The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第48章

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looking　out　across　the　town's　skyline　to　the　ragged　blue　landscape　of　Cinchare；　and　the　gliding　stars　beyond　it。　Shoals　of　meteors
burned　bright　lines　down　the　sky。
There　was　a　noise　on　the　stairs　behind　me。　It　was　Nayl。
He　put　away　his　sidearm。　'It's　you；'　he　said；　joining　me　in　the　blister。　'I　was　patrolling　and　I　saw　the　tower　door　open。　'Everything　all
right？'
I　nodded。　'You　fight　dirty　sometimes；　don't　you；　Harlon？'
He　looked　at　me　quizzically　and　scratched　his　shaved　scalp。　'Not　sure　I　know　what　you　mean；　boss；'　he　said。
'All　those　years；　bounty　hunting…　and　I've　seen　you　fight；　remember？　Sometimes　you　have　to　break　the　rales　to　win。'
'I　suppose　so。　When　all's　said　and　done；　you　use　whatever　works。　I'm　not　proud　of　some　of　my　more…　ruthless　moments。　But　they're
necessary。　I've　always　been　of　the　opinion　that　fairplay　is　overrated。　The　bastard　trying　to　skin　you　won't　be　playing　fair；　that's　for
sure。　You　do　what　you　have　to　do。'
'The　end　justifies　the　means？'
He　raised　his　eyebrows　and　laughed。　'Now　that's　different。　That　kind　of　thinking　gets　a　man　into　trouble。　There　are　some　means　that　no
end　will　ever　justify。　But　fighting　dirty；　occasionally；　is　no　bad　thing。　Neither's　breaking　the　rules。　Provided　you　remember　one　thing。'
'Which　is？'
'You　have　to　understand　the　rales　in　the　first　place　if　you're　going　to　break　them。'
APART　FROM　MY　daily　visits　to　Glaw　in　the　annex；　I　also　spent　time　with　Bure。　He　was　labouring　in　his　workshops；　assisted　by
servitors　and　his　tech…adepts。　He　had　thrown　himself　totally　into　the　tasks　I　had　set　him。　Though　he　never　said；　I　think　he　saw　it　as
returning　with　interest　my　efforts　in　the　battle　with　the　Lith。
He　had　also　listened　without　alarm　when　Aemos　and　I　had　related　the　history　of　the　recent　past。　It　felt　like　a　confession。　I　explained
the　carta　out　against　me；　my　rogue　status。　He　had　accepted　my　innocence　without　question。　As　he　put　it；　'Hapshant　wouldn't　have
raised　a　radical。　It's　the　rest　of　the　galaxy　that's　wrong。'
That　was　good　enough　for　him。　I　oved。
One　day　in　the　sixth　week　of　our　increasingly　prolonged　stay；　he　called　me　to　his　workshop。
It　lay　beneath　the　main　chapel　of　the　annex　and　was　two　storeys　deep；　a　veritable　smithy　alive　with　engineering　machines　and
apparatus　the　purposes　of　which　baffled　me。　Steam…presses　hammered　and　banged；　and　screy　own

projects；　there　was　much　work　to　do　repairing　the　annex　and　the　translithopede。　I　walked　down　through　the　swathes　of　steam　and
found　Bure　supervising　two　servitors　who　were　machining　symbols　into　a　two…metre　long　pole　of　composite　steel。
'Eisenhorn；'　he　said；　raising　his　bright　green　eye…lights　to　look　at　me。
'How　goes　the　work？'
'I　feel　like　a　warsmith；　back　in　the　foundries　of　the　forge　worlds；　when　I　was　flesh。　The　specifications　you　have　asked　for　are　difficult；
but　not　impossible。　I　enjoy　a　challenge。'
I　took　several　sheets　of　paper　from　my　coat　pocket　and　handed　them　to　him。　'More　notes；　taken　during　my　last　interview　with　Glaw。
I've　underlined　the　key　remarks。　Here；　he　suggests　electrum　for　the　cap　piece。'
'I　was　going　to　use　iron；　or　an　iron　alloy。　Electrum。　That　makes　sense。'　He　took　my　notes　over　to　a　raised　planning　table　that　was
littered　easuring　tools　and　data…slates。　Pages　of　notes　that　I　had　already　provided　him　with　were　piled　up；
