Deathstalker War

"But some of us didn't like what it did to us," said Poogie. "Before Shub came, we were not aware, and knew nothing of sin. Shub took advantage of our innocence. We were born into blood and suffering and murder, and some of us never got over it. Revenge filled us to overflowing, and humans were such easy prey. We were born damned. But some of us have learned to reach for redemption."

The Sea Goat belched, and picked bits of marshmallow from his large, blocky teeth. "And some of us have learned to be insufferably pretentious. We are what we always were, only more so. I like being the Sea Goat. If I didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent me, so you could disapprove of me. I annoy, therefore I am. And if anyone doesn't like it, tough. Right, Bear?"

"Can't take you anywhere, can I?" said Bruin Bear.

"You'll have to excuse my friend. He and I were stars when we were toys, loved by all, and I don't think he ever got over it. I find humans fascinating. You have so much potential. And we have so much to live up to. You are our creators, not Shub. If we could only make all toys see that, the war would end tomorrow. It would be a terrible thing if all our gift of life taught us was how to kill and destroy. Now, may I suggest we get what rest we can. Soon enough we'll have to go back on board ship and sleep. Assuming nothing goes wrong, we should reach the Forest tomorrow evening. Then we'll find Vincent Harker, the Red Man. And who knows what will happen then."

They all sat silently around the fire, human and toy, thinking their own thoughts. It was a night for confessions, but not everyone had said all they could have. They all had secrets, some big and some small, that could not be revealed yet. If only because the truth would cause so much suffering.

Evangeline leaned against Finlay and fought down the urge to tell him the real reason she was here with him. It wasn't that long ago she'd gone to the leaders of the underground and asked to be made ambassador to the new rebels, even though it meant leaving Finlay. She'd felt an overpowering need to get away, to be her own woman, free from the pressures of all those who expected things from her. Even Finlay. But like so many things in her short life, it had all gone wrong. Penny DeCarlo had been her first friend. Hired by Gregor Shreck to prepare his new Evangeline for public appearances. Penny had taught her she was still a human being, even if she was a clone. Taught her pride and self-respect. And even introduced her to the clone and esper underground. Penny DeCarlo, a secret rogue esper, caught and imprisoned in Silo Nine. Wormboy Hell.

Evangeline had tried to rescue her when the underground stormed Silo Nine, but in the chaos and confusion of Dram's treachery, she never found Penny, and had to leave without her. But Gregor Shreck found her. He had money and influence, and a desperate need to bring his clone daughter back under his control. So he had Penny released into his custody, and waited for the chance to let Evangeline know. His terms were simple—return to him or Penny would suffer and die. Evangeline came close to despair. She couldn't go back to her father's perverted idea of love. She would rather die. But she couldn't abandon the woman who taught her what it was to be human.

She couldn't tell the underground's ruling Council. She would be seen as compromised, a possible security risk. And she couldn't tell Finlay. He must never know that the Shreck had made a habit of bedding his daughter. Finlay would go insane with rage, and throw away everything to launch a solo attack on the Shreck and his forces. A fight even the Masked Gladiator couldn't hope to win.

So Evangeline told no one, and for a while went quietly crazy trying to figure out what to do for the best. In the end, all she could decide was not to decide. She ran away from her responsibilities and joined the mission to Shannon's World. That way she'd be out of touch with everyone, and give herself time to think. Gregor wouldn't hurt Penny while she was gone. There'd be no point, with no way to let Evangeline know. Hopefully, by the time this mission was over, Evangeline would have worked out an answer. If not, she'd have to turn to Finlay. And hope by some miracle he could save her from Hell one more time. She looked at him, sitting quietly beside her, strong and solid and reassuring, and a sudden warmth flowed through her. She said his name, and when he turned to look at her, she kissed him.

This fascinated the toys. Poogie and Halloweenie stood up to get a better look.

"What on earth are they doing?" said Poogie in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," said Halloweenie. "Do you suppose it hurts?"

"Beats me, but they're pulling some really funny faces."

"I think it's time you kids were in bed," said Toby.

The humans all had some kind of smile when Finlay and Evangeline finally broke apart. They all sat for a while in companionable silence, watching the flames die down in the fire, trying to work up the energy to get up and go to bed. And then Giles surprised them all by speaking again.

"The Empire was a wonderful place to be when I was a child. You felt you could grow up to be anyone, do anything. The possibilities seemed endless. You could make your mark in a thousand ways, be revered by a thousand worlds. I became the first Warrior Prime, feted and adored. It was a time of wonders and marvels… and I helped to bring it all to an end, when I activated the Darkvoid Device. I look at what the Empire's become now, and I hardly recognize it. I hardly recognize myself. I'm not the man I thought I'd grow up to be."

"I suppose that's true of all of us," said Finlay. "I look at my life, and I wonder how the hell did I get here from there. We all have dreams, as children, but mostly they get beaten out of us as we grow older."

"Perhaps that's the saddest change of all," said Giles. "These days, even dreams are forbidden. It's a strange Empire I've come back to. Clones, espers, Hadenmen, Wampyr. Toys that think and care. It's hard to be sure what's really human anymore. Among so many strange forms of life, how easy it would be to lose our Humanity forever."

"We haven't lost anything," said Julian. "Except possibly our limitations. You have strange abilities yourself, Deathstalker. Does that make you any less human?"

"I don't know," said Giles. "I don't know."

They set off early the next day. The sound of warfare in the distance was louder, more distinct, more threatening. The smiley face on the sun seemed openly mocking. The humans and the toys kept a careful watch. The trees on the River-banks were growing thicker, darker. Anything could be hiding in them, or behind them. There was a constant feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. The only sound apart from the distant thunder was the steady quiet chugging of the Merry Mrs. Trusspot. She still hadn't spoken, but somewhen during the night, two huge watchful eyes had opened on either side of her bow.

