The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第3章

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invaluable。　After　many　years　of　service；　she　had　retired　to　form　the　Distaff；　a　cadre　of　untouchables　recruited　from　all　across　the
Imperium。　The　Distaff　was　my　own　private　resource；　although　I　often　loaned　their　services　to　others　of　my　order。　They　numbered
around　forty　members　now；　trained　and　managed　by　Bequin。　It　is　my　belief　that　the　Distaff　was　collectively　one　of　the　most　potent
anti…psyker　weapons　in　the　Emperor's　domain。
THE　RUINS　WERE　festering　with　shadows　and　dank　salt。　Rot…beetles　scurried　over　the　flaking　mosaic　portraits　of　long…dead　worthies
that　stared　out　of　alcoves。　Worms　crawled　everywhere。　The　steady　chirrup　of　insects　from　the　salt…licks　was　like　someone　shaking　a

rattle。　As　we　probed　deeper；　we　came　upon　inner　yards　and　grave…squares　where　neglect　had　shaken　free　places…tones　and　revealed　the
smeared　bones　of　the　long　interred　in　the　loamy　earth　below。　In　places；　rot…browned　skulls　had　been　dug　out　and　piled　in　loose
pyramids。
It　saddened　me　to　see　this　holy　place　so　befouled　and　dreary。　Kiodrus　had　been　a　great　man；　had　stood　and　fought　at　the　right　hand　of
the　sacred　Beati　Sabbat　during　her　mighty　crusade。　But　that　had　been　a　long　time　ago　and　far　away；　and　his　cult　of　worship　had　faded。
It　would　take　another　crusade　into　the　distant　Sabbat　Worlds　to　rekindle　interest　in　him　and　his　forgotten　deeds。
Qus　called　a　halt　and　pointed　towards　the　steps　of　an　undercroft　that　led　away　below　ground。　I　waved　him　back；　indicating　the　tiny
strip　of　red　ribbon　placed　under　a　stone　on　the　top　step。　A　marker；　left　by　Ravenor；　indicating　this　was　not　a　suitable　entry　point。
Peering　into　the　staircase　gloom；　I　saw　what　he　had　seen：　the　half　buried　cables　of　a　tremor…detector　and　what　looked　like　bundles　of
tube　charges。
We　found　three　more　entrances　like　it；　all　marked　by　Ravenor。　The　Beldame　had　secured　her　fastness　well。
'Through　there；　do　you　think；　sir？'　Qus　whispered；　pointing　towards　the　columns　of　a　roofless　cloister。
I　was　about　to　agree　when　Arianrhod　hissed；　'Barbarisater　thirsts…'
I　looked　at　her。　She　was　prowling　to　the　left；　towards　an　archway　in　the　base　of　the　main　bell…tower。　She　moved　silently；　the　sabre　held
upright　in　a　two…handed　grip；　her　tasselled　cloak　floating　out　behind　her　like　angelic　wings。
I　gestured　to　Qus　and　the　women　and　we　formed　in　behind　her。　I　drew　my　prized　boltpistol；　given　to　me　by　Librarian　Brytnoth　of　the
Adeptus　Astartes　Deathwatch　Chapter　on　the　eve　of　the　Purge　of　Izar；　almost　a　century　before。　It　had　never　failed　me。
The　Beldame's　minions　came　out　of　the　night。　Eight　of　them；　just　shadows　that　disengaged　themselves　from　the　surrounding　darkness。
Qus　began　to　fire；　blasting　back　a　shadow　that　pounced　at　him。　I　fired　too；　raking　bolt　rounds　into　the　ghostly　opposition。
Beldame　Sadia　was　a　heretic　witch　and　consorted　with　xenos　breeds。　She　had　a　particular　fascination　with　the　beliefs　and
necromancies　of　the　dark　eldar；　and　had　made　it　her　life…cause　to　tap　that　foul　alien　heritage　for　power　and　lore。　She　was　one　of　the
only　humans　I　knew　of　who　had　struck　collaborative　pacts　with　their　wretched　kabals。　Rumour　had　it　she　had　been　recently　initiated
into　the　cult　of　Kaela　Mensha　Khaine；　in　his　aspect　as　the　Murder…God　beloved　of　the　eldar　renegades。
As　befitted　such　a　loyalty；　she　recruited　only　convicted　murderers　for　her　minions。　The　men　who　attacked　us　in　that　blighted　yard　were
base　killers；　shrouded　in　shadow　fields　she　had　bought；　borrowed　or　stolen　from　her　inhuman　allies。
One　swung　at　me　with　a　long…bladed　halberd　and　I　blew　off　his　head。　Just。　My　body　was　tired　and　my　reactions　were　damnably　slow。
I　saw　Arianrhod。　She　was　a　balletic　blur；　her　beaded　hair　streaming　out　above　her　flying　cloak。　Barbarisater　purred　in　her　hands。
She　severed　the　neck　of　one　shadow　with　a　backward　slash；　then　pirouetted　around　and　chopped　another　in　two　from　neck　to　pelvis。
The　sabre　was　moving　so　fast　I　could　barely　see　it。　She　stamped　hard　and　reversed　her　direction　of　movement；　causing　a　third　shadow
to　sprawl　as　he　overshot　her。　His　head　flew　off；　and　the　sabre　swept　on　to　impale　a　fourth　without　breaking　its　fluid　motion。　Then
Arianrhod　swept　around；　the　sword　held　horizontally　over　her　right　shoulder。　The　steel　haft　of　the　fifth　shadow's　polearm　was　cut　in
two　and　he　staggered　back。　Barbarisater　described　a　figure　of　eight　in　the　air　and　another　shadow　fell；　cut　into　several　sections。
The　last　minion　turned　and　fled。　A　shot　from　Bequin's　laspistol　brought　him　down。
A　pulse　was　pounding　in　my　temple　and　I　realised　I　had　to　sit　down　before　I　passed　out。　Qus　grabbed　me　by　the　arm　and　helped　me
down　onto　a　block　of　fallen　wall　stone。
'Gregor？'
'I'm　all　right；　Alizebeth…　give　me　a　moment…'
'You　shouldn't　have　come；　you　old　fool！　You　should　have　left　this　to　your　disciples！'
'Shut　up；　Alizebeth。'
'I　will　not；　Gregor。　It's　high　time　you　understood　your　own　limits。'
I　looked　up　at　her。　'I　have　no　limits；'　I　said。
Qus　laughed　involuntarily。
'I　believe　him；　Mistress　Bequin；'　said　Ravenor；　stepping　from　the　shadows。　Emperor　damn　his　stealth；　even　Arianrhod　had　not　seen
him　coming。　She　had　to　force　her　sabre　down　to　stop　it　slicing　at　him。
Gideon　Ravenor　was　a　shade　shorter　than　me；　but　strong　and　well…made。　He　was　only　thirty…four　years　old。　His　long　black　hair　was
tied　back　from　his　sculpted；　high　cheek…boned　face。　He　wore　a　grey　bodyglove　and　a　long　leather　storm　coat。　The　psycannon　mounted
on　his　left　shoulder　whirred　and　clicked　around　to　aim　at　Arianrhod。
'Careful；　swordswoman；'　he　said。　'My　weapon　has　you　squarely。'
'And　it　will　still　have　me　squarely　when　your　head　is　lying　in　the　dust；'　she　replied。
They　both　laughed。　I　knew　they　had　been　lovers　for　over　a　year；　but　still　in　public　they　sparred　and　sported　with　each　other。
Ravenor　snapped　his　fingers　and　his　companion；　the　festering　mutant　Gonvax；　shambled　out　of　hiding；　drool　stringing　from　his　thick；
malformed　lips。　He　carried　a　flamer；　the　fuel…tanks　strapped　to　the　hump　of　his　twisted　back。
I　rose。　'What　have　you　found？'　I　asked　Ravenor。
'The　Beldame　…　and　a　way　in；'　he　said。
BELDAME　SADIA'S　LAIR　was　in　the　sacrarium　beneath　the　main　chapel　of　the　ruin。　Ravenor　had　scouted　it　carefully；　and　found　an　entry
point　in　one　of　the　raptured　crypts　that　perhaps　even　she　didn't　know　about。
My　respect　for　Ravenor　was　growing　daily。　I　had　never　had　a　disciple　like　him。　He　excelled　at　almost　every　skill　an　inquisitor　is　meant
to　have。　I　looked　forward　to　the　day　when　I　supported　his　petition　to　inquisitorial　status。　He　deserved　it。　The　Inquisition　needed　men
like　him。

