The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第4章

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later；　as　I　slowly　recovered。　For　days；　I　was　as　weak　as　a　feline　whelp。
Most　particularly；　I　knew　nothing　about　the　way　Tantalid　had　been　denied。　Bequin　told　me；　a　day　or　two　after　my　first　awakening。　It
had　been　something　so　typically　Betancore。
Alizebeth　had　been　hard　on　my　heels　up　the　stairs　from　the　sacrarium；　in　time　to　see　Tantalid's　arrival。　She　had　known　him　at　once。
The　Witchfinder　is　notorious　throughout　the　subsector。
He'd　been　about　to　kill　me；　and　I　was　unconscious　at　his　feet；　going　into　anaphylactic　shock　with　the　venom　bonding　and　seething　in
my　veins。
She'd　cried　out；　fumbling　for　her　weapon。
Then　light　…　hard；　powerful　light　…　had　streamed　in　through　the　stained　glass　windows。　There　was　a　roaring　sound。　My　gun…cutter；　its
lamps　on　full　beam；　rose　to　a　hover　over　the　rained　chapel；　lighting　up　the　night。　Guessing　what　was　about　to　follow；　Bequin　had
thrown　herself　down。
Betancore's　voice　had　boomed　out　from　the　hull　tannoy　of　the　hovering　gunship。
'Imperial　Inquisition！　Step　away　from　the　inquisitor　now！'
Tantalid　had　squinted　up　into　the　glare；　his　stringy　tortoise　head　turning　in　the　rim　of　his　massive　carapace　armour。
'Ministorum　officer！'　he　had　yelled　back；　his　voice　amplified　by　his　suit's　vox…unit。　'Back　off！　Back　off　now！　This　heretic　is　mine！'
Bequin　grinned　as　she　told　me　Betancore's　response。　'Never　argue　with　a　gun…cutter；　you　asshole。'
The　slaved　servitors　in　the　cutter's　blunt　wingtips　opened　fire；　hosing　the　chapel　with　autocannon　shells。　The　stained　glass　windows
had　all　shattered；　statues　had　been　decapitated；　flagstones　had　disintegrated。　Hit　at　least　once；　Tantalid　had　fallen　backwards　into　the
dust　and　debris。　His　body　had　not　been　found；　so　I　presumed　the　bastard　had　survived。　But　he　had　been　smart　enough　to　flee。

My　prone　body　had　not　been　touched；　even　though　the　chapel　around　me　had　been　peppered　with　fire。
Typical　Betancore　bravado。　Typical　Betancore　finesse。
She　was　just　like　her　damned　father。
'SEND　HER　TO　me；'　I　told　Bequin　as　I　lay　back　in　my　cot；　half…dead　and　feeling　terrible。
Medea　Betancore　looked　in　a　few　minutes　later。　Like　her　father；　Midas；　she　was　clad　in　the　red…piped　black　suit　of　a　Glavian　pilot；　and
she　proudly　wore　his　old　cerise；　embroidered　jacket。
Her　skin；　like　Midas's；　like　all　that　of　all　Glavians；　was　dark。　She　grinned　at　me。
'I　owe　you；'　I　said。
Medea　shook　her　head。　'Nothing　my　father　wouldn't　have　done。'　She　sat　on　the　foot　of　my　cot。
'He'd　have　killed　Tantalid；　though；'　she　decided。
'He　was　a　better　shot。'
That　grin　again；　pearl　white　teeth　framed　by　ebony　skin。
'Yeah；　he　was　that。'
'But　you'll　do；'　I　smiled。
She　saluted　and　left。
MIDAS　BETANCORE　HAD　been　dead　for　twenty…six　years。　I　missed　him　still。　He　was　the　closest　thing　to　a　friend　I　had　ever　had。　Bequin
and　Aemos；　they　were　allies；　and　I　trusted　them　with　my　life。　But　Midas…
May　the　God…Emperor　rot　Fayde　Thuring　for　taking　him。　May　the　God…Emperor　lead　me　to　Fayde　Thuring　one　day　so　that　I　and
Medea　may　avenge　Midas。
Medea　had　never　known　her　father。　She'd　been　born　a　month　after　his　death；　raised　by　her　mother　on　Glavia；　and　had　come　into　my
service　by　chance。　I　was　her　godfather；　a　promise　to　Midas。　Duty　bound；　I　had　visited　Glavia　for　her　ascension　to　adulthood；　and
watched　her　drive　a　Glavia　long…prow　through　the　vortex　rapids　of　the　Stilt　Hills　during　the　Rites　of　Majority。　One　glimpse　of　her
