The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第15章

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shape；　with　a　snout…like　mouth　full　of　blunt　teeth；　and　dark；　murky　eyes。　Fibre…wires　and　fluid　tubes　braided　his　cranium　in　place　of
hair。　He　wore　plasteel　body　armour　the　colour　of　blood　and　carried　a　segmented　power　glaive。
'Eisenhorn；'　he　nodded；　noticing　me。　It　was　like　having　a　warhorse　shake　its　head　in　my　direction。
'They're　coming　again！'　The　cry　went　up　from　Heldane's　men。　Down　the　street；　moving　through　the　fire　spills；　figures　were　lurching
towards　us。
Weapons！　Stand　ready！　Heldane　had　spoken；　but　not　with　his　voice。　His　psychic　command　shook　through　our　skulls　and　some　of　our
own　troopers　looked　dismayed。
Missiles　rained　down　on　us；　and　the　Interior　Guardsmen　raised　an　umbrella　of　riot　shields。　Small　arms　fired　at　us　too；　and　an　arbites
near　me　fell　with　his　knee　buckled　the　wrong　way。
Our　attackers；　some　hundred　or　more；　were　hive　citizens；　blank　faced　and　moving　like　marionettes。　As　Heldane　had　reported；　some
monumental　psychic　force　was　making　puppets　out　of　them。　The　smoky　night　air　ionised　with　the　psionic　backwash。
I　take　no　pleasure　in　actions　like　the　one　that　followed。　The　beast　Esarhaddon　was　forcing　us　to　fight　innocent　civilians　just　to　protect
ourselves。
Maybe　he　thought　we'd　shrink　from　the　task　and　leave　him　alone。
We；　however；　were　the　Inquisition。
Kurvel　led　his　White　Consuls　at　the　front；　banging　their　weapons　against　their　chest…plates　and　howling　defiance　through　their　helmet
speakers。　I　saw　a　promethium　bomb　strike　one　and　shatter；　sply　strode　on。
We　fired　over　the　mob's　heads；　trying　to　break　them；　but　they　had　no　will　of　their　own。　Our　firing　became　kill…shots。　In　ten　minutes；
we　had　reluctantly　added　a　fair　number　to　the　planet's　rising　death　toll。
That　brought　us　to　the　corner　of　the　street；　facing　the　high　walls　of　the　garden　and　the　edge　of　the　palace's　iridescent　force　shield　itself。
I　could　hear　a　low　chuckling　in　my　head。
Esarhaddon。
Where's　Lyko？　I　heard　Voke　ask　Heldane　psychically。
He　took　a　team　around　the　front　to　try　and　disable　the　force　wall。
'You　idiot！'　I　said；　out　loud；　looking　over　at　Heldane。　'This　monster　can　control　a　crowd　that　big　and　you　mind…speak　this　close　to
him？'
'This　monster；'　Heldane　replied；　'can　read　every　mind　in　the　city　and　beyond。　He　knows　what　we're　all　doing。　There　is　no　point　in
secrecy。　Just　effort。　Is　that　beyond　you？'
'How　long　until　the　next　attack？'　Kurvel　asked；　reloading　his　weapon。
'They've　become　less　frequent　since　we　first　arrived；'　replied　Heldane。　'However　long　it　takes　Esarhaddon　to　mind…search　the
surrounding　habs　and　recruit　another　puppet　force。　He's　having　to　cast　his　net　wider　each　time。'
'How　did　he　get　in　there？'　Roban　asked。
Heldane　simply　shook　his　head　and　shrugged。　Roban；　a　robust　inquisitor　of　middle　years　dressed　in　brown　and　yellow　layered　robes；
was　a　good　man；　though　I　didn't　know　him　well。　But　he　was　an　outspoken　Xanthanite　and　the　ultra…puritan　Heldane　had　little　time　for
him。
Voke　and　Heldane　fell　to　discussing　possible　assault　plans　with　Kurvel　as　the　soldiers　around　us　formed　a　defensive　position。
'This　is　a　damned　thankless　task；'　Roban　said　to　me。　'I　don't　even　know　why　we're　here！'

'Cannon　fodder；'　said　his　youthful　interrogator；　Inshabel；　bluntly；　and　it　made　us　both　laugh。
'There　has　to　be　something…'　I　said。　I　took　out　my　pocket　scope　and　tried　to　read　the　energy　patterns　and　spectrums。
