eyes went wide, and then she let go of Brett and stood back. Her stance changed, in subtle but unmistakable ways. Brett abruptly stopped juddering and started speaking in tongues, gabbling first nonsense and then a strange mixture of obscure dialects and dead languages. Rose’s head swiveled slowly back and forth, her teeth grating together. By now everyone else had their guns out. They knew the signs of possession. Brett let out a great sigh, relaxed all over, and turned to look at Lewis. And someone else looked out of Brett’s eyes.
    “Hello there,” he said in a voice that was nothing like his own. “I speak for the oversoul, through Brett Random. He is an esper, after all, even if 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