skills　had　convinced　me。
ARIANRHOD　ESW　SWEYDYR　was　dead。　So　were　Gonvax　and　Qus。　The　battle　in　the　sacrarium　had　been　fierce。　Ravenor　had　killed　the
raging　haemonculus；　but　only　after　it　had　ripped　open　his　belly　and　taken　off　Zu　Zeng's　left　ear。
Gideon　Ravenor　was　in　intensive　care　in　the　main　city　infirmary　of　Lethe。　We　would　collect　him　once　he　was　out　of　danger。
I　wondered　how　long　that　would　be。　I　wondered　how　he　would　be。　He　had　loved　Arianrhod；　loved　her　dearly。　I　prayed　this　loss　would
not　set　him　back　too　far。
I　mourned　Qus　and　the　se　for　nineteen　years。　That　Darknight　in　the　chapel　had　robbed　me　of　so
much。
Qus　was　buried　with　full　honours　in　the　Imperial　Guard　Memorial　Cenotaph　at　Lethe　Majeure。　Arianrhod　was　burned　on　a　bare　hill
west　of　the　salt…licks。　I　was　too　weak　to　attend　either　service。
AEMOS　BROUGHT　THE　sabre　Barbarisater　to　me　after　the　pyre。　I　wrapped　it　in　a　vizzy…doth　and　a　silk　sheet。　I　knew　I　was　duty　bound　to
return　it　to　the　tribal　elders　of　the　Esw　Sweydyr　on　Carthae　before　long。　That　would　mean　a　round　trip　of　at　least　a　year。　I　had　no　time
for　it。　I　put　the　wrapped　sword　in　my　safebox。　It　barely　fitted。
As　I　worked　my　way　back　to　health；　I　considered　Tantalid。　Arnaut　Tantalid　had　risen　from　the　rank　of　confessor　militant　in　the
Missionaria　Galaxia　seventy　years　before　to　become　one　of　the　Ministorum's　most　feared　and　ruthless　witch…hunters。　Like　many　of　his
breed；　he　followed　the　doctrines　of　Sebastian　Thor　with　such　unswerving　precision　it　bordered　on　clinical　obsession。
To　most　of　the　common　folk　of　the　Imperium；　there　would　be　blessed　little　to　choose　between　an　Ordo　Xenos　inquisitor　such　as
myself　and　an　ecclesiarchy　witchkiller　like　Tantalid。　We　both　hunt　out　the　damning　darkness　that　stalks　mankind；　we　are　both　figures
of　fear　and　dread；　we　are　both；　so　it　seems；　laws　unto　ourselves。
Twinned　though　we　may　be　in　so　many　ways；　we　could　not　be　more　distinct。　It　is　my　personal　belief　that　the　Adeptus　Ministorum；　the
Imperium's　vast　organ　of　faith　and　worship；　should　focus　its　entire　attention　on　the　promulgation　of　the　true　church　of　the　God…
Emperor　and　leave　the　persecution　of　heretics　to　the　Inquisition。　Our　jurisdictions　often　clash。　There　have；　to　my　certain　knowledge；
been　two　wars　of　faith　in　the　last　century　provoked　and　sustained　by　just　such　rivalry。
Tantalid　and　I　had　locked　horns　twice　before。　On　Bradell's　World；　five　decades　earlier；　we　had　faced　each　other　across　the　marble
floor　of　a　synod　court；　arguing　for　the　right　to　extradite　the　psyker　Elbone　Parsuval。　On　that　occasion；　he　had　triumphed；　thanks
mainly　to　the　strict　Thorian　mindset　of　the　Ministorum　elders　of　Bradell's　World。
Then；　just　eight　years　ago；　our　paths　had　crossed　again　on　Kuuma。
Tantalid's　fanatical　hatred　…　indeed；　I　would　venture；　fear　…　of　the　psyker　was　by　then　insurmountable。　I　made　no　secret　of　the　fact　that　I
employed　psychic　methods　in　the　pursuit　of　my　work。　There　were　psychic　adepts　in　my　staff；　and　I　myself　had　worked　to　develop　my
own　psychic　abilities　over　the　years。　Such　is　my　right；　as　an　authorised　bearer　of　the　Inquisition's　seal。
In　my　eyes；　he　was　a　blinkered　zealot　with　psychotic　streak。　In　his；　I　was　the　spawn　of　witches　and　a　heretic。
No　courtroom　argument　for　us　on　Kuuma。　A　little　war　instead。　It　lasted　an　afternoon；　and　raged　through　the　tiered　streets　of　the　oasis
town　at　Unat　Akim。