'You！'　I　called　to　one　of　the　arbites　in　our　party；　a　grizzled　precinct　commander　in　full　riot　gear。
'Inquisitor？'
'What's　your　name？'
'Lucius；　sir。'
'Dear　God…Emperor！'　I　sighed　again　and　Roban　laughed　once　more。
'Okay；　Luckless　…　this　palace　must　come　into　your　precinct's　patrol　area。'
'Yes；　sir。'
'So　street　security　around　it　is　your　responsibility。'
'Again；　yes　sir。'
'So…　just　as　a　matter　of　procedure；　your　section　house　will　have　on　file　the　shield　type　and　harmonics　for　the　palace；　in　case　of
emergencies。'　In　my　experience；　it　was　standard　protocol　for　any　arbites　precinct　to　know　such　things　about　key　structures　within　their
purview。
'It's　classified；　sir。'
'Of　course　it　is；'　I　sighed　again。　'But　now　would　be　a　good　time。
He　got　on　his　vox…link　and　after　a　lot　of　effort；　managed　to　get　a　channel　open　to　the　section　house。
'You're　on　to　something；　aren't　you？'　Roban　asked　me。
'Maybe。'
'The　—'
'The　what？'
'No　offence。　Your　reputation　precedes　you。'
'Does　it　now？　In　a　good　way？'
Roban　grinned　and　shook　his　head；　like　a　man　who　might　have　heard　something；　but　who　had　decided　to　make　up　his　own　mind。
'IT'S　AN　OLD　type…ten　conical　void；'　Arbites　Commander　Lucius　reported　presently。　'Tangent　eight…seven…eight　harmonic　wave。　We
don't　have　an　override　code。　Lady　Lange　wouldn't　permit　it。'
'I　bet　she　wishes　she　had　now；'　said　Interrogator　Inshabel；　caustic　and　to　the　point　once　again。　I　was　beginning　to　like　him。
'Thank　you；　Luckless；'　I　said。
'It's…　Lucius；　sir。'
'I　know。'
I　tried　to　remember　everything　Aemos　had　counselled　me　about　shields　over　the　years。　I　wished　I　had　his　recall。　Better　still；　I　wished　I
had　him　here。
'We　can　collapse　it；'　I　said；　with　fair　confidence。
'Collapse　a　void　shield？'　Roban　asked。
'It's　conical…　super…surface　only。　And　it's　old。　Voids　shrug　off　just　about　anything；　but　they　don't　retain　their　field　if　you　take　out　one
or　more　of　the　projectors。
'That　buttress　there；　the　one　the　garden　wall　is　built　around；　that's　got　to　be　one　of　the　projector　units；　seated　down　into　the　ground。'
Roban　nodded；　apparently　impressed。　'I　see　the　logic；　but　not　the　practice。'
I　walked　over　to　Brother…Sergeant　Kurvel；　interrupting　his　conversation　with　Heldane　without　apology；　and　explained　what　I　wanted
to　do。
Heldane　scoffed　at　once。　'Lyko's　already　trying　that！'
'How？'
'He's　located　the　outer　controls　at　the　front　gate　and　is　trying　to　break　their　coding…'
'Coding　and　controls　that　will　be　dead　and　locked　out　thanks　to　Esarhaddon。　Lyko's　wasting　his　time。　We　can't　switch　this　off。　We
can't　break　Esarhaddon's　control　over　its　system。　But　we　can　undermine　the　system　itself。'
Heldane　was　about　to　speak　again；　but　Voke　shut　him　up。
'I　think　Gregor　may　be　on　to　something。'
'Why？'
Voke　pointed。　Close　to　five　hundred　citizens　were　now　advancing　towards　us　from　streets　on　all　sides。
'Because　as　you　pointed　out；　Heldane；　the　monster　can　hear　us；　and　he　clearly　doesn't　like　the　sound　of　this　plan。'
IT　TOOK　KURVEL　about　ten　minutes　to　gouge　out　the　pavement　and　a　section　of　garden　wall　with　his　lightning　claw；　and　all　the　while
we　were　under　attack　from　the　growing　mob　of　puppets。
'Sewer！'　Kurvel　announced。
I　turned　to　the　others　as　shots　and　missiles　rained　down。　'Commodus…　you　have　to　hold　them　off　a　while　longer。'
'Count　on　it；'　he　said。
'Roban；　get　a　small　squad　and　follow　me。'
