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《The Eisenhorn Trilogy：Xenos（科幻战争）》
作者： ＇英＇Dan Abnett【完结】
Synopsis （英文书籍文案）
Malleus takes place nearly 100 years after the first book Xenos。 The novel is plotted and executed in the fashion of Xenos and works just as well。 The plot of Malleus deals more with the machinations of rival inquisitors and shows the reader why the inquisition is so feared。
After a century of hard fighting； the Ophidian sub…sector has been reclaimed for the God…Emperor。 A mighty triumph is held on Thracian Primaris to celebrate the victory； but the day is blighted by a tragedy so vast in scale it shocks even the battle…weary Imperium。 Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn investigates the source of the atrocity； even though his own reputation has become blighted by reports of his unorthodox methods。 As the investigation unfolds； Eisenhorn discovers links with a case from a century before and heads for a showdown with the daemonhost Cherubael and his unknown master。。。
BY ORDER OF HIS MOST HOLY MAJESTY THE GOD〦MPEROR OF TERRA
SEQUESTERED INQUISITORIAL DOSSIERS AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY
CASE FILE 442：41F：JL3：Kbu
Please enter your authority code
Validating…
Thank you； Inquisitor。 You may proceed。
CLASSIFICATION： Primary Level Intelligence
CLEARANCE： Obsidian
ENCRYPTION： Cryptox v 2。6
DATE： 337。M41
AUTHOR： Inquisitor Javes Thysser； Ordo Xenos
SUBJECT： A matter for your urgent consideration
RECIPIENT： Lord Inquisitor Phlebas Alessandro Rorken； Inquisition High Council Officio； Scarus Sector； Scarus Major
Salutations； lord！
In the name of the God…Emperor； hallowed he his eternal vigil； and by the High Lords of Terra； I commend myself； your Highness；
and hope I may speak plainly； in confidence； of a delicate matter。
To begin generally； my work on Vogel Passionata is now complete and my noble duty to the Great Inquisition of Mankind discharged
successfully。 My full； documented report will follow in a few days； once my savants have finished compiling it； and I trust that your
Highness will find it satisfactory reading。 To summarise； for the purpose of this brief missive； I am proud to declare that the malign
influence of the so…called wyrd…kin has been expunged from the hive cities of Vogel Passionata； and the inner circle of that obscene
xenophile order broken forever and put to cleansing flame。 Their self…proclaimed messiah； Gaethon Richter； is himself dead by my
hand。
A matter； however； has arisen from this。 I am troubled by it； and unsure as to the best course of action。 For this reason I am writing to
you； Highness； in the hope of receiving guidance。
Richter did not go without a fight； as you might expect。 In the final； bloody throes of the battle； as my combined forces stormed his
fastness beneath the main hive； he called forth to oppose us a being of dreadful power。 It slaughtered nineteen of the Imperial
Guardsmen assigned to my purge…team； as well as Inquisitor Bluchas； Interrogators Faruline and Seetmol； and Captain Ellen Ossel；
my pilot。 It would have slain me too； but for the strangest mischance。
The being was an unholy thing； made like a man； but gleaming with an inner light。 Its voice was soft； its touch was fire。 I believe it
was a daemonhost of unfathomable power； with the most vile propensity for spite and cruelty。 My report will recount in detail the
particular abominations this being subjected Seetmol and Ossel to before it destroyed them。 I will spare you those dreadful facts here。
Having disposed of Bluchas； it cornered me on an upper landing in the fastness as I was penetrating the inner sanctum of the wyrd…kin
''messiah''。 My weapons did no harm to it； and it laughed gleefully as it threw me backwards down the length of the staircase with a
casual flick of its wrist。
Dazed； I looked up as it descended towards me； unable to conceive of a defence against it。 I believe I may have clawed around to find
my fallen weapon。
That gesture caused it to speak。 I report the words exactly。 It said； 'Don't worry now； Gregor。 You are far too valuable to waste。
Indulge me； just a little scar to make it look authentic！
Its talons tore across my chest and throat； and ripped away my rebreather mask。 The wounds will heal； they tell me； but they were
deep and excruciating。 The being then paused； as it saw my face properly for the first time； free from the mask set。 Dreadful dark
anger flared in its eyes。 It said … forgive me； Highness； but this is the fact of it … it said； 'You are not Eisenhorn！ I have been tricked！'
I believe that it would have killed me there and then； but for the frontal assault of the Adeptus Astartes Aurora chapter； which tore into
