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four pointed roots。 It was still sticky with blood。
He looked up； expecting some explanation； but the Kasrkin was already moving off towards
another corpse； happily humming a tune。
Wulfe rubbed the ork tooth clean on his rust…coloured fatigues； stuffed it into his thigh pocket；
and moved off。 The muted glow of the sun was nearing the western horizon。 There was perhaps
another hour before nightfall。 He hoped van Droi had a plan。 Then again； he thought； maybe the
lieutenant was no longer in charge。
Voeder Lenck was lying back； relaxing on one of his tank’s track…guards after a good smoke； when
Sergeant Wulfe walked by。 The rest of the New Champion’s crew were sitting on the sand； playing
cards and passing around a lho…stick that contained a few ingredients which were not exactly
standard。
Lenck heard the sergeant’s footsteps in the sand as he approached and raised one eyelid。 Here
we go； he thought。 The uptight prick won’t be able to help himself。
Sure enough； the sergeant’s nose crinkled and he stopped dead in his tracks； looking down at the
gambling crewmen。 With their senses dulled by the smoky narcotic； and with the game absorbing
their full attention； they didn’t even notice him。
“Haha！ Frak you； Varnuss；” said a jubilant Private Riesmann。 “That’s twice I’ve had you with
the same damned hand。 Heretic’s gotta pay up； you big grox’s arse。”
Private Varnuss； a thick…necked； low…browed man with a shock of bright orange hair； growled
and said； “If I find out you’re cheatin’； Riesmann； I’m gonna bite your nose off and spit it in your
face。”
Despite the threat； he thrust a big hand inside his fatigues and drew out two vials of clear liquid。
With a dark look； he passed them to Riesmann； who accepted them with a smug grin； pocketed
them； and began to shuffle the cards again。
“You do realise； gentlemen；” said Wulfe sharply； “that the game of Heretic is banned by
Imperial edict。” The three men seated on the ground gave a start and jumped to their feet； scattering
cards everywhere。 The lho…stick fell to the sand where it continued to burn； lacing the air with its
intoxicating fumes。
“Sergeant Wulfe； sir；” stammered Private Hobbs； the shortest of the men。 “Wasn’t playing no
Heretic； sir。 Just a harmless game of… er…”
Wulfe ignored him。 He stepped forward； bent down； and picked up the burning lho…stick。
Sniffing it； he said； “Do I frakking look like I was born yesterday； Hobbs？” He held the lho…stick up
in front of the little man’s face。 “This groxshit addles the brain； which would explain why you’d
think you could lie to me and get away with it。”
58
Lenck opened both eyes now； turned his head in Sergeant Wulfe’s direction； and； with an
exaggerated sigh； slid down from the side of the New Champion。 Time to see if saving the
sergeant’s life was a mistake or not； he thought。 “My fault； sergeant。 My fault。 Sorry。”
Wulfe’s eyes narrowed。 “You’re accepting full responsibility for this； corporal？ I find that hard
to believe。”
Lenck’s shirt had been tied around his narrow waist while he rested； but now he pulled it up；
shrugging into the sleeves and buttoning it over his chest。 His dog tags clinked together as he did so。
“I taught them a new game while we were still in the Empyrean； sir。 S’called… er… Ship…shape。
Yeah； that’s the one。 Isn’t that right； lads？ It’s a good game is Ship…shape。 I’ll admit； though；
sergeant； it does look a lot like Heretic to the untrained eye。 I can understand you figuring one for
the other。”
Wulfe glared。 “Really； Lenck？ Because I could have sworn I heard Riesmann say something
about the heretic having to pay up。 But let’s just say I believe you。 What do you have to say about
this！” For the second time； he raised the dubious lho…stick。
“Ah； now that one’s not down to me； sergeant；” said Lenck amiably。 “No。 That there was given
to us by one of Colonel Stromm’s lot。 I thought there was something funny about it； to be honest。
Didn’t I say so； lads？ Not like a bloody footslogger to go sharing his sticks with us tankers； is it；
sergeant？ Suspicious bit of generosity； that。 I told them not to smoke it； but it wasn’t an order or
anything。”
“And did this mysterious footslogger give you his name？ Or any more of his smokes？ Well？”
Lenck shook his head； unblinking； never breaking eye contact with his squadron leader。 “Just the
one； sergeant。 Honest。 Look； you can have it if you want。 Not my business if you like a little smoke
now and then。”
He watched Wulfe’s face change colour and knew he was stepping dangerously close to the line；
