The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第68章

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As　we　hurried　forward　through　the　backwashing　smoke；　our　landing　ships　rising　back　into　the　pre…dawn　sky　behind　us；　there　was　a
tremor　and　a　palpable　upwelling　of　psychic　force。　Frighteningly　powerful　waves　of　psyker　power　erupted　from　the　epicentre　of　Site　A；
killing　over　thirty　of　the　forward　troops…　and　then　suddenly　cut　off。
We　had　all　anticipated　Quixos　would　have　vast　psychic　defences　…　he　had；　after　all；　been　collecting　psykers　like　Esarhaddon　…　and　it
seemed　likely　that　active　psychic　assaults　would　be　a　key　element　of　his　resistance；　perhaps　even　more　significant　than　his
daemonhosts。　I　had　taken　no　chances。
In　two　groups；　my　entire　Distaff　of　untouchables；　some　fifty　individuals　all　told；　had　moved　in　alongside　the　first　ground…troop
advances。　Bequin；　guarded　by　Nayl　and　twelve　of　my　warrior　staff；　led　one　group；　and　Thula　Surskova；　protected　by　Fischig　and　a
dozen　more　fighters；　led　the　other。
The　Distaff　had　never　been　used　on　such　a　scale　before；　but　it　proved　to　be　the　weapon　I　had　always　suspected。　The　blankness　they
generated　contained　and　negated　the　engulfing　psychic　storm；　effectively　bottling　it　inside　Site　A　and　preventing　it　from　threatening
our　closing　forces。
WITH　INSHABEL；　I　moved　underground；　down　the　rock…cut　steps　into　the　inner　sectors　of　Site　A。　For　almost　an　hour　we　fought　our　way
through　the　smoked…swathed　surface　structures；　a　metre　at　a　time。　Now；　with　the　sun　rising；　we　found　our　first　access　point　to　the
lower　levels：　a　stairwell　exposed　by　a　bomb　crater。
The　place　was　strewn　with　smouldering　debris　and　a　few　unidentifiable　bodies。　In　places；　power　cables　were　hanging；　sparking；　from
the　rockcrete　roof。　We　both　wore　motion　trackers；　and　switched　left　and　right；　gunning　down　cultists　as　they　appeared。　My　boltgun
was　already　running　short　of　shells；　and　Inshabel　was　on　to　his　second…to…last　power　cell。　The　level　of　resistance　was　unbelievable。
At　a　junction　in　the　seemingly　random　jumble　of　tunnels；　we　encountered　Endor。　He　had　a　couple　of　Thracian　troopers　and　an
Inquisition　guardsman　with　him；　but　he'd　lost　both　of　his　slow…moving　attack…servitors。　I　knew　what　he　was　thinking　just　by　the　look
in　his　eyes。　We　had　come　in　strong　and　confident；　but　perhaps　not　strong　enough。　I　thought　I　had　anticipated　the　worst　Quixos　could
throw　against　us。　Maybe　I　had　underestimated　him　after　all。
Ferocious　bursts　of　shooting　alerted　us　to　a　firefight　in　a　larger　chamber　to　the　left。　We　arrived　in　time　to　meet　four　wounded；　terrified
Thracian　troopers　fleeing　towards　us。
'Back！　Go　back！'　they　were　screaming。
I　pushed　past　them。
The　chamber　beyond　was　massive　and　half…filled　with　veiling　smoke。　Green；　unnatural　flames　were　licking　up　the　walls。　At　the　far
end；　the　already　huge　chamber　seemed　to　open　out　into　something　much；　much　vaster。
But　that　was　not　what　occupied　my　eyes。
Surrounded　by　over　fifty　bodies；　most　of　them　Imperial　Guards；　Commodus　Voke　was　standing　his　ground　against　Prophaniti。
The　old　inquisitor　was　shuddering；　his　robes　stiffening　with　psychic　ice。　Corposant　fire　glowed　from　his　mouth　and　eyes。　The
daemonhost；　its　cruel　features　just　recognisable　as　a　distortion　of　poor；　lost　Husmaan's　face；　hovered　in　front　of　Voke；　struggling　at　an
invisible　barrier　of　telekinetic　wrath。
We　ran　forward；　abruptly　drawing　fire　from　cultists　spreading　into　the　chamber　from　the　right。　The　Thracian　beside　me　bucked　and
twitched　as　he　was　hit　twice；　and　Inshabel　cursed　as　he　was　winged。
Endor　urged　the　remaining　men　to　advance　on　his　lead；　and　took　the　fight　to　the　cultists；　his　laspistol　blazing　and　his　chainblade
swinging。
Voke　was　close　to　breaking。　I　could　see　him　wavering　under　the　immense　pressure。
I　bolstered　my　boltgun　and　stumbled　across　the　bodies　and　debris　to　aid　him；　praying　that　my　runestaff　would　do　what　it　was　supposed
to。
And　a　dizzying　blast　of　white　light　and　scourging　heat　blew　me　back　through　the　air。
I　TRIED　TO　get　up；　half…realising　that　I　had　been　blown　clean　out　of　the　chamber；　through　a　flakboard　partition　into　some　kind　of　dank