along　with　the　psychomet…rically　captured　images　Ungish　had　drawn　from　my　mind　of　the　Cadian　pylons；　Cherubael；　Prophaniti；　and
the　ornaments　he　had　worn。
'I'm　also　pondering　the　lodestone　for　the　cap。　I　considered　pyraline　or　one　of　the　other　tele…empathic　crystallines　like　epidotrichite；　but
I　doubt　any　of　them　would　have　the　durability　for　your　purposes。　Certainly　not　for　more　than　one　or　two　uses。　I　also　thought　of　tabular
zanthroclase。'
'What's　that？'
'A　silicate　we　use　in　mind…impulse　devices。　But　I'm　not　convinced。　I　have　a　few　other　possibilities　in　mind。'　It　was　a　measure　of　the
trust　Bure　showed　me　that　he　felt　he　could　mention　such　Cult　Mechanicus　secrets　so　freely。　I　felt　honoured。
'Here's　the　haft；'　he　said；　showing　me　to　the　etching　bench　where　the　two　servitors　were　machining　the　decoration　of　the　long　pole。
'Steel？'
'Superficially。　There's　a　titanium　core　surrounded　by　an　adamantium　sleeve　under　the　steel　jacket。　The　titanium　is　drilled　with
channels　that　carry　the　conductive　lapidorontium　wires。'
'It　looks　perfect；'　I　said。
'It　is　perfect。　Virtually　perfect。　It's　machined　to　within　a　nanometre　of　your　measurements。　Let　me　show　you　the　sword。'
I　followed　him　to　a　workbench　at　the　far　end　of　the　smithy　where　the　sword　lay　on　a　rest　under　a　dust　sheet。
'What　do　you　think？'　he　asked；　drawing　the　cloth　back。
Barbarisater　was　as　beautiful　as　I　remembered　it。　I　admired　the　fresh　pentagrammatic　wards　that　had　been　etched　in　the　blade　since　I
had　last　seen　it；　ten　on　each　side。
'It　is　a　remarkable　artifact。　I　was　almost　unwilling　to　make　the　alterations　you　requested。　As　it　was；　I　wore　out　eight　adamantium　drill
bits　on　this　side　alone。　The　hardened　steel　skin　of　the　blade　around　the　solid　core　has　been　folded　and　beaten　nine　hundred　times。　It　is
beyond　anything　we　can　manufacture　today。'
I　would　owe　Clan　Esw　Sweydyr　for　this　weapon；　as　I　already　owed　them　for　Arianrhod's　life。　I　should　have　returned　it　to　their　care；
for　it　was　part　of　their　clan　legacy　and　usuril；　or　''living　story''。　It　was　mine　to　safeguard；　not　to　take；　and　certainly　not　to　deface　this
way。　But　face　to　face　with　Prophaniti　at　Kasr　Gesh　I　had　learned　two　things。　Indeed；　that　monstrous　thing　had　told　them　to　me。
Pentagrammatic　wards　worked　against　dae…monhosts；　but　they　were　no　stronger　than　the　weapon　that　bore　them。
To　my　certain　knowledge；　there　were　few　finer；　stronger　blades　in　human　space。　I　would　make　my　peace　and　apologies　to　the　clans　of
Carthae　in　time；　fates　permitting。
I　went　to　touch　it；　but　Bure　stopped　me。　'It　is　still　resting。　We　must　respect　its　anima。　In　a　few　days；　you　can　take　it。　Train　with　it　well。
You　must　know　it　intimately　before　you　use　it　in　combat。'
He　accompanied　me　to　the　door　of　the　forge。　'Both　weapons　must　be　blessed　and　consecrated　before　use。　I　cannot　do　that；　though　I　can
ceremonially　dedicate　their　manufacture　to　the　Machine　God。'
'I　have　already　planned　for　their　consecration；'　I　said。　'But　I　would　welcome　your　ceremony。　When　I　go　against　Quixos；　I　can　think　of
no　more　potent　a　patron　god　to　be　looking　down　over　me　than　your　Machine　Lord。'
'WE　WILL　BE　leaving　in　a　few　days；'　I　told　him。
The　casket　was　silent　for　a　while。　'I　will　miss　our　conversations；　Eisenhorn。'
'Nevertheless；　I　have　to　go。'
'You　think　you're　ready？'
'I　think　this　part　of　my　readiness　is　complete。　Is　there　anything　else　you　can　tell　me？'
'I　have　been　wondering　that。　I　cannot　think　of　anything。　Except…'
'Except　what？'