Julian stayed in his cabin. His various pains had grown worse during the night, beyond anything the autodoc's limited drugs could deal with. Toby overrode the doc's safety limits, to allow for larger doses, but it didn't help much. Julian ended up curled up on the floor in a corner of his cabin, because the swaying of the hammock hurt him too much. Sometimes, when the pain grew so bad it reduced him to helpless tears, he would call out for Finlay, and he would go and sit with Julian for a while. Afterward, he'd emerge from the cabin with frustrated tears in his eyes, and his hands clenched into fists, furious at his inability to help. He'd rescued Julian from the Empire's interrogators, but he couldn't rescue the young esper from this. He tried picking fights with the Deathstalker, over what he'd done to Julian, but the old man refused to be drawn. He couldn't repeat his jump-start; the strain would probably kill the weakened esper. He'd done all he could, and that was an end to it as far as he was concerned. Evangeline went in to Julian a few times, but he didn't want her. Poogie went in then, and cuddled the human in his soft arms. It helped, sometimes.

The atmosphere on the deck grew strained. Everyone felt angry, for conflicting reasons. Julian was distracting them, at a time when they needed most to concentrate on their mission. Instead of the support he'd promised, the esper was becoming a liability. But no one wanted to say that out loud. Conversations became short and sharp. Bruin Bear tried to be cheerful and optimistic, until even the Sea Goat told him to shut the hell up. They were all coming to the same, unspoken, thought. That the man who had already saved them twice was probably dying, and there was nothing they could do. Except hope he died soon, for his sake and theirs. So they leaned on the guardrails, looking out at the River and the passing trees, and tried not to hear the sounds coming from the esper's cabin.

The toys were the most distressed. Another human was dying, because of toys. Even Anything became quieter and less argumentative. Bruin Bear and the Sea Goat and Halloweenie began taking turns sitting outside the door to Julian's cabin, so they'd be there if he called for anything. As though daring Death to get past them.

About midmorning, they rounded another long curve in the River, and found the trees falling suddenly away on one side to reveal a modern city. Or, at least, a replica of a city. There were great towers and buildings rearing up into the sky, but all of them were one-dimensional wooden flats. Brightly colored, incredibly detailed fakes. It looked fairly convincing, until you got up close. And it was only then that the humans saw what a wreck the place was. Jagged holes appeared in most of the walls, as though something heavy had smashed through them. There were cracks and gaping rents everywhere, and some traces of what looked like fire damage. The fake city was about fifty blocks square, shining brightly in the sun. There was no sign of life anywhere. The Merry Mrs. Trusspot slowed her approach, and everyone crowded to one side of the boat for a better look.

"What is this place?" said Finlay. "Who lives here?"

"No one lives here," said Bruin Bear. "It's just another playground."

"Looks like they play rough," said Giles.

"Oh, they do," said the Sea Goat. "The bastards. This is the stamping ground of the superpeople. Superheroes and supervillains, fighting their eternal battles. Tends to be rather hard on the surroundings, so they were designed to be easily and quickly replaced, in time for the next fight. They used to put on a show for the human patrons; displays of strength and speed and flight, every hour, regular as clockwork. See the heroes beat the villains all about the town; see the buildings crumble and the walls come tumbling down. It was very popular. Until the superpeople became intelligent and aware. And realized they'd spent their entire existence jumping through hoops for Humanity's entertainment. They were the most human of the toys here, so perhaps they took it the hardest. Down-River, we were fishing bits of bodies out of the waters for weeks afterward."

"Wait a minute," said Finlay. "Didn't any of the heroes fight the villains to protect the humans? I mean, they were heroes, like you and the Bear."

"They were the superpeople," said the Sea Goat, his large upper lip curling. "And they didn't give a damn for mere unpowered humans. After the slaughter was over, they went back to doing the only thing that interested them. Fighting their endless bloody battles, to see who was stronger, faster, or the better flier. They've never taken part in the war. I think they believe it's beneath them. And I'll tell you something else. For as long as Toystown has been a refuge and a sanctuary, we've never had one superperson come to us, seeking redemption or forgiveness for all the blood they spilled. Bastards."

"Is it dangerous here?" said Evangeline.

"Hell yes," said Bruin Bear. "They hate the thought that inferior Humanity created them. The only thing they'd interrupt their contests for is a chance to kill some more humans."

"Then why are we slowing down?" said Toby.

"Well, sweeties," said a familiar voice behind them, "I'm rather afraid we need more fuel. I mean, darlings, you wouldn't believe how much wood it takes to keep our boilers running." They turned around, and there was the Captain, balancing on his two peg legs and looking decidedly upset. The parrot dozed on his shoulder, muttering obscenities to itself. The Captain tried an ingratiating smile. "We need more wood, sweeties, and this is our last chance to stock up before we hit the Forest. And believe you me, we don't want to stop in the Forest for more wood. Not if you like your head in the general vicinity of your shoulders."

"All right," said the Bear. "Pull us in to the side, and we'll gather as much as we can. They'll never miss a few flats. But be ready to leave at a moment's notice. This is a bad place, people."

He strode off with the Sea Goat to organize some axes. The Captain smiled nervously in all directions, then hurried back to his bridge. The humans looked at each other uncertainly.

"I always liked superheroes," said Finlay. "I was a big fan, when I was a kid. You could always depend on superheroes to save the day."

"That was then, this is now," said Anything. He'd changed into his best fighting shape, with spiked knuckles and elbows and razor-edged hands. "When they were made intelligent, the superpeople realized that though they looked human, they could never be human. I think it drove a lot of them crazy. Serves them right. Why pine to be human, when you could be more than human, like the Furies? They were the real superpeople."

"Why are you here, machine?" said Giles. "You've made it clear enough you don't care for humans."

"I want an end to the threat of the Red Man and his army," said Anything. "And you appear to be the best bet for that. But when it's all over, and you're gone, and the planet is ours again, trust me—I won't shed a single tear to be shot of you all. This is our world now, not yours."

And he turned and stalked away, the sun gleaming brightly on his silver body.

"I hope it rains, and he rusts," said Toby.

