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Inquisitor Endor had visited Inquisitor Eisenhorn。'
'It is well known that those two are old friends。 Why would that have been a problem？'
Endor set down his drink； unpopped the fasteners around his waistband and pulled the top half of his stealth suit up over his head。 He
cast the garment aside。
'Too hot；' he remarked。 His undershirt was dark with sweat。 The jagged saurapt tooth still hung around his neck on a black cord。 That
tooth。 Years ago； I'd dug it out of his leg after he had driven the beast off。 Brontotaph； twelve decades ago and more。 The pair of us；
alongside Hapshant； in the mist…meres。
'I've come for the Novena；' he said。 'I was summoned to attend by Orsini's staff； like you I imagine。 I wanted to talk to you； talk to you
as far off the record as was possible。'
'So you broke into my house？'
He sighed deeply； finished his drink and walked over to the spirit stand in the corner of the room to fix another。
'You're in trouble；' he said。
'Really？ Why is that？'
He looked round； peeling strips of citrus rind off a fruit with a paring knife。
'I don't know。 But there are rumblings。'
'There are always rumblings。'
He turned to face me fully。 His eyes were suddenly very hard and bright。 'Take this seriously。'
'Very well； I will。'
'You know what the rumour…mill is like。 Someone's always got a point to make； a score to settle。 There were stories。 I dismissed them
at first。'
'Stories？'
He sighed again and returned to his seat with his refreshed drink。
'There is talk that you are… unsound。'
'What talk？'
'Damn it； Gregor！ I'm not one of your interview suspects！ I've come here as a friend。'
'A friend who broke in wearing a stealth suit and—'
'Shut up just for a minute； would you？'
I paused。
'Gladly。 If you cut to the chase。'
'The first I heard； someone was bad…mouthing you。'
'Who？'
'It doesn't matter。 I waded in and told them just what I thought。 Then I heard the story again。 Eisenhorn's unsound。 He's lost the plot。'
'Really？'
'Then the stories changed。 It was no longer 〃Eisenhorn's unsound〃； it was； 〃The people who matter think Eisenhorn's unsound〃。 As if
somehow suspicion of you had become official。'
'I've heard nothing；' I said； sitting back。
'Of course you haven't。 Who'd say it to your face but a friend… or a convening judge from Internal Prosecution？'
I raised my eyebrows。 'You're really worried； aren't you； Titus？'
'Damn right。 Someone's gunning for you。 Someone whose got the ear of the upper echelon。 Your career and activities are under
scrutiny。'
'You get that all from rumours？ Come on； Titus。 There are plenty of inquisitors I can think of who'd like to score points off me。
Orsini's a closet Monodominant； and the puritan idealists are forming a power block around him。 They are radicals； in their way。 You
know that。 Us Amalathians are too louche for their tastes。'
I mentioned before how I hated politics。 Nothing is more fruitless and wearying than the internal politics of the Inquisition itself。 My
kind is fractured internally by belief factions and intellectual sectarianism。 Endor and myself count ourselves as Amalathian
inquisitors； which is to say we hold an optimistic outlook and work to sustain the integrity of the Imperium； believing it to be
functioning according to the divine Emperor's scheme。 We preserve the status quo。 We hunt down recidivist elements： heretics； aliens；
psykers； the three key enemies of mankind … these are of course our primary targets … but we will set ourselves against anything that
we perceive to be destabilising Imperial society； up to and including factional infighting between the august organs of our culture。 It
has always struck me as ironic that we had to become a faction in order to fight factionalism。
We profess to be puritans； and certainly are so compared to the extreme radical factions of the Inquisition such as the Istvaanians and
the Recongrenators。
But equally alien to us are the extreme right wing of the puritan factions； the Monodominants and the Thorians； some of whom believe
even the use of trained psykers to be heretical。
If I was in trouble； it would not be the first time an inquisitor of tempered； moderate beliefs had run foul of either extreme in his own
organisation。
'This goes beyond simple faction intrigue；' Titus said quietly。 'This isn't a hardliner deciding to give the moderates a going over。 This
is particular to you。 They have something。'
'What？'
'Something concrete on you。'
'How do you know？'
'Because twenty days ago on Messina； I was detained and questioned by Inquisitor Osma of the Ordo Malleus。'
