The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第15部分

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thing　only。　It　implored　me；　ripping　my　consciousness　apart。
It　was　strident　and　it　was　undeniable。
I　pulled　the　trigger。

SEVEN
VOKE；　AND　SPECULATIONS。
ESARHADDON。
THROUGH　THE　VOID。
BUT　I　DID　not　die。
The　boltgun；　that　gift　from　Librarian　Brytnoth；　which　had　never　failed　me　in　ten　decades　of　use；　failed　to　fire。
The　child…thing　shrieked　and　leapt　away　into　the　smoke　and　flames　and　struggling　shapes　around　me。　The　dead　Marine　toppled　over。
The　air　frothed　with　psychic　discharge　and　three　figures　ran　past　me　in　pursuit　of　the　tiny　abomination。　Inquisitors。　All　three　were
inquisitors；　or　interrogators　at　least。　One；　I　was　sure；　was　Inquisitor　Lyko。
I　lowered　my　shaking　hand。　Both　it；　and　the　boltgun　it　clutched；　were　cased　in　psionic　ice；　the　mechanism　jammed　and　locked　out。
I　turned　and　found　Commodus　Voke　standing　a　few　paces　behind　me。　His　ancient　face　was　contorted　with　internal　pressure。　Crusts　of
psipathetic　frost　glittered　on　his　long　black　gown。