The Merry Mrs. Trusspot slipped in beside the River-bank, as close to the fake city as she could get, and then shut her engines down to the faintest murmur. No sense in drawing anyone's attention. Anything lowered a gangplank, and the party went ashore, holding their axes more like weapons than cutting tools. At the toys' insistence, they stood and listened for a while. In the distance, there was the sound of something that might have been fighting, but it seemed comfortably far away. Finlay and Giles, Toby and Flynn set about hauling in broken flats and parts of fallen buildings, while the toys labored to cut them into manageable sizes. The sound of steel cutting into wood seemed dangerously loud in the quiet.

It was hard and sweaty work for the humans. The Goat and the Bear labored tirelessly, torn between the need for speed, and their desire not to show the humans up too much. Anything didn't give a damn. He stomped back and forth, carrying the heaviest weights he could find, his servomechanisms barely whining. Poogie's cartoony hands had trouble grasping the axes, so he worked beside the humans, helping them carry awkward shapes and sizes. Halooweenie busied himself carrying cold drinks from the ship to the humans.

Giles and Finlay worked pretty much in silence, apart from the occasional grunted order. This wasn't their kind of work, but they couldn't spare the breath for complaints. Unlike Toby. They worked for the best part of an hour, piling up chopped wood and hauling it on board, and then the feeling of being watched grew stronger. People began looking suddenly over their shoulders, or turning around suddenly. They tried to work faster. This was a bad place, and all the humans could feel it now. The Sea Goat stopped suddenly, straightened up from his work, and looked out into the city, his great pointed ears upright and quivering. Bruin Bear moved in beside him.

"What is it?" he said quietly.

"It's the battle," said the Goat. "It's moving this way. The superpeople are coming."

"Right, that's it," said the Bear. "Everyone grab as much as you can carry. We're leaving."

"We can't," said Anything. "We don't have enough wood yet."

"We do if we're careful," said the Bear. "Now for once in your life, don't argue. There isn't time. They could be here any minute."

They all carried as much wood as they could back to the ship, then formed a human chain for the last few pieces. Merry Mrs. Trusspot fired up her engines, vented steam as quietly as she could, and waited for everyone to get back on board. They could all hear the superpeople now. There were shouts and cries, crashing and tearing sounds, and what sounded like energy discharges. The humans saw the increasing tension in the toys, and tried to move faster. Finally Bruin Bear raised his paw for them to stop.

"That's it. Time to go."

"We need more," protested Poogie.

"We'll manage."

"Just let me get one last piece!"

And Poogie the Friendly Critter, eager to help as always, went charging down the gangway to get the last heavy piece of wood he'd dragged in. Anything started to go after him to help, but the Bear made him wait at the top of the gangway. And then the superpeople came.

They came flying through the sky in their brightly colored costumes, swooping and diving like technicolor angels. They were bright and gaudy and so much larger-than-life, with their long limbs and huge muscles. They flew at each other, fighting with great crashing blows that sent them careening through the flats that made up the fake city. They fired energy blasts from their hands and eyes, the crackling energies rebounding from personal force shields. They flew so high, far above the concerns of mere humanity, and took no notice at all of the humans and toys below them. They were engaged in their own godlike business, and everything and everyone else was less than dust beneath their garish boots.

"They don't even know we're here," said Toby quietly. "They don't give a damn. Flynn, tell me you're getting this."

"As best I can, chief. Half of them are moving too fast for my camera to focus."

"I know them," said Finlay. "I remember them." And he named the flashing figures for his companions, as a bird-watcher might point out sightings of special interest.

There the Mystery Avenger swapped punches with the Bloodred Claw. Heatstroke and Duo Devil clashed in bursts of lightning. Ms. Fate and Ms. Retaliator soared in savage attacks against the Wild Whirlwind Brothers. There were the Double Danger twins, and the Lethal Lightning and the Miracle Maniac. There were reds and blues, gold and silver, flapping capes and hooded cowls. All sorts of emblems and designs and clashing colors. They flew and fought with superhuman speed and savagery, and the city shattered around them.

Finlay wondered if they ever stopped to rebuild, and if not, where the superpeople would go when there was no more city to destroy. He visualized them crashing through Toystown, burying helpless toys under falling rubble, and his hand went to the disrupter at his side. Bruin Bear put a paw on his hand, and shook his head. Finlay understood. They couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves.

Poogie got his piece of wood to the bottom of the gangplank, and then stopped and looked back at the superpeople, to see how close they were. And there he froze, held rooted to the spot by a spectacle of savagery so much greater than he was. Everyone shouted at him from the ship, but he didn't hear them. Finlay started down the gangplank, but Anything raced past him, moving inhumanly fast. He reached the bottom, grabbed Poogie by the shoulder, and shook him roughly. The light came back into Poogie's eyes, and he dropped his piece of wood and started up the gangway.

And up above them, Ms. Fate hit the Miracle Maniac with a blast of lightning from her eyes. He was thrown back against a tall wooden flat pretending to be a tower block. It cracked under the impact, overbalanced and fell backwards, crashing to the ground. The first Poogie and Anything knew was when its shadow fell across them. They stopped and looked up, and saw its huge weight descending upon them. Poogie screamed. There was no time to run. Anything picked up the Friendly Critter and with one great heave threw him up onto the ship's deck. And the great wooden flat came slamming down on Anything like the hammer of God.

Everyone rushed down the gangplank. Finlay covered them with drawn disrupter as Giles used all his boosted strength to lift one end of the massive wooden flat. Toby and Flynn ducked underneath it and dragged Anything out. The Bear and the Goat helped carry him back on board ship. Finlay backed up the gangplank, gun at the ready, but none of the superpeople dueling above so much as looked down.

They laid Anything out on the deck, then stood helplessly over him, not knowing what to do. His body had reverted to a simple humanoid shape, and his metal was cracked in a hundred places. One side of his head had broken open. Dimming lights came and went in the exposed workings of his mind, like drifting thoughts. Poogie knelt beside him, crying. Halloweenie patted him awkwardly on the shoulder, silent for once in the presence of death. Anything stared up at the sky.

"I always knew humans would be the death of me. I should never have come on this mission."

"Don't die," said Poogie. "Don't leave me."

