The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第13部分

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much　larger　gangs　attacked　the　section　house　time　and　again；　driven　by　fear；　by　rage　against　the　Imperial　machine　or　simply　because
we　wouldn't　let　them　in。
We　couldn't。　We　were　overflowing　with　injured　and　dead；　far　too　many　for　the　arbites　surgeons　and　morgue　attendants　to　manage。
There　was　very　little　food；　medical　supplies　or　ammunition　left；　and　we　were　also　rationing　water　as　the　mains　supply　had　been　cut。
The　power　was　down　too；　but　the　section　house　had　its　own　generator。
All　through　the　night；　bottles　and　missiles　and　promethium　bombs　splintered　off　the　shielded　windows；　and　fists　pounded　on　the
doors。

BY　MERIT　OF　his　seniority；　Voke　was　in　command。　Aside　from　myself；　there　was　Inquisitor　Roban；　Inquisitor　Yelena；　Inquisitor
Essidari；　twenty　interrogators　and　junior　servants　of　the　Inquisition；　sixty　troopers　from　the　Interior　Guard；　several　dozen　astropaths
and　four　White　Consul　Space　Marines。　The　arbites　themselves　numbered　around　one　hundred　and　fifty；　and　the　section　house　was　also
sheltering　about　three　hundred　nobles；　ecclesiarchs　and　dignitaries　from　the　Great　Triumph；　as　well　as　a　few　hundred　common
citizens。
I　remember　standing　alone　in　a　ransacked　office　of　the　arbites　commander　just　after　midnight；　looking　out　through　shielded　windows
at　the　burning　streets　and　the　blossoms　of　psyker　storm　that　were　wrenching　the　sky　apart。　I　had　received　no　word　or　sign　of　Ravenor
since　the　catastrophe　had　begun。　I　remember　my　hands　were　shaking　even　then。
In　truth；　I　believe　I　was　in　shock。　From　the　event　itself；　naturally；　and　also　from　the　psychic　assaults　I　had　suffered　in　the　course　of　it。　I
pride　myself　on　a　sharp　mind；　but　there　was　no　sharpness　to　me　then。
Numb；　my　brain　kept　returning　to　the　idea　that　this　outrage　had　been　deliberate。
'There　is　no　question；'　Voke　said　from　behind　me；　clearly　reading　my　surface　thoughts　without　my　permission。　He　lifted　and
straightened　a　steel　chair　and　sat　down　on　it。
'Accidents　happen；　warplanes　crash！'　he　cried。　'But　these　turned　and　attacked。　Their　assaults　were　deliberate。'
I　nodded。　At　least　one　of　the　Lightnings　had　crashed　into　the　Warmaster's　entourage　and　another　had　come　down　amongst　the　files　of
the　Inquisition。　No　one　yet　knew　how　many　of　my　institution　had　been　slain；　but　Voke　had　seen　enough　of　it　to　know　that　as　many　as
two　hundred　of　our　fellow　inquisitors　had　been　obliterated。
I　remembered　the　conversation　that　had　turned　around　my　dining　table；　the　speculations　about　those　powerful　forces　who　would
oppose　Honorius's　bestowment。
'Is　this　the　first　act　in　a　House　war？'　I　said。　'The　Ecclesiarchy；　or　perhaps　great　dynasties；　trying　to　thwart　Lord　Commander　Helican's
advancement　of　the　Warmaster？　His　elevation　to　Feudal　Protector　would　not　have　been　popular　with　many；　powerful　factions。'
'No；'　he　said。　'Though　I'm　sure　that's　what　many　will　think。　What　many　will　be　supposed　to　think。'
Voke　looked　at　me　intently。　'Freeing　the　psykers　was　the　point；'　he　said。　'There　is　no　other　explanation。　The　Archenemy　struck　to
cause　mayhem　and　allow　the　prisoners　to　escape；　and　to　wound　the　section　of　the　parade　that　was　most　able　to　contain　their　escape。'
'I　won't　argue　with　that　in　principle。　But　was　freeing　the　psykers　the　point　itself；　or　simply　a　means　to　an　end？'
'How　so？'
'Was　it　an　attempt　to　liberate　the　psykers…　or　was　this　just　an　act　of　extreme　violence　against　the　Imperium　that　the　release　of
dangerous　psykers　was　meant　to　exacerbate？'
'Until　we　know　what　was　behind　it；　we　can't　answer　that。'
'Could　the　psykers　themselves　have　done　it？　Manipulated　the　minds　of　the　pilots？'
He　shrugged。　'We　can't　know　that　either。　Not　yet。　The　Warmaster　might　have　been　guilty　of　bravado　in　displaying　his　prisoners；　but　he
would　have　made　certain　security　around　them　was　seamless。　I　must　suspect　an　outside　hand。'
We　said　nothing　for　a　moment。　Honorius　Magnus　himself　had　barely　survived　the　crash…blast　and　was　undergoing　emergency　surgery
aboard　a　medical　frigate　at　the　navy…yard。　No　one　yet　knew　if　Lord　Commander　Helican　was　alive。　If　he　was　dead；　or　if　the　Warmaster
died　of　his　injuries；　then　Chaos　would　have　won　a　historic　victory。
'I　suspect　an　outside　hand　too；'　I　told　Voke。　'Perhaps　another　psyker　or　psykers；　trailing　their　colleagues　here　to　stage　an　escape。'
He　pursed　his　lipless　mouth。　'The　greatest　triumph　of　my　life；　Gregor；　capturing　those　monsters　in　the　name　of　the　Emperor…　and
look　what　it　becomes。'
'You　can't　blame　yourself　for　this；　Commodus。'
'Can　I　not？'　He　squinted　at　me。　'In　my　place；　how　would　you　feel？'
I　shrugged。　'I　will　make　amends。　I　will　not　rest　until　every　one　of　these　wretches　is　destroyed；　and　order　restored。　And　then　I　will　not
rest　until　I　find　who　and　what　was　behind　it。'
He　stared　at　me　for　a　long　time。
'What？'　I　asked；　though　I　had　a　feeling　I　knew　what　was　coming。
'You…　you　were　close　to　the　scene；　as　you　said　to　me。　Closer　than　many；　and　shielded　from　the　worst　of　the　destruction　by　the　bulk　of
the　Spatian　Gate。'
'And？'
'You　know　what　I　want　to　ask　you。'
'You　thought　you'd　start　with　me。　I'm　too　tired；　Voke。　I　stopped　to　honour　the　admiral's　tomb。'
He　raised　one　eyebrow；　as　if　he　sensed　I　didn't　really　believe　it　myself。　But　at　least　he　did　me　the　courtesy　of　not　ripping　into　my　mind
with　his　much　more　powerful　psychic　abilities　to　scour　out　what　truth　might　be　there。　We　had　reached　an　understanding　through　our
encounters　over　the　years；　and　were　now　even　when　it　came　to　owing　each　other　our　lives。
He　knew　me　well　enough　not　to　press　this。
Not　now；　at　least。
An　interrogator　hurried　into　the　room。
'Sirs；'　she　said。　'Inquisitor　Roban　wishes　you　to　know　that　we　have　made　contact　with　one　of　the　heretics。'

