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THE ISLAND WAS cold and bare。 A small fishing community clung to the rim of the western bay。 Inshabel swung the speeder down
onto the cobbled tideway where spread nets had gone stiff with ice。
'How much longer； Gregor？' Bequin asked me； winding her scarf around her throat。
'How much longer what？'
'Until we give up and leave？ I'm so sick of this fate…forsaken world。'
I shrugged。 'Another week。 Until Candlemas。 If we haven't found anything by then； I promise we'll say goodbye to Cadia。'
THE THREE OF US trudged up the icy walk to a grim tavern overlooking the sea wall。 Anchor fish； as tall as men； were hung outside；
salted and drying in the winter air。
The barman didn't want to know us； but his steward brought us drinks and led us through to a back parlour。 He admitted that he had
sent the message about the smuggler。 The smuggler was here to meet us； he said。
We entered the back parlour。 A man sat by the roaring grate； warming his jewelled fingers at its flames。 I smelled cologne。
'Good morning； Gregor；' said Tobias Maxilla。
Despite the shouting coming from the back parlour； the steward brought us herb omelettes and bowls of steaming zar…fin broth； along
with a bottle of fortified wine。
'Are you going to explain？' asked Inshabel tersely。
'Of course； dear Nathun； of course；' Maxilla replied； pouring a careful measure of wine into each glass。
'Be patient。'
'Now； Tobias！' I snapped。
'Oh；' he said； seeing my look。 He sat back。 'I confess I have become despondent these last few weeks。 You've been so busy and I've
just been waiting up there on the Essene… well； anyway； you've said a number of times that the answer you're searching for depended
on one key thing。 It depended on you establishing a way of getting past this dire planet's obsessively tight security。 Anonymously。
And I said to myself… 〃Tobias； that's what you do； even though Gregor doesn't like to think about it。 Smuggling； Tobias； is your
forte。〃 So I decided to see if I could smuggle myself down here。 And guess what？'
He sat back； sipping his glass； looking disgustingly pleased with himself。
'You smuggled yourself onto the planet to prove it could be done？' asked Bequin slowly。
He nodded。 'My shuttle's hidden in the spinneys behind the village。 It's amazing how many zipped mouths and blind eyes you can buy
with a purse of hard cash round here。'
'I don't know what to say；' I said。
He made an open…handed gesture。 'You told me weeks ago that the Interior Guard recognised no illegal or suspect immigration。 Well；
I'm here today … literally … to prove that claim wrong。 Cadia's a tough nut to crack； I'll admit。 One of the toughest I've faced in a long
and naughty career。 But not impossible； as you see。'
I sank my wine in a single gulp。 'I should sever my links with you for this； Tobias。 You know that。'
'Oh； pooh； Gregor！ Because I've shown up the Cadian Interior Guard as a bunch of fools？'
'Because you've broken the law！'
'Ah ah ah！ No； I haven't。 Bent it； possibly； but not broken it。 My presence here is entirely legal； under both Cadian local and Imperial
general law。'
'What？'
'Come on； my old friend！ Why do you think my shuttle wasn't blasted out of the heavens this morning by eager Cadian lightning
jockeys？ That was a rhetorical question by the way。 Answer… because when the interceptors came scrambling up to meet me； I
broadcast the right security clearance； and that contented them。'
'But the day codes are privileged！ The counter…checks are triple！ They are issued only to those with appropriately high credentials。
What authority could you possibly have used to get them？'
'Well； Gregor… yours； of course。'
IT HAD BEEN staring me in the face； and it took the grandstanding flamboyance of Maxilla； in his very worst showing…off mode； to
reveal it。 The reason the Interior Guard had no file on illegal or suspect immigration was because there was nothing of that nature to
file。 Those that tried to run the strict gauntlet of Cadian security and failed； died。 The ones that got through were never noticed。
Because they were using high…level security clearances； masquerading as the sort of official visitor who would not be stopped。
People like me。 People like Neve。
'I NEVER MADE this trip；' Neve said； staring steadily at the data…slate I was showing her。 'Or this。'
'Of course not。 But someone borrowed your authority code。 Used it to gain trans…orbital access。 That's how they were getting in。 Look
here； your code again； and again。 And before that； the code headers of your predecessor； Gonfal。 It goes back forty years。 Each and