I suddenly realised I was up out of my seat。
'You were what？'
He waved dismissively。 'I'd just finished a waste…of…time matter； and was preparing to pack up and ship for Thracian。 Osma contacted
me； polite and friendly； and asked if he could meet with me。 I went to see him。 It was all very civil。 He made no effort to restrain me…
but I don't think I could have left before he had finished。 He was guarded； but he made it clear that if I decided to walk out… his
people would stop me。'
'That's outrageous！'
'No； that's Osma。 You've met him surely？ One of Orsini's。 Bezier's right…hand man。 Thorian to the marrow。 He makes a point of
getting what he's after。'
'And what did he get？'
'From me？' Endor laughed。 'Not a thing； except for a glowing character reference！ He allowed me to leave after an hour。 The bastard
even suggested we might meet and dine together； socially； during the Novena。'
'Osma is a skilled operator。 Slippery。 So… that begs the question； what did he want？'
'He wanted you。 He was interested in our friendship and our history。 He asked me about you； like he wanted me to let something
personal and damning slip。 He didn't give away much of anything； but it was clear he had dirt。 Some report had been filed that
compromised you； directly or indirectly。 By the end of it； I knew that the rumours I had been hearing were just the surface ripples of a
secret inquiry。 I knew then that I had to warn you… without anyone knowing we'd spoken。'
'It's all lies；' I told him。
'What is？'
'I don't know。 Whatever they think。 Whatever they fear。 I've done nothing that deserves the attention of the Ordo Malleus。'
'I believe you； Gregor；' Endor said； in a way that suggested to me he undoubtedly did not。
WE TOOK FRESH drinks onto the sea terrace。 He looked out at the kalaedo…scopic swirls of luminous plankton and said； 'They've only
just begun。'
I nodded and looked down at the drink cradled in my hands。
'On Lethe… Tantalid came after me。 I supposed at the time it was old scores； but from what you've said tonight； I doubt that now。'
'Be careful；' he murmured。 'Look； Gregor； I should go。 This should have been a better reunion of old friends。'
'I want to thank you for the chance you took。 The effort you made to bring this to me。'
'You'd do the same。'
'I would。 One last thing… how did you get in？'
He looked round at me sharply。
'What？'
'In here？ Tonight？'
'I used a code scrambler on the door。'
'You diverted the alarms。'
'I'm not a novice； Gregor。 My scrambler was set to trigger a nulling cascade effect through the system。'
'That's quite a piece of kit。 May I see it？'
He took a small black pad from his hip…pocket and passed it to me。
'An Amplox model；' I noted。 'Quite advanced。'
'I only use the best。'
'Me too。 I've employed these before。 They seem… just in my experience… to work best after a few tests。'
'How so？'
'A dry run or two； I mean。 To assess the system you're trying to penetrate。 A few soft passes to gauge the security and let the scrambler
assimilate and learn what it's up against。'
'Yeah； I've done that； when I've had the luxury of time。 These suckers learn fast。 Still； they do the job on the spot when time is tight。'
'Like tonight？' I handed the device back to him。
'Yes… what do you mean？'
'It got you in tonight from cold？ No test runs necessary？'
'No； of course not。 This visit was spur of the moment。 And until that pretty bitch of yours kicked me in the face； I had thought myself
very lucky to have gotten so far。'
'So you haven't been here before？ You haven't been in before？'
'No；' he said sharply。 Either I had offended him or…
'Go if you have to；' I said。
'Goodnight； Gregor。'
'Goodnight； Titus。 I'd offer to show you out； but I think you know the way well enough。'
He grinned； raised his glass and finished it in a single swig。
'Raise 'em and sink 'em and let's have another！'
'I hope so；' I replied。
THE PALACE OF the Inquisition on Thracian Primaris is high in the cloud tiers of Hive Forty…Four。 The size of a small city itself； it is
the chief office of the Inquisition in the Helican subsector； maintaining a permanent staff of sixty thousand。 I make no excuses for its
black staetite facings； its darkened windows； its protective spines of iron spikes。 Critics of the Inquisition may regard its architecture
as almost comically overdone； playing directly to the general public's worst fears about the nature of the Inquisition with its deliberate；
black menace。 That； I would say； is precisely the point。 Fear keeps the populace in line； fear of an institution so terrible it will not
hesitate to punish them for transgressions。
At the start of the next day cycle； I