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from him was more sickly green than the gold I remembered。
Unhealthy bulging veins corded his body； and the nub…horns on his brow had grown into short； twisted hooks。
'And so we meet again。 Aren't you going to say anything？'
I could feel Bequin shaking in terror beside me。
'Stay calm； stay still；' I told her。
The daemonhost glanced at her and his smile widened。 'The untouchable！ How wonderful！ An almost exact repeat of our first
encounter。 How are you； my dear？'
'What do you want？' I asked。
'Want？'
'You always want something。 On 56…Izar； it was the Necroteuch。 Oh； I forgot。 You never want anything； do you？ You're just a slave；
doing another's bidding。'
Cherubael frowned slightly。 'Don't be uncivil； Gregor。 You should treasure the fact that I have taken a personal interest in you。 Most
things that cross me get destroyed very quickly。 I could have hunted you out years ago。 But I knew… there was a bond。'
'More of your riddles。 More nothings。 Tell me something real。 Tell me about Vogel Passionata。'
He laughed； an ugly sound。 'Oh； you heard about； that did you？'
'Reports of the incident have made me suspect in the eyes of many。'
'I know。 Bless you； that wasn't my intention。 It was just a tiny error on my part。 I'm sorry if it's inconvenienced you。'
'I have no wish to be seen as a man who would form a compact with daemons。'
'I'm sure you haven't。 But that is what's happening； whether you like it or not。 Destiny； Gregor。 Our destinies are entwined； in ways
you cannot even begin to see。 Why else would you dream about me？'
'Because it has become a central goal of my life to hunt you down and banish you。'
'Oh； this is a lot more than simple professional obsession。 Think； why do you really dream of me？ Why do you search for me so
diligently； even hiding the extent of that search from your masters？'
'I…' My mind was racing。 This thing knew so much。
'And why did I spare you？ If it had been you on Vogel Passionata； I would have let you live。 I let you live on Thracian。'
'What？'
'You stopped to pay homage at Spatian's tomb； and the Gate shielded you from the disaster。 Why did you stop？ You don't know。 You
can't explain it； can you？ It was me。 Watching over you。 Planting the suggestion in your mind。 Making you pause for no reason。 We've
been working together all along。'
'No！'
'You know it； Gregor。 You just don't know you know it。'
CHERUBAEL FLOATED AWAY a short distance； and looked around。 The auction site was frozen； all eyes on him。 No one dared move；
not even the most weak…willed twist guard。 Even those present who didn't know what he was recognised the extraordinary evil and
power he represented。
'What are you waiting for？' a voice yelled from nearby。 Several armed men stepped out of their cover in the chew…after tangles and
approached。 It was Lyko； with six gristly examples of hired muscle。
'Look who I found； Lyko。 I sprang this trap； just like you suggested； to discover if anyone was on your tail； and look who it turned out
to be。'
'Eisenhorn…' Lyko murmured； fear crossing his face for a second。 He looked over at Cherubael。
'I said； what are you waiting for？ Kill them and we can be gone。'
It was suddenly clear to me Lyko wasn't the daemonhost's master。 Like Konrad Molitor all those years before； Lyko was another
pawn； a corrupted agent of someone… something… else。
'Must I？' asked the hovering figure。
'Do it！ No witnesses！'
'Please！' cried the elderly Merdok。 'We only meant t—'
Lyko whipped around and incinerated the old man with his plasma gun。
That broke the impasse。 Phant's people and the other buyers broke in panic； drawing weapons； shouting。 Indiscriminate shooting
began。 Lyko's gunmen； all ex…military types with autocannons； hosed the staging area and cut down the fleeing twists。 I saw Phant
Mastik hit by a burst of fire and collapse in rough sections backwards off the platform。
His horn…headed minder ran at Cherubael； firing a grubby old laspistol。
Cherubael hadn't moved。 He was simply watching the murder around him。 The las…shots sizzled off his skin； and he glanced down at
the twist； as if his reverie had been broken。
The daemonhost didn't even move a hand； a finger。 There was just a slight nod in the direction of the horned minder； and the miserable
twist was somehow filleted where he stood； waves offeree stripping off his flesh and popping out his skeleton； parts of it still
articulated。
I felt the warp churning around that dismal place as Cherubael went to work。 Once he had started； his fury was unstinting。 Merdok's
war…rena ferns disappeared in a sudden vortex and died； fused together。 The mud beneath Vassik's feet boiled； and she and her