"Not like I have a choice. You go on, Poogie. Find the Red Man. Kick his ass. And don't take any shit from these humans. Get them out of here. I don't want them here. And someone get this damn light out of my eyes."

Bruin Bear reached for something to shade him, and then stopped as he realized Anything was dead. Poogie picked the metal man up and held him in his arms, rocking back and forth, and the tears he cried were just as real as any human's. Flynn stopped filming.

And up in the sky, the superpeople fought on, uncaring of the lesser beings below.

The ship chugged on through the day, and the sounds of war grew louder. They could almost make out now the individual explosions that made up the never-ending thunder. There was smoke in the air, too, gradually darkening the daylight till it seemed evening had come early. The humans and the toys watched from different sides of the deck. They'd been keeping themselves separate since Anything's death.

The steamer pressed on, slowing slightly as wreckage began to appear in the dark waters of the River. And then there were bodies of toys floating past the ship, and bits of toys. So many dead they were beyond counting. Trees burned on both sides of the River, dark smoke billowing up into the false evening sky. Some patches were already burnt-out, dead trees in a dead landscape of rutted earth and trenches and bomb craters. Bright splashes of color lit up the sky in vivid moments, the flash of explosives and the tumbling stars of falling flares. The toys grew restless. The Sea Goat stared straight ahead, eyes wide and nostrils flared, as though deep within him his Shub programming was struggling to resurface. Bruin Bear held the Goat's hand with his paw as hard as he could. Poogie had curled into a ball, hiding his eyes as he sought to hide from old memories of blood and death. Halloweenie sat guard at Julian's door and would not move.

And then suddenly the war was all around them. Armies of toys covered both banks, running and shouting and fighting with boundless strength and fury. They were armed with all kinds of weapons, from crudely beaten blades to energy weapons. Grenades arced through the air, sending earth and broken toys flying through the air. Hand-to-hand combat broke out everywhere, toy fighting toy, with no sense of strategy. It was just chaos, a sprawling mess of death and destruction. The humans and the toys on the steamer ducked as rockets roared over their heads, exploding on the opposite banks.

"Where the hell did they get all these weapons from?" said Finlay, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

"From Shub," said the Sea Goat, still staring out into the chaos with unblinking eyes. "We were supposed to use them against you. And some we made ourselves. Shub gave us that knowledge, too."

"Can you tell who's winning?" said Toby. "The good toys or the bad toys?"

"No one's winning here," said Bruin Bear. "They're just dying."

And at that moment, as though the warring toys had only just noticed them, the armies on both sides of the River opened fire on the paddle steamer. The waters erupted as bombs and grenades fell short, showering the deck with water. The humans and the toys had to cling to the guardrails to avoid being swept away. Energy beams shot out of the murk, piercing the ship's sides in a dozen places. The deck shuddered underfoot as the Merry Mrs. Trusspot screamed. Fires broke out, flames licking hungrily along the wooden hull. The humans fired their disrupters at both banks, while the toys ran to fight the fires with buckets and hand pumps.

Evangeline stuck her head out of Julian's cabin, and Finlay yelled for her to get back inside. She was safer there. Evangeline looked around her and didn't argue. Giles and Finlay put away their guns and drew their swords. They knew someone would come. Toby kept his head well down, recording an exciting commentary, while Flynn sent his camera shooting back and forth, trying to cover as much as possible. More energy beams blasted ragged flaming holes in the ship's superstructure. So far, they hadn't hit the boilers. The ship was still screaming, but her great paddle wheels still turned.

Toys plunged into the River and swam over to the ship. There were teddy bears and shape-changing adaptors and dolls of all kinds. The Sea Goat appeared with a barrel of oil, and emptied it over the side. It floated on the surface of the water, thick and glossy. The Goat ignited it with a thrown torch, and flames sprang up around the ship. Toys caught in the blazing oil screamed as the flames consumed them. But many more made it to the side of the steamer, and surged up the holed hull and over the guardrails. Finlay and Giles met them with flashing swords, and the Goat was there with his club, but they were so few, and there were so many enemies, crazed to kill humans.

Toby and Flynn came to add their swords, and Poogie and Bruin Bear left their fire fighting and came to help with savage claws and vicious jaws. And even in the midst of the war, the Bear still had time to be appalled at how easy it was becoming for him to fight and kill. And Halloweenie, the Li'l Skeleton Boy, picked up a fallen sword and threw away the last of his innocence to join the battle, too.

They fought together, human and toy, not knowing who they fought or why, against an army of toys fired by Shub's imperatives, while flames roared around them. The ship was screaming constantly now. The bridge exploded as it took a direct hit, and the lifeless body of the Captain was thrown through a window, his blackened form hitting the deck hard, to lie still and smoking and unnoticed. The ship began to drift off course, heading for the left-hand bank.

Finlay found himself fighting back-to-back with Giles. Their swords had scattered dead toys across the deck, around them and underfoot, but still more pressed forward from every side. The air was full of almost human screams and bestial roaring from the attackers. The Campbell and the Deathstalker were fighting at the peak of their abilities, and nothing could get near them, but they both knew they couldn't hold out indefinitely against such overwhelming odds.

"Things look bad," said Giles casually, over his shoulder.

"More than bad," Finlay said breathlessly, as he cut down a slavering wolf in a woodsman's uniform. "We'll need a miracle to get out of this one."

"My thoughts entirely," said Giles. "The same miracle I used to save us last time."

It only took a moment for Finlay to understand. "No! Not again! It would kill him!"

There was a sharp crack of thunder behind him, and a clap of air rushing in to fill the space where the Deathstalker had been. Finlay knew where he'd teleported to. He fought his way through the crush to reach Julian's cabin. He kicked the door in and rushed in. Giles had dragged Julian to his feet, and was holding the esper up with one hand, while he used the other to fend off Evangeline. Finlay drew his disrupter and pointed it at Giles.

"Not again, Deathstalker. Not again."

"Either he calls up a psistorm, or we're all dead," said Giles reasonably. "Which is more important—one already dying esper, or our lives and our mission?" They all staggered a moment as another explosion shook the ship. Giles smiled humorlessly. "Make up your mind, Campbell. We're running out of time."