chute。　Invisible　forces　lifted　me　to　my　feet。　Light　bathed　me。
Cherubael　hovered　before　me。

'Gregor；'　it　said。　'You've　come　so　far。　I　knew　you　had　it　in　you。'
I　held　the　runestaff　in　front　of　me。　The　green　marble　scroll　of　daemonic　protection　that　Ravenor　had　sent　had　already　been　reduced　to
a　shattered　remnant　by　the　force　of　Cherubael's　opening　attack。
'I've　waited　for　this　moment　for　such　a　long　time；'　said　the　daemonhost。　'Remember　on　Eechan　I　said　you'd　have　to　make　things　up　to
me？　Well；　this　is　the　time。　Now。　This　is　the　moment　that　everything's　been　about。　The　one　I　have　seen　coming　since　our　paths　first
crossed。　Destinies…　our　destinies；　intertwined；　remember　that？'
'How　could　I　forget？'　I　spat。　'You　claim　to　have　been　using　me　all　along！　Guiding　me！　Even　protecting　me！　I　watched　you　kill　Lyko　on
Eechan！　So　that　I　would　live…　for　this　moment？　Why？'
Cherubael　smiled。　'When　the　warp　is　in　you　as　it　is　in　me；　you　see　time　from　all　angles。　You　see　what　will　be　and　what　will　come；
what　someone　here　now　will　do　in　a　century　or　two；　what　someone　there　has　done　a　thousand　years　in　the　past。　You　see　the
possibilities。'
'Riddles！　That's　all　you　ever　speak！'
'No　more　riddles；　Eisenhorn。　From　the　moment　I　first　met　you；　I　saw　you　were　the　only　one；　the　only　one　with　the　tenacity；　the　skill
and　the　opportunity　to　give　me　what　I　want。　What　I　want　most　of　all。　I　saw　that　if　I　kept　you　safe；　you　would　come　and　give　me　that
most　precious　thing　here；　on　this　world；　at　this　hour。'
'I　would　never　help　a　daemon　like　you！'
Cherubael　grinned；　blank…eyed　and　utterly　serious。　'Then　destroy　me；　if　you　can。'
It　lunged。　I　raised　the　runestaff　and　channelled　my　will　down　through　the　psi…conductive　pole　into　the　lodestone。　The　carved　fragment
of　the　Lith　blazed　with　blue　light。
PONTIUS　GLAW　KNEW　a　thing　or　two　about　daemonhosts。　Their　greatest　weakness　was　the　strength　of　the　will　that　had　bound　them　as
slaves。　The　runestaff；　so　carefully　prepared　and　constructed；　so　painstakingly　etched　with　the　ancient　symbols　of　control；　was　a　lever
to　topple　that　binding　will　by　amplifying　my　own　to　levels　that　would　overwhelm　it。
For　a　brief　moment；　I　felt　how　it　must　feel　to　be　an　alpha…plus　psyker。
The　scintillating　spear　of　energy　that　shot　from　the　lode…stone　struck　Cherubael　in　the　chest。
The　daemonhost　smiled　for　a　second；　and　then　its　flesh…vessel　ruptured　open；　billowing　a　storm　of　Chaos…fire　in　all　directions。　I　had
cast　it　out　of　its　binding　and　banished　it　back　into　the　warp。
And　in　the　moment　as　my　amplified　mind　overmastered　his；　I　saw　the　years　of　enslavement　it　had　endured　af　Quixos's　hands；　the
torments　of　its　binding；　the　great；　forbidden　text　of　the　Malus　Codicium　whose　arcane　knowledge　Quixos　had　used　to　create　his
daemonhosts。
And　I　realised　that　I　had　given　Cherubael　exactly　what　it　wanted　after　all。
Freedom。
I　STUMBLED　BACK　into　the　main　chamber。　By　then；　Voke；　whose　resistance　to　Prophaniti　had　been　astonishing；　was　dead。
I　remembered　Voke's　words　after　the　atrocity　on　Thracian：　'I　will　make　amends。　I　will　not　rest　until　every　one　of　these　wretches　is
destroyed；　and　order　restored。　And　then　I　will　not　rest　until　I　find　who　and　what　was　behind　it。'
He　could　rest　now。　That　work　was　done。
The　daemonhost　was　casting　the　valiant　old　man's　empty　husk　of　a　body　aside　and　gliding　towards　Endor　and　Inshabel；　who　were　both
already　on　their　knees　in　agony。　Cyan　flames　washed　from　Prophaniti's　fingertips　and　wrapped　my　two　friends　in　tight；　burning
psychic　shackles。　They　were　trapped　morsels　for　it　to　feed　off　at　its　leisure。
Prophaniti　froze　when　I　appeared；　instinctively　knowing　I　posed　a　more　serious　threat。　The　Lith…stone　was　still　smoking　with　bloodred
light。
The　daemonhost　surged　through　the　air　at　me；　teeth　bared；　arms　spread；　incandescent　with　light；　baying　my　name。　It　was　like　facing
the　attack　run　of　a　supersonic　warcraft　firing　all　guns。　I　know　so。　It　is　my　misfortune　to　have　experienced　that　too。
Prophaniti　whooped　with　glee。
'At　Kasr　Geth；　you　told　me　to　make　my　weapons　sounder　next　time；　monster！'　I　howled；　and　impaled　its　charging　form　on　the　steel
pole　of　the　runestaff。　'Is　this　soun