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it was a deliberate dive。 If
he had hit her…
The object she had thrown bounced off a pew near me and landed on the floor； spilling from its yellow cloth。
Barbarisater。
Risking dismemberment from the chainsword； I hurled myself at the Carthaen blade。 My hands found its long grip and I rolled twice
to avoid the next downstrike of Theophantus。
Barbarisater purred in my grip as I came up。 The runes blazed with vengeful light。
Tantalid realised that the nature of the battle had suddenly changed。 I saw it in his eyes。
My first swing severed his wrist； cutting clean through the power…armoured cuff； dropping his hand to the floor； still clutching the
smoking boltgun。
My second met Theophantus and destroyed it； spraying disintegrating chain…teeth and machine parts into the air。
My third cut Witchfinder Tantalid in two from the left shoulder to the groin。 Neither half of him made a sound as they fell apart onto
the cathedral floor。
Barbarisater was still seething with power； and twitched as Medea emerged unhurt from behind a choir stall。 I forced the hungry blade
down。
'Come on！' she said。
Ungish was dead。 There was nothing I could do for her。 And there was so much I should have done。 She had been right。 Right about
this。 Right about her fate。 I dreaded to think how much more of what she had said might prove to be true too。
Hearing my frantic glossia call when Tantalid first attacked； Medea had taken the launch up from Ezra Plain outside the city； despite
all official warnings for her to abort； and flown it right in； setting down in the courtyard outside Saint Ezra Outlooking。
As we ran out now； into the evening； through crowds of stunned onlookers who leapt out of our path； the city arbites and the Frateris
Militia were rising in alarmed response。 There was no point waiting to face them。
The launch shot us skywards； back towards the Essene； to leave Orbul Infanta as fast as we could。
IT WAS A mess； and I was terribly disheartened。 The confidence with which we had all set out from Cinchare seemed to have
dissolved。 Orbul Infanta had been just the first part of a long stratagem； and thanks to Tantalid； it had ended badly。 I'd failed to contact
Gladus； and discovered that as careful as I had been； my communiques were not secure。 The third task I had planned to undertake on
Orbul Infanta； a search of the Imperial archivum for certain information relating to Quixos； hadn't even been started。
At least the weapons were consecrated。 And Barbarisater had more than proved itself in combat。
FRIGATES OF THE Frateris Militia； along with several Imperial Navy guard boats； attempted to block the Essene； but Maxilla's
navigator got us out of the system and real space before they could even close range。 Some ships pursued us into the warp； and we
were chased for eight days； finally losing our pursuers through a series of real…space decelerations and redirections。 We went to
ground。 A month at a low…tech depot on a farming world； another two at the automated station at Kwyle。 I was jumping at shadows by
then； expecting enemies and rivals to loom out of every doorolested。 Maxilla had made a
career out of passing unnoticed and avoiding attention。 He lent that practiced art to our cause now； and reassured me into the bargain。
THREE MONTHS AFTER leaving Orbul Infanta in such haste； we risked a run to Gloricent； an outlying but prosperous trade world in the
Antimar subsector； another division of the Scarus Sector； just two subsectors over from the Helican sub itself。 Though worlds like
Gudran and Thracian Primaris were a good four months away by starship； it felt a little like being home。 Disguised； Medea and I
visited the sea…lashed stone piles of one of the main trade…hives； and procured a pair of astropaths； hiring their services from the local
commercial guild on an open…ended lease。
Their names were Adgur and Ueli； both young males； both psychically capable but dull…witted and emotionless。 Their young heads
were shaved and their plugs shiny and new； and they spoke to me in overly formal ways that sounded like the parrot…learned etiquette
it sadly was。 But their eyes were ringed with darkness and their flesh was losing its youthful lustre。 The rigour of the astropathic life
was already taking its toll。
USING THEM； I sent fresh communiques that superceded the original ones and revised certain aspects of my scheme。 None of the
messages now suggested the sort of trial meetings I had attempted with Gladus。 I would not give so much away now。
After a week； and no reponses； we left Gloricent and went； via Mimonon to Sarum； the capital world of the Antimar subsector。 I