Twenty…eight　latent　psykers；　none　older　than　fourteen；　had　been　rooted　out　of　the　population　of　Kuuma's　sprawling　capital　city　during
a　purge；　and　sequestered　prior　to　their　collection　by　the　Black　Ships。　They　were　recruits；　a　precious　resource；　untainted　and　ready　to　be
shaped　by　the　Adeptus　Astropathicus　into　worthy　servants　of　the　God…Emperor。　Some　of　them；　perhaps；　would　have　the　ultimate
honour　of　joining　the　choir　of　the　Astronomican。　They　were　frightened　and　confused；　but　this　was　their　salvation。
Better　to　be　found　early　and　turned　to　good　service　than　to　remain　undetected　and　become　tainted；　corrupt　and　a　threat　to　our　entire
society。
But　before　the　Black　Ships　could　arrive　to　take　them；　they　were　spirited　away　by　renegade　slavers　working　in　collusion　with　corrupt
officials　in　the　local　Administratum。　Vast　sums　could　be　made　on　the　black　market　for　unregistered；　virgin　psychic　slaves。
I　followed　the　slavers'　trail　across　the　seif　dunes　to　Unat　Akim　with　the　intention　of　liberating　the　youngsters。　Tantalid　made　his　way
there　to　exterminate　them　all　as　witches。
By　the　end　of　the　fight；　I　had　driven　the　witchfinder　and　his　cohorts；　mostly　foot　soldiers　of　the　Frateris　Militia；　out　of　the　oasis　town。
Two　of　the　young　psykers　had　been　killed　in　the　crossfire；　but　the　others　were　safely　transferred　into　the　hands　of　the　Astropathicus。
Tantalid；　fleeing　Kuuma　to　lick　his　wounds；　had　tried　to　have　me　declared　heretic；　but　the　charges　were　swiftly　overturned。　The
Ministorum　had；　at　that　time；　no　wish　to　court　conflict　with　their　allies　in　the　Inquisition。
I　had　expected；　known　even；　that　Tantalid　would　return　sometime　to　plague　me。　It　was　a　personal　matter　now；　one　which　his　fanatical
disposition　would　fix　upon　and　transform　into　a　holy　calling。
But　the　last　I　had　heard；　he　had　been　leading　an　ecclesiarchy　mission　into　the　Ophidian　subsector　in　support　of　the　century…long　Purge
Campaign　there。
I　wondered　what　had　brought　him　to　Lethe　Eleven　at　so　inopportune　a　moment。
BY　THE　TIME　I　was　back　on　my　feet；　two　weeks　later；　the　Darknight　was　over　and　I　knew　the　answer；　in　general　if　not　specific　terms。
I　was　hobbling　around　on　a　cane　in　the　private　mansion　I　had　rented　in　Lethe　Majeure　when　Aemos　brought　me　the　news。　The　great
Ophidian　Campaign　was　over。
'Great　success；'　he　announced。　'The　last　action　took　place　at　Dolsene　four　months　ago；　and　the　Warmaster　has　declared　the　subsector
cleansed。　A　famous　victory；　don't　you　think？'
'Yes。　I　should　hope　so。　It's　taken　them　long　enough。'
'Gregor；　Gregor…　even　with　a　force　as　large　as　the　hallowed　Battlefleet　Scarus；　the　subjugation　of　a　subsector　is　an　immense　task！
That　it　took　the　best　part　of　a　century　is　nothing！　The　pacification　of　the　Extempus　subsector　took　four　hundred　y—'
He　paused。
'You're　toying　with　me；　aren't　you？'
I　nodded。　He　was　very　easy　to　wind　up。
Aemos　shook　his　head　and　eased　his　ancient　body　down　into　one　of　the　leather　chairs。
'Martial　law　still　dominates；　I　understand；　and　caretaker　governments　have　been　established　on　the　key　worlds。　But　the　Warmaster
himself　is　returning　with　the　bulk　of　the　fleet　in　triumph；　setting　foot　in　this　subsector　again　for　the　first　time　in　a　hundred　years。'
I　stood　by　the　open　windows；　looking　out　from　the　mansion's　first　floor　across　the　grey　roofs　of　Lethe　Majeure　which　seemed　to　coat
the　hills　of　the　Tito　Basin　like　the　scaled　hide　of　some　prehistoric　reptile。　The　sky　was　a　magnolia　haze；　and　a　l