the hall at that precise moment。 In the mayhem； the being fled； though I cannot even now say how。 Whatever the terrifying strength of
the Astartes； this thing was a hundredfold more powerful。
Later； on his knees； with my weapon to his head； seconds before his execution； Gaethon Richter begged for ''Cherubael'' to return。 He
wailed he could not understand why ''Cherubael'' had abandoned him。 I believe he was speaking of the daemonhost。
I trust your Highness can see my trouble。 Mistaking me for another of our kind … and an unimpeachably worthy example； I might add …
this thing spared my life。 It seemed to me； indeed； that it did so with pre…arranged connivance。
Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is highly regarded； numerously honoured and justly praised as an example of all that is good； strong and
dogmatic about our brotherhood。 However； since this circumstance； I have begun to wonder； to fear that—
I feel I cannot say what I wonder or fear。 But I thought you should know of this； and know it soon。 It is my belief that the Ordo Malleus
should be informed； if only as a precaution。
I hope and pray this matter will be found empty of truth and consequence。 But； as you taught me； sir； it is always better to be sure。
Sealed as my true word by this； my hand； this 2 76th day of the year 337。M41。
The Emperor Protects！
Your servant；
＇Message ends。＇
ONE
I DISCOVER I AM DEAD。
UNDER DARK FIRE； THE LAIR OF SADIA。
TANTALID； UNWELCOME。
AS I GROW older； may the Emperor protect me； I find I measure my history in terms of milestones； those occurrences of such intense
moment they will never pass from one's memory： my induction into the blessed ordos of the Inquisition； my first day as a neophyte
assigned to the great Hapshant； my first successful prosecution； the heretic Lemete Syre； my elevation to full inquisitorial rank at the
age of twenty…four standard years； the long…drawn out Nassar case； the affair of the Necroteuch； the P'glao Conspiracy。
Milestones； all of them。 Marked indelibly onto the engrams of my memory。 And； alongside them； I remember the Darknight that came
at the end of the month of Umbris； Imperial year 338。M41； with particular clarity。 For that bloody end was the start of it。 The great
milestone of my life。
I was on Lethe Eleven under instruction from the Ordo Xenos； deep in work； with the accursed xenophile Beldame Sadia almost in my
grasp。 Ten weeks to find her； ten hours to close the trap。 I had been without sleep for three days； without food and water for two。
Psychic phantoms triggered by the Darknight eclipse were roiling my mind。 I was dying of binary poison。 Then Tantalid turned up。
To appraise you； Lethe Eleven is a densely populated world at the leading edge of the Helican subsector； its chief industries being
metalwork and shield technologies。 At the end of every Umbris； Lethe's largest moon matches； by some cosmological coincidence； the
path； orbit and comparative size of the local star； and the world is plunged into eclipse for a two week period known as the Darknight。
The effect is quite striking。 For the space of fourteen days； the sky goes a cold； dark red； the hue of dried blood； and the moon； Kux；
dominates the heavens； a peerlessly black orb surrounded by a crackling corona of writhing amber flame。 This event has become …
students of Imperial ritual will be unsurprised to learn … the key seasonal holiday for all Letheans。 Fires of all shape； size and manner
are lit as Darknight begins； and the population stands vigil to ensure that none go out until the eclipse ends。 Industry is suspended。
Leave is granted。 Riotous carnivals and firelit parades spill through the cities。 Licentiousness and law…breaking are rife。
Above it all； the dark fire of the eclipsed sun haloes the black moon。 There is even a tradition of fortune…casting grown up around the
interpretation of the corona's form。
I had hoped to catch the Beldame before Darknight began； but she was one step ahead of me。 Her chief poisoner； Pye； who had
learned his skills in early life as a prisoner of the renegade dark eldar； so the story went； managed to plant a toxin in my drinking water
that would remain inert until I ingested the second component of its binary action。
I was a dead man。 The Beldame had killed me。
My savant； Aemos； accidentally discovered the toxin in my body； and was able to prevent me from eating or drinking anything
further。 But graceless death beckoned me inexorably。 My only chance of survival was to capture the Beldame and her vassal Pye and
extract the solution to my doom from them。
O