"He's my friend," said Finlay. "I didn't rescue him from Hell just to let you kill him. I'll kill you first, Giles." The gun was very steady in his hand.

"You've got power, Giles," Evangeline said desperately. "The Maze made you different, stronger, powerful. Use that power to save us."

"I can't," said Giles. "I could teleport myself out of here, but I couldn't take any of you with me. And without the ship, how could we even reach the Forest?"

"You need power?" said Julian thickly. "I'll give you power, Deathstalker."

The esper grabbed his captor by the chin, and turned his head around so they were staring into each other's eyes. Power surged up in Julian as he called on all his reserves. He could feel things breaking and tearing inside him, and didn't care. His mouth stretched in a mirthless grin, and blood seeped between his teeth and dripped off his chin. Julian Skye focused his esp and hammered it right into Giles's head. For a moment Giles thought he was staring into the sun, brilliant and overpowering. Julian's strength was fueled by his last dying energies, and he used it all to reach out and meld his power with that of Giles, slamming them together so that they mixed and merged. Giles and Julian screamed together, and then Giles teleported, and took the whole ship with him.

Air rushed in to fill the great gap where the paddle steamer had been, and then there was only the River, burning here and there, with dead toys floating facedown in it. The toys forgot the ship and returned to the war, and the slaughter went on as always.

The Merry Mrs. Trusspot reappeared about half a mile farther up the River. Great waves splashed up on either side of her as she settled, drenching half her fires and putting them out. Giles and Julian and Finlay came storming out of the cabin and tore into the remaining enemy toys, cutting them down in hardly any time at all. They threw the bodies overboard, and for the first time a silence fell across the deck. Toby lowered his sword and smiled tiredly.

"Now that is what I call a miracle. I didn't know you could do that, Deathstalker."

"Neither did I," said Giles. "And I don't think I'll be doing it again anytime soon." He looked at Julian, standing strong and sure before him. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Damned if I know," Julian said cheerfully. "My best guess is that when we joined, I was able to draw on your power to heal myself. You're capable of a lot more than you realize, Deathstalker."

"You look a lot better," said Finlay. "Hell, you look human again. How do you feel?"

"Perfect in every detail," said Julian. "I'm back to how I was before the Empire found me. I'm cured, people. Feel free to shout Hallelujah!"

"Keep the noise down," said the Sea Goat. "We didn't all make it through."

He gestured to the other end of the deck, where Halloweenie was kneeling beside the scorched and blackened body of the Captain.

"Damn," said Toby. "Now who's going to steer the ship?"

They pressed on into the afternoon, leaving the war behind them. Down-River lay the Forest, and the Red Man, and even the dark necessities of battle couldn't push the warring toys any closer than they were. All that lay between the paddle steamer and its destination now was time, and the pondering of mysteries. The humans polished their swords. The toys huddled together, speaking in hushed tones. Halloweenie manned the wheel on the bridge, standing on a box. He watched the River, and had nothing to say. The humans had thrown what was left of the Captain into the River, the nearest they could get to a burial at sea. They never did find his parrot. The damaged Merry Mrs. Trusspot chugged steadily on, silent again, her great eyes wide-open and watchful.

They saw the Forest long before they reached it. It appeared ahead of them like a huge dark stain on the horizon, into which the River was inevitably carrying them. The humans and the toys gathered together at the bow, eyes fixed on the end of their journey, old differences forgotten in the face of the unknown. The Forest was upon them with increasing speed, and soon they could all make out the first great trees of the boundary, and the narrow opening through which the River flowed. The paddle steamer slowed, as though offering one last chance to turn back, and then she sounded her whistle defiantly, chugged bravely forward into the narrow gap, and entered the Forest.

It was a dark and primal place, with trees so huge they had to be hundreds of years old. They were tall and vast and threatening, a reminder of a time when Humanity lived by the Forest's grace and was just a part of its slow primordial pulse. The heavy branches were thick with foliage, interlocked together high overhead in a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. Heading into the Forest, the humans and the toys left the day behind, and became a part of the endless twilight.

No one had ever been meant to play here. There was no comfort or security to be found in the great Forest. The place of the trees was wild and free and untamed, and man entered at his own risk. The tall trees stood close together, wide and wrinkled, their leaves a dark, bitter green. The air was thick with the scent of earth and sap and living things. The paddle steamer moved slowly, surely, down the River, branches occasionally trailing on the roof of the bridge. It was like moving through an endless evening, grey and solemn and eerily quiet, a vast living Cathedral of ancient wood.

And so they passed out of the world of toys and into the great green dream of olden days, sailing down a dark River in search of a mystery and an enigma—the lost soul called the Red Man. And the army he had gathered around him for his own, unknown, purposes.

They say he's crazy. They say he wants to destroy the world…

Finlay and Giles had their disrupters in their hands, ready for use at a moment's notice. Julian and Evangeline stood together at the guardrail, feeling somehow small and insignificant in such a place of giants. Flynn was going crazy trying to get it all on film, but for once in his life Toby felt too intimidated by the dark glory around him to offer any commentary. Poogie, the Bear, and the Goat stood close together, drawing strength from each other. Alone on the bridge, Halloweenie stared into the gloom ahead like a bird hypnotized by a snake.

The endless quiet had a strength of its own. No one felt like breaking it with idle chatter. There were no sounds of bird or beast or insect, just the steady chugging of the ship's engines. The never-ending hush had an expectant quality, as though at any moment some great voice might begin speaking, to which all living things must listen. So both the humans and the toys were all listening hard when the first piercing notes came tumbling out of the dark toward them.

The song came first, a bright, vibrant melody, joyous and free. And then came the singers, tiny glowing winged sprites, flying through the trees like tiny stars come down to earth. There were crowds of them, bustling and animated, breaking over the ship like a wave of light, swooping and soaring all around the paddle steamer, but never, ever, coming too close. The humans and the toys watched with wide eyes and wider smiles, touched by unexpected joy in a dark place. The sprites were human in shape, but only a foot or so long, with great, pastel-colored wings. They shone with a brilliant inner light, dazzling and vivid, luminous beings, like living moonlight.