every flurry of activity from the Sons of Bael… and other cults… can be matched by space…to…surface transfers cleared as genuine
Inquisition flights。'
'Emperor protect me！' Neve looked up。 She put down the data…slate and called hoarsely for a servitor to bring more lights into her
octastyle sanctum。
'But my authority code is protected。 How was it stolen？ Eisenhorn； yours was used to prove this。 How was that stolen？'
I paused。 'It wasn't； not exactly。 One of my associates borrowed it to prove the point。'
'Why doesn't that surprise me？ Oh； no matter！ Eisenhorn； there's a great deal of difference between you and me。 You may have rogue
elements in your band who act behind your back in unorthodox； unilateral ways。 I do not。 My code could not have been abused so。'
'I accept your point； but it could。 Who has access to your code？'
'No one！ No one below me！'
'But above you？'
'What？'
'I said this could be one of ours。 A senior inquisitor； a grandmaster even。 Certainly a wily veteran with enough clout to pull the right
strings。'
That would require a direct override at the highest levels。
'Exactly。 Let's look。'
IN THE END； that was my adversary's downfall。 All the blood and fury and combat we had gone through was as nothing to this prosaic
clue that revealed his identity。 To steal Neve's authority code； and the authority codes of her predecessors； my adversary had been
forced to use the clout of his own identity get into the files。
The record of that operation was encrypted； of course。 Sitting side by side at the codifier in her sanctum's annex； Neve and I quickly
found it。 It wasn't even hidden。 He never thought anyone would look。
But still； it was encrypted。
The cryptology was beyond both me and Neve。 But together； combining our ranks； we could request； via the Astropathicus；
permission to use the Inquisition's most powerful decryption keys。
It took five hours to approve our joint rating。
JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT； a scribe from the Officio Astropathicus brought us the message slate。 Midwinter winds shook the sanctum's
casements。
I was alone with Neve。 We had felt it inappropriate to have company。 This was a matter of the gravest import。 We had talked； of this
and that； to pass the time； though both of us were restless and edgy。 She poured generous glasses of Cadian glayva； which took the
edge off the cold。
Her aide announced the scribe； and he entered； bowing low； his augmetic chassis grinding beneath his robes。 He held out a slate to her
clutched in the mechadendrites that served as his hand。 Neve took it and dismissed him。
I rose； and put down my barely touched glass of spirits。
Neve limped over to me； leant on her silver crutch； and held up the slate。
'Shall we？' she asked。
WE WENT INTO the annex and loaded the slate into the ancient codifier。 The limpid green display shifted feverishly with runes。 She
opened the file we were after and set the key to work。
It took a moment or two。
Then the identity of the veteran who had used his power to manipulate Neve's code was revealed on the small； green…washed screen。
At last； the damned had a name。
It shocked even me。
'Glory from above；' breathed Inquisitor General Neve。 'Quixos！ '
AEMOS WAS ARGUING with Neve's chief savant； Cutch。
'Quixos is dead； long dead！' Cutch maintained。 'This is clearly a case of someone using his authority。'
'Quixos is still registered as living by the annals of the Inquisition。'
'As an oversight！ No body has ever been retrieved。 No proof of death—'
'Precisely…'
'But still！ There has been no sign or word from Quixos for over a hundred years。'
'None that we've seen；' I said。
'Eisenhorn's right；' Neve said。 'Inquisitor Utlen was presumed dead for over seventy years。 Then he reappeared overnight to bring
down the tyrants of Esquestor II'
'It's most perturbatory；' Aemos muttered。
Quixos。 Quixos the Great。 Quixos the Bright。 One of the most revered inquisitors ever to roam the Imperium。 His early texts had been
required reading for all of us。 He was a legend。 At the age of just twenty…one he had burned the daemons out of Artum。 Then he had
purged the Endorian subsector of its false goat…gods。 He had transcribed the Book of Eibon。 He had broken the wretched sub…cult of
Nurgle that had tainted one of the palaces of Terra itself。 He had tracked down and killed the Chaos Marine Baneglos。 He had silenced
the Whisperers of Domactoni。 He had crucified the Witch…king of Sarpeth on the battlements above his incinerated hive。
But there had always been an odour about Quixos。 A hint that he was too close to the evil he prosecuted。 He was a radical； certainly。
Some amongst the ordos said he was a rogue。 Others said； in low； p