The　lights　around　the　engram　sphere　twinkled。　'Except　this。　Apart　from　everything　you've　learned　from　me；　the　secrets；　the　lore；　the
mysteries；　you　must　know　that　going　after　this　foe　is…　dangerous。'
I　laughed　involuntarily。　'I　think　I've　worked　that　much　out　already；　Pontius！'
'No；　you　don't　know　what　I　mean。　You　have　the　determination；　I　know；　the　ambition；　I　know　that　too　…　you　have　the　knowledge；　we
assume；　and　the　weapons　too；　we　hope　…　but　unless　your　mind　is　prepared；　you　will　perish。　Instantly；　and　no　ward　or　staff　or　blade　or
rune　will　save　you。'
'You　sound　like…　you　care　if　I　lose。'
'Do　I？　Then　consider　this；　Gregor　Eisenhom。　You　may　deem　me　a　monster　beneath　contempt；　but　if　I　do　care；　what　does　that　say　about
me？　Or　you？'
'Goodbye；　Pontius　Glaw；'　I　said；　and　closed　the　cell　hatches　behind　me　for　the　last　time。
I　WILL　RECORD　this　thought　now；　because　I　feel　I　must。　For　all　that　Pontius　Glaw　was…　and　for　all　that　came　later；　I　cannot　shake　my
bond　to　him；　though　I　try。　There；　in　the　cell　on　Cinchare；　and　a　century　before　in　the　dim　hold　of　the　Essene；　we　had　spoken　together
for　hundreds　of　hours。　I　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　an　unforgivably　evil　thing；　and　that　he　would　have　killed　me　in　a　second　during
those　times　had　he　been　allowed　the　chance。　But　he　was　a　being　of　extraordinary　intellect；　wit　and　learning。　Admirable　in　so　many；
strange　ways。　But　for　that　tore；　Aaa's　tore；　back　on　that　spring　day　on　Quenthus；　his　life　may　have　been　different。
And　if　it　had　been　different；　and　we　had　met；　we　would　have　been　the　greatest　of　friends。
WE　HAD　STAYED　on　Cinchare　for　three　months。　Too　long；　in　my　opinion；　but　there　had　been　no　way　to　speed　the　preparatory　work。
We　celebrated　Candlemas　in　the　little　chapel　of　the　Ministorum　off　the　plaza；　lighting　candles　to　welcome　the　new　Imperial　year；　and
lighting　others　to　commemorate　the　town's　dead。　Aemos　and　Bequin　read　the　lessons；　for　all　of　the　Ecclesiarchs　were　amongst　the
remembered　dead。　Bure　and　his　tech…adepts　worshipped　with　us；　and　he　hovered　to　the　choir　rail　under　the　great　statue　of　the　God…
Emperor　to　lead　us　in　the　devotional　prayers。
I　was　fretful　and　edgy。　Partly　because　I　was　anxious　to　get　underway　now；　but　also　because　of　the　lore　in　my　head；　the　mysteries　to
which　Glaw　had　introduced　me。　So　much；　so　much　of　it　dark。　I　knew　I　was　a　changed　man；　and　that　change　was　permanent。
But　I　considered　that　a　year　before　…　just　a　year；　though　it　felt　much；　much　longer　…　I　had　been　a　helpless　prisoner　in　the　bleak
Carnificina；　and　Candlemas　had　passed　me　by　before　I　had　realised　it。
I　was　not　that　man　any　more　either；　and　that　change　had　been　nothing　to　do　with　Pontius　Glaw's　whispered　secrets。　For　all　the
darkness　swilling　in　my　head；　it　was　better　to　be　here；　strong　and　ready；　fortified；　in　the　company　of　friends　and　allies。
There　was　no　choirmaster　to　play　the　organ；　so　Medea　had　brought　her　father's　Glavian　lyre；　and　played　the　Holy　Triumph　of　the
Golden　Throne　so　that　we　could　all　sing。
THAT　NIGHT；　WE　feasted　in　the　refectory　of　the　Cult　Mechanicus　to　honour　the　start　of　341。M41。　Maxilla；　who　remained　on　duty
aboard　the　Essene；　sent　a　banquet　to　us　on　a　shuttle；　along　with　servitors　to　wait　upon　us。　One　of　them　reported　that　a　vast　storm　of
meteors　had　swarmed　across　the　sky　at　the　stroke　of　midnight；　lighting　the　night　side　of　Cinchare　with　their　fires。　Nayl　growled　that
this　was　a　bad　omen；　but　Inshabel　insisted　it　was　a　good　one。