And they sang, singly and together, high delicate tones of rippling arpeggios and endless harmonies, a choir of angels on the wing, a sound so pure and beautiful it broke the heart to hear it. It was the Forest given voice, a place and a mood and a meaning wrapped up in song. Everyone on the ship felt that they were on the brink of answers to every question that ever really mattered. And then suddenly the sprites were gone, surging away into the Forest, their song dying away in the gloom and the distance.

"What the hell was that?" said Toby finally, after they were all gone. "And did you get it on film, Flynn?"

"Don't ask me," said Flynn. "The camera was running, but I was away with the fairies. Weren't they beautiful?"

"Marvelous," said Finlay. "But what are they doing here? What is this Forest doing here, on Shannon's World? This was never intended as a place for children. Hell, I'm not sure if I'm ready for it at my age."

"Could it be real?" said Julian. "Something original to the planet? It looks old, even ancient."

"No," said Evangeline. "This planet was a lifeless rock before Shannon had it terraformed. Everything here is his."

"Then why did he build this?" said Giles. "What's its purpose?"

"It was to be his next project," said Poogie, and they all turned to look at him. The cartoony figure didn't look around. His voice was calm, certain. "Shannon's purpose had always been to reach the soul of Humanity, to heal its wounds. Summerland was just the first step. A place for children of all ages to find peace and comfort. The Forest was to be the next step. A place men and women could disappear into for as long as they needed, to find their spiritual roots and grow strong and sure again.

"Once the Forest was completed. Shannon walked into it and never came out. He's still in there, somewhere, if he's still alive. That's why Harker chose this place for his retreat. This is a place of rebirth. The rebirth of the soul of Shannon's World."

"Wait a minute," said Bruin Bear. "How do you know why Harker chose this place?"

"Because I'm one of his people," said Poogie, turning round at last to face them with his large, knowing eyes. "I'm going to lead you right to him."

They all questioned him for some time, but he just shook his head, and said Harker would answer all their questions soon enough. The Goat was furious at being deceived, and even threatened Poogie with his club, but the Bear made him back off. Nothing had really changed in their mission, and if the Friendly Critter could lead them directly to Harker, so much the better. The Goat subsided, muttering, but wouldn't put his club away. Poogie stood alone at the tip of the bow, looking eagerly up River. The humans talked quietly among themselves. Giles said he'd never trusted the toy anyway. Finlay pointed out that one rogue toy was hardly any danger to them. But only Evangeline spotted the real implications of Poogie's revelation, that Harker knew they were coming.

They pressed on through the twilight. After a while, they began to hear drums beating up ahead, like the slow heartbeat of a sleeping giant. Or perhaps even the heartbeat of the Forest itself. There were traces of smoke in the air, sharp and spicy. The feeling of being watched by unseen eyes became increasingly powerful, causing the humans and the toys to huddle together in the ship's bow, weapons at the ready. The humans were thinking less about their mission to get important tactical information from Harker, and more about how they were going to survive a meeting with the dreaded Red Man and his army. From whose territory no traveler had ever returned before. The drums grew louder and more threatening.

"He's a great man," said Poogie, almost dreamily, from where he stood alone. "Not easy to understand, sometimes, but still a man of great wisdom. We belong to him, heart and soul. We would die for the Red Man. He will lead us all out of the darkness, put an end to the war, change the face of this world beyond recognition."

"Whether everyone else wants it or not," said Bruin Bear.

"How is he going to make these changes?" said Finlay. "By unleashing his army on everyone else? By forcing them to follow his way, rather than the way they've chosen for themselves?"

"You don't understand," said Poogie. "He knows a truth that changes all of us who hear it. He saved me. He saved us all. He'll save the world, too."

"Whether it wants to be saved or not," said Giles. "I've met his kind before."

"No," said Poogie. "You've never met anyone like the Red Man." He wouldn't be drawn any farther.

Finally they came to Harker's camp. His people had cleared an open space among the tall trees, and in it built a great wooden fortress, with high walls, slender towers, and suspended walkways. Toys in their thousands watched from all around as the paddle steamer slowed to a halt in the great dark lagoon that was the end of the River. The sound of the drums was deafening now, hammering on the air. Smoke rose from a hundred fires, burning scarlet and gold in the darkness between the trees. There were blazing torches on every side, the dancing flames casting uneasy shadows. There were toys of every kind, standing close together in and out of the trees, holding all kinds of weapons, silently watching the newcomers with unwavering eyes. Held back by the Red Man's will, but still wary and watchful, and openly menacing.

Without warning, the drums fell silent. The army of toys didn't react at all. The sudden quiet was broken only by the crackling of hundreds of fires and torches, and the slow chugging of the paddle steamer's engines. Finlay and Giles looked slowly around them, careful to make no sudden move with their guns that might be misinterpreted. The Bear and the Goat stood very close together, holding hands, lost souls in the underworld. The light from the ship's lanterns made little impression on the surrounding gloom, and the crimson glare of the massed fires and torches only served to deepen the darkness between the trees, like burning coals in the night.

"Welcome to Hell," Toby said quietly.

"This isn't Hell," said Poogie. "This is home. Pull into the left-hand bank and lower the gangway. We mustn't keep Harker waiting."

Giles looked up at Halloweenie on the bridge. "Sound the whistle. Let Harker know we're here. I don't want him thinking we're intimidated."

"We are intimidated," said the Sea Goat.

"Maybe," said Julian. "But Harker doesn't need to know that. Sound the whistle."

The whistle sounded again and again as the Li'l Skeleton Boy hauled jerkily on the rope. It was loud and strident, pushing back the quiet, its overlapping echoes seeming to fill the Forest. The watching toys didn't stir in the least, but everyone on board the ship felt a little better.

"Right," said Finlay. "Let's go see the Red Man. And remember—no shooting till we see the whites of their teeth."

"If we have to start shooting, we're dead," said Giles. "Let's all keep very calm, people."