AS　FAR　AS　could　be　learned；　the　rogue　was　an　alpha…plus　psyker　called　Esarhaddon；　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　coven。　Sowing　tumult
and　woe　in　his　wake；　he　had　fled　into　the　hive　with　a　group　led　by　Lyko　and　Heldane　in　pursuit。　Heldane　had　managed　to　contact　one
of　Voke's　astropaths　with　a　scrambled　summons　for　help。
Voke；　Roban　and　I　headed　out　into　the　hive　streets　with　a　kill　team　of　sixty　that　included　the　four　White　Consuls。　Their　squad　leader
was　a　particularly　large　sergeant　called　Kurvel。　We　travelled　on　foot　through　the　debris　and　smoke。　Gangs　of　citizens　jeered　and　pelted
missiles　at　us；　but　the　sight　of　four　terrible　Space　Marines　kept　them　at　bay。
Esarhaddon；　Voke　warned　me；　was　a　being　of　dreadful　intellect　and　not　to　be　underestimated。　When　we　saw　the　monster's　choice　of
bolt…hole；　I　understood　what　Voke　meant。
THE　NOBLE　FAMILY　of　Lange　was　prominent　in　the　aristocracy　of　Thracian　Primaris；　and　kept　an　ample　summer　palace　in　the　east
sector　of　Hive　Primaris；　near　to　the　mercantile　quarter　where　they　had　made　their　fortunes。
The　palace　rose　proud　of　the　lowhab　streets　around　it；　swathed　in　its　own　force　bubble。
This　had　been　one　of　the　city　areas　we　had　supposed　to　be　secure。　With　their　power　and　resources；　noble　houses　should　have　been　able
to　protect　themselves　for　the　duration　of　the　unrest。
But　not　against　Esarhaddon。　He　was　inside；　with　all　the　resources　of　the　palace　to　protect　him。
We　met　Heldane　on　the　western　approach　road　to　the　palace。　He　had　a　team　of　about　twenty　with　him。　The　street　itself　was　littered
with　bodies；　most　of　them　citizens。
'He's　controlling　the　crowds　as　if　they　were　puppets；'　Heldane　said　curtly；　with　no　word　of　greeting。　'Waves　of　them　keep　coming　at
us；　preventing　us　getting　to　the　garden　walls　and　the　servants'　annex　along　there。'
As　I　may　have　said；　I　had　little　time　for　Inquisitor　Heldane。　A　very　tall；　grim　man；　his　face　an　unsightly　mass　of　scar　tissue　since　an
encounter　with　a　hungry　carnodon　back　on　Gudran。　He'd　been　Voke's　pupil　when　I　had　first　met　him；　now　he　was　a　full　inquisitor；
with　mental　powers；　it　was　said；　that　exceeded　even　his　old　master's。　As　I　saw　him　there；　I　shuddered。　He　had　undergone　extensive
surgery；　not　to　disguise　the　damage　to　his　face；　but　to　exaggerate　it。　His　skull　seemed　to　have　been　extended　into　an　almost　equine
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；　blunt