SINGLE…FILE；　WE　entered　the　crypt　behind　Ravenor。　He　drew　our　attention　carefully　to　every　pitfall　and　loose　flag。　The　stench　of　salt
and　old　bones　was　intolerable；　and　I　felt　increasingly　weak　in　the　close；　hot　air。
We　emerged　into　a　stone　gallery　that　overlooked　a　wide　subterranean　chamber。　Pitch…lamps　sputtered　in　the　darkness　and　there　was　a
strong　smell　of　dried　herbs　and　fouler　unguents。
Beings　were　worshipping　in　the　chamber。　Worshipping　is　the　only　word　I　can　use。　Naked；　daubed　in　blood；　twenty　depraved　humans
were　conducting　a　dark　eldar　rite　around　a　torture　pit　in　which　a　battered　man　was　chained　and　stretched。
The　stink　of　blood　and　excrement　wafted　to　me。　I　tried　not　to　throw　up；　for　I　knew　the　effort　would　make　me　pass　out。
'There；　you　see　him？'　Ravenor　whispered　into　my　ear　as　we　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　gallery。
I　made　out　a　pale…skinned　ghoul　in　the　distant　shadows。
'A　haemonculus；　sent　by　the　Kabal　of　the　Fell　Witch　to　witness　the　Beldame's　practices。'
I　tried　to　make　out　detail；　but　the　figure　was　too　deep　in　the　shadows。
I　registered　grinning　teeth　and　some　form　of　blade　device　around　the　right　hand。
'Where's　Pye？'　asked　Bequin；　whispering　too。
Ravenor　shook　his　head。　Then　he　seized　my　arm　and　squeezed。　Even　whispers　were　no　longer　possible。
The　Beldame　herself　had　entered　the　chamber。
She　walked　on　eight；　spider　legs；　a　huge　augmetic　chassis　of　hooked　arachnid　limbs　that　skittered　on　the　stones。　Inquisitor　Atelath；
Emperor　grant　him　rest；　had　destroyed　her　real　legs　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　before　my　birth。
She　was　veiled　in　black　gauze　that　looked　like　cobwebs。　I　could　actuall