"We're never going home," said the Sea Goat. "We're going to die here, in Hell."

"Then die well," said Bruin Bear. "If that's all that's left to us."

They made their way cautiously down the gangplank and onto the shore, looking around all the time for any sign of aggression, but the watching thousands of toys were still and silent. Poogie led the way, bouncing happily along without an obvious care in the world. Giles strode along behind him, his chin held high, as though he owned the place. Finlay kept Evangeline close at his side, his hand never far from his holstered gun. Julian stared straight ahead, his hands stuffed into his pockets so no one would see them shaking. Toby and Flynn stuck together, taking it all in, the camera bobbing along just above their heads. Bruin Bear and the Sea Goat brought up the rear. Halloweenie walked between them, holding their hands in his bony fingers. The Merry Mrs. Trusspot watched them go with her wide unblinking eyes, but said nothing.

The crowd of toys opened up to provide a way for the newcomers, a narrow gauntlet, bristling with weapons, which led into the open courtyard of the great wooden fortress. Finlay's breathing began to come fast and hurried, but he kept his face calm and unmoved. He had a strong feeling this would be a bad place to appear weak. He sneaked a glance at Giles, whose expression suggested he'd seen worse before and hadn't been impressed then. And maybe he had. Finlay had to smile. Trust a Deathstalker to seem at home in Hell. He'd already decided that if worse came to worst, he was going to do his very best to kill Harker first, then see how many toys he could kill before they dragged him down. He hoped he'd have time to kill Evangeline. He'd brought her into Hell; the least he could do was give her a quick death.

Inside the courtyard, brightly lit by hundreds of flaring torches, on a throne carved from the stump of a great tree, sat Vincent Harker, the Red Man. The man in red. The man in the Santa Claus suit.

Everyone came to a sudden halt. Even the Deathstalker's jaw dropped. Poogie hurried forward to bow to Harker, and then sat at his feet. Harker reached down and scratched the creature's head, and Poogie leaned against the man's knee with a long sigh, home at last. Harker was a large man, more muscle than fat, with long white hair and a bushy white beard, and he wore the Santa Claus suit with quiet authority. He smiled warmly at his guests, a wide, welcoming, and very sane smile.

"The Red Man," said Toby. "Father Christmas. I should have known."

"What else did you expect, on a world made for toys and children?" said Harker. His voice was rich and deep and very reassuring. "Welcome to my home. I was beginning to think you'd never get here. Please don't be concerned for your safety. My followers only ever act in self-defense. They're putting on a bit of a show at the moment, because they're afraid you've come to take me away from them. Once they see you're no threat, they'll calm down again. At least, I'm assuming you're not a threat. Why have you come such a long and dangerous way to find me? You're not Imperial forces."

"Definitely not," said Evangeline, stepping forward and doing her best not to notice all the weapons that moved to follow her. "We represent the underground movement on Golgotha. A growing army of clones and espers and those who believe in liberty and justice, dedicated to rebellion. We understand you possess valuable tactical information concerning the Empire's forces. We're here to ask you to share that knowledge with us."

"Ask?" said Harker. "That settles it; you're definitely not Empire troops. Come; sit down with me, and I'll tell you how I came to be here, and how I ended up as Santa Claus to a world of toys."

A group of soldier dolls brought chairs, and the newcomers sat down before Harker. The soldier dolls retreated backwards, keeping their eyes on the newcomers and their hands near their weapons. Harker and his guests both pretended not to notice. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable. Harker leaned back in his throne.

"The toys built this for me. I didn't ask them to, don't really believe in such things anymore, but they decided that as their leader I was entitled to a throne, and they can be very stubborn about some things. So I go along with it, to keep them happy. Sometimes I wonder who's really in charge here. Anyway, my story. When I crash-landed here, the war was still raging everywhere. Toy killing toy. Madness. Only newly brought to intelligence and life, and all they could do with it was kill and be killed. I saw the slaughter of toys and the death of innocence, and it changed me. Forever.

"When I worked for the Empire, they called me the Cold Man, because nothing ever touched me. I dealt in plans and strategies, turning raw data into schemes and tactics that would ensure the highest possible enemy losses and acceptable Empire losses. And if thousands or sometimes millions of people died because of the decisions I made, I didn't care. I didn't see them. I didn't know them. They were just numbers.

"Then I came here, to Summerland, and what I saw broke my heart. Because I saw the truth of what the toys really are now. They're children. Young, innocent, betrayed by the forces that gave them intelligence, then fed them only lies and hatred. The toys didn't understand what they were doing when they killed the humans. Shub manipulated them. So new to life, how could they really understand death? When they saw their status, their feelings were hurt, and they lashed out, like angry children, like puppies that don't know teeth can hurt. Afterward, when they saw what they had done, it drove many of them insane with guilt and horror.

"When I saw the death of their childhood and the betrayal of innocence in the name of war, I was horrified and sickened. For the first time, the numbers I'd dealt with so casually became real. For the first time, I cared. So I went out into the world of toys and walked among them, one human, alone and unarmed, bringing them a truth that they had never suspected. That they were the children now. I became Santa Claus, because it was an image they could all understand, and I told them of the horrors of war, and where it led, as only I could. They heard the truth and the guilt in my voice, and they believed. I wanted so desperately to save them from the horror of what I had become, and they could sense that, too.

"I acquired disciples and followers, and many enemies. Toys who daren't believe me, because of what they had done and continued to do in Shub's name. Because my truth would mean they had made themselves into murderers and butchers for no good reason; and they would rather fight a war that had no end than believe that. So I brought my people here, into the Forest, a place intended for forgiveness and rebirth, and sent my disciples out to carry my truth to the world of toys.

"As always, the message became scrambled as it passed from mouth to mouth. I became the Red Man, my followers became an army, and my message of peace became a threat to the world. But the truth is a hardy beast, and it persisted, bringing toys here to hear it for themselves. Slipping away from both sides in ones and twos, they came here for peace and absolution, and I did my best to give it to them.