Heldane　wasn't　happy。　But　by　then；　Heldane　wasn't　calling　the　shots　any　more。　I　believe　he　took　his　rage　out　on　the　enslaved　citizens。

I　DROPPED　INTO　the　sewer　hole　with　Kurvel；　Roban；　Inshabel　and　three　troopers　of　the　Interior　Guard。　The　defence　on　the　street　above
could　barely　spare　any　of　them。
The　filthy　sewer　tube　went　in　under　the　wall　itself　before　dropping　sharply　away。　Old；　patched　stone　swelled　around　the　base　of　the
buttress。　The　stone　was　warm；　and　foamy　clumps　of　fungus　were　growing　on　it。
Inshabel　trained　a　spotbeam　in　so　I　could　see。
Kurvel　could　see　in　the　dark。　He　took　out　his　last　two　krak　grenades　and　fixed　them　to　the　stonework　with　smears　of　adhesive　paste
from　a　tube　he　carried　in　his　pack。
'I　wish　we　had　more。　We　could　blow　the　wall　right　through。'
'We　could；　brother…sergeant；　but　this　might　be　better。'
'Why？'
'Because　if　we　can　simply　make　this　projector　fail；　the　energies　of　the　shield　will　short　out　before　they　collapse。　Rather　than　blowing
outwards；　that'll　cause　an　electromagnetic　pulse　within　the　field　itself。　And　I　think　an　EM　pulse　is　the　last　thing　Esarhaddon　wants
right　now。'
As　if　to　prove　my　suspicions　right；　a　stabbing　sheet　of　psychic　power　lashed　at　us。　Esarhaddon　had　realised　his　vulnerability；　and　was
turning　his　immense　power　on　us　now。　The　puppets　had　been　sport；　but　now　it　was　time　to　control　or　blast　out　the　minds　of　his　hunters
before　they　stopped　being　playthings　and　became　a　danger。
The　psyker　attack　was　devastating。　Two　of　the　Interior　guardsmen　simply　died。　Another　started　firing；　hitting　Kurvel　twice　and
wounding　Inshabel。　Regretfully；　Roban　blasted　the　trooper　down　with　his　laspistol。
Our　minds　were　harder　to　attack；　especially　given　the　shield　formed　by　the　rock　above　us　and　our　proximity　to　the　energy　flux　of　the
shield。
But　Roban；　Inshabel；　Kurvel　and　I　would　be　dead　or　homicidal　in　seconds。
How　I　wished　for　Alizebeth；　or　any　of　the　Distaff　right　then。
'Trigger　it！　Trigger　it！'　I　gasped；　the　blood　vessels　in　my　nose　and　throat　opening　yet　again　that　day。
'We're　right　on　top　of　the—'
'Just　do　it；　brother…sergeant！　In　the　name　of　the　God…Emperor！'
THE　BLAST　TOOK　out　the　projector。　It　filled　the　sewer　tunnel　with　flickering　destruction。　It　would　have　killed　us　but　for　the　fact　that
Brother…Sergeant　Kurvel　shielded　us　with　his　massive　armoured　body。
It　cost　him　his　life。
I　have　made　a　point　to　have　his　name　and　memory　celebrated　by　the　Primarch　of　the　White　Consuls。
WITH　THE　GENERATING　projector　killed；　the　void　shield　collapsed　in　on　itself；　blacking　out　the　palace　systems　with　the　thunderclap　of
electromagnetic　rage。
Blacking　out　Esarhaddon's　seething　mind　too。
My　research　into　untouchables；　through　Alizebeth　and　then　through　the　Distaff　she　created　and　ran；　had　indicated　to　me　that　perhaps
psychic　power；　no　matter　how　potent；　relied　in　the　final　analysis　on　the　electrical　workings　of　the　human　mind；　the　firing　of　impulse
charges　between　synapses。　Untouchables　somehow　blanked　this；　and　triggered　a　disturbing　and　disarming　vacancy　in　the　natural　and
fundamental　processes　of　the　human　brain。　That；　I　had　initially　concluded；　was　why　psykers　don't　work　around　untouchables…　and
why　forgetfulness　and　unease　is　prevalent　in　their　company。　And；　ultimately；　why　they　disturb　and　upset　humans　so；　and　psykers
doubly　so。
I'd　turned　the　old　void　shield　into　a　brief；　bright　untouchable　event。
And　now；　Emperor　damn　him；　the　heretic　psyker　Esarhaddon；　temporarily　rendered　deaf；　blind　and　m