bodyguards sank； screaming and thrashing； into it。
I was frozen； rigid。 I felt Bequin pulling at me。
Shots seared past my face。 I snapped round； and saw two of Lyko's men charging us。 One dropped suddenly； headshot by what could
only have been a sniping round from Husmaan out in the torn undergrowth。
Nayl flew past me and gunned the other down with his Tronsvasse para…bellum。
'Come on！ We've got to get out of here！' he yelled at me。
There was blood and filth and swirling plant…fibre in the air。 A warp storm was crackling around us； so dense and dark we could barely
see； barely stand against its churning force。 But I could make out the glowing shape of Cherubael through it all。
I drew my power sword and ran towards him。
'Gregor！ No！' Bequin screamed。
I had no choice。 I had waited the best part of a hundred years。 I would not let him go again。
He floated around to face me； smiling down。
'Put that away； Gregor。 Don't worry。 I won't kill you。 Lyko has no power over me。 I'll deal with his complaints later； and—'
'Who does have power over you？ Who is your master？ Tell me！ You caused the atrocity on Thracian； didn't you！ Why？ On whose
orders？'
'Just go away； Gregor。 This is not your concern now。 Go away。'
I think he was honestly surprised when I hacked the power sword into his chest。
I don't really know if I had imagined I could do him any harm。
The blessed blade almost disembowelled him before it exploded and hurled me backwards。
He looked down in dismay at the wound across his torso。 Warp energies； bright and toxic； were spilling out of it。 In a second； the
wound closed as if it had never been。
'You little fool；' said Cherubael。
I found myself flying backwards through the air； blood in my mouth。
The impact of landing shook my bones and smashed the breath out of me。 My head swam。 The daemonhost's power had thrown me a
good thirty metres across the site； into the underbrush。
Furious psychic detonations went off all round。 Screaming； semi…sentient winds from the deepest warp snaked around the field；
destroying the last of the twists and the fleeing buyers。
I tried to rise； but consciousness left me。
WHEN I CAME to； the chew…after was on fire。 There was no sign of Cherubael。 Inshabel and Aemos were pulling me to my feet。
'Bequin！ Nayl！' I coughed。
'I'll find them；' Inshabel said。
'Where's Lyko？' I asked Aemos； as Inshabel ran off； weapon drawn。
'Fled； with his men； in two of the land speeders。'
'And the daemonhost？'
'I don't know。 It seemed to just vanish。 Maybe it had a displacer field。'
I started to ran back into the site； though my body was burning with pain。 Aemos cried out after me。
MOST OF THE vehicles were smashed or overturned； but a couple were still intact。
I scrambled into a small； black speeder； a sleek； up…hive sports model that had presumably belonged to Vassik。 I cued the thrasters；
lifting off before I'd even strapped on the seat harness。
The craft was powerful and over…responsive。 It took a moment to master the lightness of touch needed to accelerate without sudden
blurts of speed。 I turned it unsteadily in the air as I climbed too fast above the blasted site。 Below； I could see Nayl； ragged and
bloody； shouting up at me to come back。
Banking out of the cone of smoke at a hundred metres； I got my hearings。 On every side； the acreage of the chew…after spread out until
it became lush greencover again。 There was the mainhive； looming in the distance。 Where were they？ Where were they？
I saw two dots in the air three kilometres to the west and gunned the machine after them。 Heavy land speeders； making towards the
bulk of the nearest harvester factory。
I pushed the turbines to their limit； coming in low and fast behind the slower lift…machines。 I knew they'd seen me the moment autofire
chattered back in my direction； wildly off target。
I began to jink； the way Midas had taught me； before they got their aim in。 I thought about shooting back at them； but it took both
hands on the stick just to keep the sports speeder level。
We were passing over green crop land now； an emerald sea that raced away below in an alarming blur。 More tracer shots howled back
past me。
A big shadow passed across the sun。
'Want them splashed？' crackled from the vox。
Downjets flaring； the streamlined bulk of my gun…cutter settled in beside me； matching my speed。 It seemed huge compared to my
insignificant little speeder； one…fifty tonnes； eighty metres from beak nose to finned tail； landing gear lowered like insect legs。 I could
see Medea grinning in the cockpit。
I daren't lift my hands from the jarring sti