Read Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War for Free Online Page B

had on you, twenty-two years ago. And that was exactly seventeen crowns. Am I right?"
    "Exactly right!" said Donald, slapping his knee. "I remember now. Seventeen crowns. No one else could have known that, Madelaine."
    She shook her head stubbornly. "An esper could have got it out of Jack's head, or yours."
    "Oh, don't mind her," Donald said dismissively. "She was born suspicious. Had her mother's milk tested for steroids. You're the real thing, Jack; I can feel
    it in my bones. I'll vouch for you. And maybe this time you'll listen to me before you go haring off to fight for truth and justice with too few troops and no proper backup."
    "I'll listen this time," said Random. "I've learned from my mistakes."
    "You've had enough opportunities," said Madelaine, but both Donald and Jack ignored her.
    "We've got a real chance this time, Donald," said Random, leaning forward. "An army of clones and espers, and powerful allies beyond anything you've ever dreamed of. I won't throw it away because of my pride."
    "Good man," said Donald. "Get your people together and set up a meeting with the Council. Madelaine and I will be there."
    "Thank you, Donald. This means a lot to me." Random rose smoothly to his feet, then waited politely as Donald struggled up out of his chair. They clasped hands again, and Random strode out. Madelaine followed him to the door, to be sure he didn't steal anything, and then came back to stand in the doorway and glare at Donald.
    "You think he's a fake, don't you?" Donald said calmly, as he eased himself back into his chair.
    "Damn right I do. He's too good. Too perfect. Great-looking, muscles to spare, and all the right words and phrases. Like a popular hero designed by a committee. And I don't buy that regeneration story for one moment. I mean, technically speaking I suppose it's possible, but where would a rebel on the run gain access to that kind of tech? Last I heard, regeneration machines were strictly for the aristos. No, Donald, you only believe in him because you want to. Because he's one of the few good memories from your past that's still
    around."
    "Maybe," said Donald. "I don't believe he's telling us everything, or that everything he told us was true. But every instinct I have says it's him. He's just the way I remember him. A larger-than-life hero and a plausible rogue, all in one. He's passed the only tests I could think of. What else does he have to do to convince you, walk on water?"
    "If he did, I'd want to check his boots afterward," said Madelaine.
    Jenny Psycho made her way through the streets of Mistport, the crisp snow crunching under her steady stride. Her breath steamed thickly on the air before her, but she was pleasantly warm inside her furs. Heat and cold and other vagaries of the world had lost all power over her. According to her briefing, the espers' union had their own hall in Guilds Quarter, but she needn't have bothered with the directions. She could feel it in her mind, like a great searchlight stabbing up from the center of the city. There were people bustling everywhere she went, but they all gave her plenty of room, even if they weren't always sure why.
    The hall itself turned out to be modestly sized, set back in its own grounds.
    Jenny was a little taken aback to see it standing plainly sign-posted and apparently unguarded. Anywhere else in the Empire such a gathering of espers was punishable by death or mindwipe, depending on how valuable their services were.
    The simple openness of the espers' union cheered her greatly, and she strode up the graveled path to the front door with something like a swagger. There were no visible guards anywhere, but she hadn't expected any, even in a cesspit like Mistport.
    Espers had their own, subtler ways of keeping watch and seeing off the uninvited. The great front door looked imposing and impressive. Jenny looked for
    a knocker or bellpull, but there wasn't one. She raised her hand to knock, and the door swung open before her. A tall