"They are the true children of Shannon's World, and I am their Father Christmas. Who knows what they might become, when they have grown into adults?"

"All this time and all this way, I've been following the wrong story," said Toby. "I should have known."

"What are you going to do when the Empress finally loses her patience and sends an army down here to bring you back?" said Evangeline. "Your followers are impressive, but they wouldn't last that long against Imperial shock troops. You of all people should know that. If you were to come back with us, to the rebellion, we could hide you, protect you…"

She trailed off. Harker was shaking his head firmly. "No. I'll never leave. I'm needed here, and I have so much to atone for. If an army ever comes, a rumor will cross the world of toys that I am dead. There'll even be a very convincing body to back it up. Eventually the information in my head will become obsolete, and then no one will care about me anymore."

"I can't help noticing that none of your people have lowered any of their weapons yet," said Finlay. "Are they always this protective?"

"Mostly," said Harker. "They worship me, though I have asked them not to. I suppose it's only to be expected. I preach to them, tell them stories, try to bring them up to be all that they can be. They have enormous potential. Don't you find it staggering, that so many of them rejected the Shub programming on their own, without outside help or persuasion? Even though they were really only newly born children, they still knew right from wrong, the sanctity of life and the horror of murder. They knew that all that lives is holy."

"All that lives is holy." The rumbled chorus came from all around them, like a litany.

Halloweenie leaned forward in his chair. "Are you really Santa Claus?"

Harker smiled. "I am, if anyone is. Would you like to stay here with me, with us?"

"Oh yes," said Halloweenie. "I thought the Forest was frightening at first, but it isn't, not really. I could be a Boy here, couldn't I? A real Boy."

"Of course," said Harker. "You always were."

"What will happen to the toys eventually?" said Julian. "When they've given up their fear, and become… adults?"

"I don't know," said Harker. "These are the first independent AI minds since Shub. They might become as human as us. Or, given the state of Humanity these days, they might not settle for so little. Perhaps the creations will outdo their creators."

"That could be… dangerous," said Giles.

"Stop thinking about Shub," said Harker. "Things are different here. Besides, the toys are powered by energy crystals. Eventually they will run down, and then the toys will need new crystals. And the only place to get those is Human space. The toys will need humans. And humans will always need toys. But that's the future. Lionstone must never know the secret of Haceldama. She would look at my children and see only another Shub in the making. She'd scorch this whole world rather than risk that."

"Give us the tactical information you possess," said Evangeline, "and we'll keep Lionstone so busy she won't have time to think about Shannon's World. Once it's clear we know what you know, your information will become redundant, you won't be important to her anymore."

"But you know my secret," said Harker. "Can I trust you to remain silent?"

"The underground has more important things to worry about than one basically neutral planet," said Evangeline. "As long as we come back with your information, no one will care where it came from. No one but us need ever know about Shannon's children."

They all looked at Toby, who sighed heavily and then shrugged. "It would have been great footage, but I guess it can stay on the shelf till it's finally safe to show it. Wouldn't be the first story I helped to bury. Right, Flynn? So, no one will ever know."

"Wrong," said Julian. "The Empire will know, because I'll tell them. I'll tell them everything." He stood up sharply, pushing back his chair, and the disrupter in his hand was trained unwaveringly on Harker. His face twisted with a smile that had no humor in it. His voice sounded strange, forced. "No one move, or Harker's dead. Before Finlay rescued me, the mind techs planted one of Wormboy's worms deep in my brain, with hidden instructions. To destroy any real threat to the Empire. Harker and his army have activated my worm and its programming. Get up, Harker. You're coming back to Lionstone with me. Anyone interferes, and I'll kill him, right here."

All around, the toys lifted their weapons and then hesitated, unsure what to do that wouldn't lead to the death of their leader. Giles's hand went to his gun, but Finlay put a hand on his arm, stopping him. They couldn't risk it.

"Can you teleport him out of here?" Finlay murmured.

"No. His esp blocks my powers," said Giles quietly. "But I might well be able to shoot him before he can get off a shot. Let me try."

"No," said Finlay. "I want to try something first." He raised his voice. "Julian, listen to me. I got you out of the interrogator's cell. You hadn't broken. You were too strong for them. Be strong now. Giles says your powers are greater now than they've ever been. Fight the worm. Fight it! Be your own self!"

Julian frowned, his mouth working silently. The hand holding the disrupter began to shake. And then slowly the fingers opened, and the gun fell to the ground. Toby pounced on it, as Julian fell shuddering to his knees. Some of the toys aimed their weapons, but Harker stepped down from his throne to kneel beside the shaking esper.

"Help me," said Julian, his eyes squeezed shut. "It's still in my head. It wants me to kill you. It always will. But I won't…"

"You can be free," said Harker, his head down next to Julian's. "You can. My children broke their programming; you can break yours. Be strong. All you have to do is believe."

Julian's back arched as a horrid pain coursed through him. His head snapped back, his face twisted in agony. His brief contact with Giles had filled him with more power than he'd ever known, and he drew on it all now, determined to be free even if it killed him. His left eye slowly bulged forward. And out of the bloody eye socket oozed a small grey worm, pushed out of the esper's brain by the sheer force of his will. It fell squirming onto the ground, and Finlay crushed it under his heel. Julian sank back into Harker's waiting arms. His eye sank back into its socket, and he managed a shaky smile.

"Well-done," said Finlay. "I always knew you had it in you."

"I'm half-dead, and he's cracking jokes," said Julian. "Someone hit him for me."

They all laughed, even Julian, as they all took turns hitting Finlay.

And that was the end of their mission to Shannon's World, wrongly renamed Haceldama, the Field of Blood. The humans and the toys celebrated long into the night, singing and dancing in the light of many fires, the occasional stream of moonlight, and the thick clouds of glowing spirits who came swooping in out of the night with their endless song. Bruin Bear and the Sea Goat danced paw in hand around the fire and were content, knowing the truth about themselves at last. And Halloweenie, the Li'l Skeleton Boy, sat on Harker's throne, drumming his bony heels against the wood, and dreamed of what it would be like to be more than just a boy.