but he had to know how far he could push things now that this man； who clearly hated him； owed
him his life。
Wulfe dropped the lho…stick and ground it into the sand with his boot。
Private Riesmann winced miserably。
Wulfe stepped in close to Lenck and； in hushed tones； said； “You thought about it； didn’t you；
corporal？ Earlier today？”
“Thought about what； sergeant？” Lenck replied innocently。
“Don’t play the fool。 I saw it in your eyes after you killed that ork。 Thought about putting a few
rounds in me； didn’t you？ Dangerous weapons； heavy stubbers。 They kick like an auroch。 Not hard
for a few rounds to go wide in the heat of battle。 Who knows？ The others might have believed you。”
Lenck blinked； feigning a look of horror。 Matching his voice to the low level of the sergeant’s；
he said； “You’re off your damned nut； Wulfe。 I shouldn’t be surprised。 You’ve had it in for me since
the day I joined this regiment。 Damned if I know why。 An inferiority complex； maybe？ The only
thing I shot today was orks； a lot of them。 But； if you want to tell me what your bloody problem is；
I’m all ears。 If not…”
Wulfe stepped back； fists clenched； and Lenck readied himself to dodge a punch； but the
growling sergeant didn’t swing。 Instead； he said one word。 “Dunst。”
“What？” asked Lenck。
“Does the name Dunst mean anything to you； corporal？ Victor Dunst。”
The sergeant was clearly expecting some kind of reaction； but the name meant absolutely
nothing to Lenck。 He shrugged and said； “Should it？”
Wulfe stared back。 After a moment； the cold rage in his eyes seemed to dim； and he said； “No； I
suppose not。 Throne； Dunst would be twice your age by now。”
Lenck stared back。 This bastard has a screw loose； he thought。 Rattling around inside a tank for
so long has damaged the man’s brain。 He’s no better than that idiot loader of his。
59
“I’ll forget what I saw here just this once；” said Wulfe； “because of what happened today。 But
now we’re square。 Got it？ You and your men had better shape the hell up； Lenck。 Maybe life was a
bit more relaxed in the frakking reserves； but let me tell you something about Gossefried’s
Gunheads。 We do our duty。 We work for our chops。 Start toeing the line or； Throne help me； I’ll
make it my personal mission to help you regret it。”
The sergeant kept his eyes locked with Lenck’s； as if daring him to say something smart； but； if
Wulfe had been hoping to see fear in them； he was out of luck。 Lenck stared back with a barely
suppressed grin。 “You’re an example to us all； sergeant。 Gentlemen；” he called to his crew。 “Thank
the sergeant for putting you straight and saving you from the potential dangerous of suspicious gifts
and unsanctioned card games。”
As one and without any trace of sincerity； Lenck’s crew shouted； “Thank you； Sergeant Wulfe！”
Wulfe’s gaze didn’t shift。 “And you； corporal？” he asked。
“Me； sergeant？” said Lenck； overplaying the innocent。 “I was asleep on the tank。 I wasn’t
playing cards； and I’ve never smoked a lho…stick in my life； laced or otherwise。 That’s the
Emperor’s own truth； I swear。”
Wulfe sneered； but he apparently had nothing more to say。 He turned and stalked off； fists still
clenched at his side。
Lenck watched the sergeant’s back receding for a moment； wondering who in the warp this
Victor Dunst was； and thinking that it might be useful to find out。
He drew a lho…stick from the breast pocket of his shirt and flipped it into the air； catching it
between his lips。 Then he pulled a lighter from another pocket； lit the end of his smoke； and drew in
a deep； pungent lungful。
“Have a nice day； Sergeant Arsehole；” he said and turned to join the next hand of cards。
60
CHAPTER EIGHT
The low clouds overhead flickered like broken lamps； such was the intensity of the fighting outside
the walls of Karavassa。
“Watch those gullies to the south…east；” yelled Bergen into the tiny microphone of his vox…bead。
“Don’t let them flank those armour companies on the right！”
Basilisk mobile artillery pieces boomed all around his Chimera APC； vomiting clouds of black
smoke into the air with every ear…splitting shot。 Through his field glasses； the major general watched
great spouts of fire and sand burst upwards wherever the massive shells struck。 Currently； they were
wreaking terrible destruction on the ork foot soldiers。
The 10th Armoured Division had reached the rocky hills around the former Imperial outpost an
hour after dawn。 It was the eleventh day since planetfall； and Bergen’s forces were running two
whole days behind General deViers’ demanding mission schedule。