managed to do some useful work in its libraries； but backed off when a sour little confessor on a research sabbatical took to following
me as if he recognised me。
While at anchor off Sarum； I got my first responses； all coded： from Bequin on Messina； and from Aemos on Gudrun。 Both reported
that their parts of the plan were going much more smoothly than mine had。 Two days later； a partially scrambled astropathic message
came from Inshabel on Elvara Cardinal。 What parts I got of it seemed to indicate some success。 I was impatient to know more。
The week before we left Sarum； I received two more； both anonymous； one from Thracian Primaris； the other from a cluster of slaveworlds
that owed fealty to the Salies Province of the Ophidian subsector。 From the careful code and language of both； I recognised
their senders。
My spirits lifted。
AFTER THAT IMPROVEMENT； things again seemed to slow and stagnate。 There was no progress； and no further communications。 We
were forced to quit Lorwen； our next stop after Sarum； with unseemly haste； when a flotilla of warships from Battlefleet Reaver
arrived。 I know now that the Battlefleet manoeuvres at Lorwen … and incidentally at Sarum and Femis Major too … were part of a major
precautionary deployment against a pair of space hulks that had suddenly roamed into the subsector。 But they caused us over thirteen
weeks of anxious hiding amongst the brown and black dwarf stars of an extinguished stellar nursery。
Another Candlemas went by while we were in the empyrean； en route to the Drewlian Group。 Medea； Maxilla and I marked it
together； just the three of us。 The two astropaths and the navigator were not invited to attend。 I raised a glass to toast the continued
success of our mission。 I don't think I would have been so hearty if I had known it would be another full year before the final act of the
plan would play out。
I SPENT THE first four months of 342 fruitlessly engaged in a search for the celebrated precog…hermit Lukas Cassian in the stinking
marshes of Drewlia Two； only to learn that he had been murdered by a Monodominant cult four years earlier。 During that quest； I
terminated the activities of a plague…daemon sect infesting the marshlands。 That was quite an undertaking in its own right； but my full
account of it is filed in the Inquisition archives separately； and it has no bearing on this record。 Besides； I still regard it bitterly as an
interruption and waste of time。 Neither will I set down here the full story of Nathan Inshabel's ventures on Elvara Cardinal； or Harlon
Nayl's frankly extraordinary experiences on Bimus Tertius； though both tales connect to this record。 Inshabel has written his own；
refreshingly witty account of his exploits； which may be accessed by those with the appropriate clearance； something I recommend as
illuminating and rewarding。 Nayl asked me not to include his story； and has never committed it to record。 It may be learned only by
those with the temerity to ask him and the money to pay for a long night's serious drinking。
All this while； I remained an Imperial outlay heresies。 It is interesting to note that at no time during
this period did the Inquisition formally refute or overturn the carta I had declared on Quixos。
THE YEAR 343。M41 was half gone already by the time the Essene took me to Thessalon； a feudal world near Hesperus in the Helican
subsector。 It had been chosen by Nayl as the point for our secret congregation。 Commanding a twenty man field team selected from
my staff on Gudrun； he arrived a week before the rest of us to secure the location and make sure we were not compromised。 His
preparations were thorough and ingenious。 No one entered the area without him knowing it； nor could anyone have done so。 At the
slightest sign of outside interruption or official interference； we would have ample time to withdraw and flee。 As a final precaution； I
was the last to arrive。
THESSALON IS A tough little world whose population lives in a dark age and knows nothing of the Imperium or the galaxy beyond its
skies。
The meeting place was a rained keep in the north of the second continent； two thousand kilometres from the nearest indigenous
community。 A few lonely animal herders and subsistence farmers undoubtedly saw the lights of our ships in their heavens； but to them
they were just the portents of the gods and the bright eyes of fabulous beasts。
MEDEA DEPOSITED ME at the edge of a conifer forest at nightfall； and then took the gun…cutter back to stand off as air…cover； ready to
redeploy at a moment's notice。 For the first time in over two standard years； I was