'Point。　It。　Aside。'　His　words　came　out　as　halting　gasps。　'I。　Cannot。　Hold。　It。　Much。　Longer。'
Swiftly；　I　turned　the　boltgun　aside　and　up　into　the　air。　With　a　barking　gasp；　he　convulsively　relaxed　and　the　weapon　bucked　and　fired。
The　deadly　round　whined　away　harmlessly　into　the　sky。
Voke　was　sagging；　the　gyros　in　the　augmetic　exo…skeleton　that　cradled　his　frail　body　straining　to　manage　his　balance。　I　gave　him　my
hand　in　support。
'Thank　you；　Commodus。'
'No　matter；'　he　said；　his　voice　a　whisper。　His　strength　began　to　return　and　he　peered　up　at　me　with　his　bird…bright　eyes。　'Only　a　brave
man　or　a　fool　tangles　with　a　plus…alpha　psyker。'
'Then　I　am　both　or　neither。　I　was　closest　to　the　emergency。　I　could　not　just　stand　by。'
WE　WERE　ASSAILED　by　extraordinary　noises　from　the　charnel　ground　behind　us。　Gunfire；　grenades；　screams　and　the　popping；　surging
sounds　of　minds　fracturing　reality；　compressing　matter；　boiling　atmosphere。　I　saw　a　robed　man；　an　inquisitor　or　an　astropath；　rising
slowly　into　the　sky　in　a　pillar　of　green　fire；　burning；　shredding　inside　out。　I　saw　geysers　of　blood　like　waterspouts。　Squalls　of　hail　and
acid　rain；　localised　to　this　small　stretch　of　the　Avenue；　blustered　across　us；　triggered　by　the　ferocity　of　the　psychic　war。
Figures　were　rushing　in　to　join　that　battle。　Many　from　the　ordos　with　their　expert　bodyguards；　and　dozens　of　the　Adeptus　Astartes。
There　was　a　vibration　underfoot；　and　I　saw　that　one　of　the　towering　Warhound　Titans　was　stalking　past　the　Spatian　Gate；　spitting　its
turbo　lasers　at　ground　targets。　A　series　of　withering　explosions；　mainly　psyker…blasts；　tore　through　the　habitats　and　hive　structures　on
the　eastern　side　of　the　wide　…　and　now　infamous　…　Avenue。
Imperial　Marauders　flashed　low　overhead。　The　sky　was　black　with　smoke；　all　sunlight　blotted　out。　Wisps　of　ash　fell　on　us　like　grey
snow。
'This　is…　a　great　crime；'　Voke　said　to　me。　'A　black　day　in　the　Imperial　annals。'
I　had　forgotten　how　much　Commodus　Voke　loved　understatement。
THE　GREATER　PART　of　Hive　Primaris　remained　lawless　and　out　of　control　for　five　days。　Panic；　rioting；　looting　and　civil　unrest　boiled
through　the　streets　and　hab…levels　of　the　wounded　megapolis　as　the　arbites　and　the　other　organs　of　the　Imperium　struggled　to　impose
martial　law　and　restore　order。
It　was　a　desperate　task。　The　indigenous　population　alone　was　vast；　but　it　had　been　swelled　to　an　unimaginable　extent　by　pilgrims　and
tourists　for　the　Novena。　Sympathetic　panic　riots　broke　out　in　other　hives　too。　For　a　day　or　two；　it　seemed　like　the　entire　planet　was
going　to　collapse　in　blood　and　fire。
Small　sections　of　Hive　Primaris　had　managed　to　insulate　themselves：　the　elite　spire　levels；　the　noble　houses；　built　like　fortresses；　the
impregnable　precincts　of　the　Inquisition；　the　Imperial　Guard；　the　Astropathicus；　the　various　bastions　of　the　Munitorium　and　the　Royal
Palace　of　the　Lord　Commander。　Elsewhere；　especially　in　the　common　and　general　hab　levels；　it　was　like　a　war　zone。
The　Ecclesiarchy　suffered　particularly　gravely。　With　the　Monument　of　the　Ecclesiarch　in　flames；　the　common　masses　regarded　the
nightmare　as　some　holy　curse；　and　turned　in　their　frenzy　on　all　the　churches；　temples　and　sacerdotal　orders　they　could　find。　We
learned　within　the　first　few　hours　that　Cardinal　Palatine　Anderucias　had　been　killed　in　the　destruction　of　the　Monument。　He　was　far
from　the　only　great　hierarch　to　perish　in　the　orgy　of　carnage　that　followed。
THE　RECAPTURE　OR　extermination　of　the　remaining　rogue　psykers　was　the　first　and　most　fundamental　task　facing　the　authorities。　Ten
were　known　to　have　escaped　the　initial　battle　on　the　Avenue　of　the　Victor　Bellum；　and　these　had　fled　into　the　hive；　sowing　carnage　as
they　went；　hunted　by　the　forces　of　the　Inquisition　and　all　the　Imperial　might　that　could　be　brought　to　bear　in　support。
Two　of　them　made　it　only　a　kilometre　or　two　from　the　route　of　the　procession；　hounded　every　step　by　Imperial　forces　from　the　Avenue
battle；　and　were　neutralised　by　nightfall　on　that　terrible　first　day。　Another　went　to　ground　in　a　vegetable　cannery　in　an　eastern　sector
outhab；　and　was　laid　to　siege。　It　cost　three　days　and　the　lives　of　eight　hundred　Imperial　Guardsmen；　sixty…two　astropaths；　two　Space
Marines　and　six　inquisitors　to　blast　it　out　and　burn　it。　The　cannery；　and　the　outhab　for　three　square　kilometres　around　it；　was　flattened。
THERE　WAS　LITTLE　or　no　central　control　for　our　forces。　Admiral　Oetron；　who　had　remained　with　the　orbiting　battlefleet　as　watch
commander；　managed　to　move　four　picket　ships　into　geo…synchronous　orbit　above　Hive　Primaris；　and　for　a　while　succeeded　in
providing　comprehensive　vox　and　astropathic　communications　for　the　ground　forces。　But　by　nightfall　on　the　first　day；　psychic　storms
had　blown　up　across　the　hive　and　all　relayed　reception　was　lost。
IT　WAS　A　dark　and　frightening　period。　Down　in　the　burning　streets；　we　subdivided　as　best　we　could　into　small　units；　functioning
autonomously。　Simply　by　dint　of　being　with　Voke；　I　became　part　of　a　group　that　made　its　headquarters　in　an　arbites　section　house　on
Blammerside　Street　in　the　mercantile　district。　Desperate　groups　of　citizens　flocked　to　us；　craving　aid　and　mercy　and　sanctuary；　and
much　larger　gangs　attacked　the　section　house　time　and　again；　driven　by　fear；　by　rage　against　the　Imperial　machine　or　simply　because
we　wouldn't　let　them　in。
We　couldn't。　We　were　overflowing　with　injured　and　dead；　far　too　many　for　the　arbites　surgeons　and　morgue　attendants　to　manage。
There　was　very　little　food；　medical　supplies　or　ammunition　left；　and　we　were　also　rationing　water　as　the　mains　supply　had　been　cut。
The　power　was　down　too；　but　the　section　house　had　its　own　generator。
All　through　the　night；　bottles　and　missiles　and　promethium　bombs　splintered　off　the　shielded　windows；　and　fists　pounded　on　the
doors。

BY　MERIT　OF　his　seniority；　Voke　was　in　command。　Aside　from　myself；　there　was　Inquisitor　Roban；　Inquisitor　Yelena；　Inquisitor
Essidari；　twenty　interrogators　and　junior　servants　of　the　Inquisition；　sixty　troopers　from　the　Interior　Guard；　several　dozen　astropaths
and　four　White　Consul　Space　Marines。　The　arbites　themselves　numbered　around　one　hundred　and　fifty；　and　the　section　house　was　also
sheltering　about　three　hundred　nobles；　ecclesiarchs　and　dignitaries　from　the　Great　Triumph；　as　well　as　a　few　hundred　common
citizens。
I　remember　standing　alone　in　a　ransacked　office　of　the　arbites　commander　just　after　midnight；　looking　out　through　shielded　windows
at　the　burning　streets　and　the　blossoms　of　psyker　storm　that　were　wrenching　the　sky　apart。　I　had　received　no　word　or　sign　of　Ravenor
since　the　catastrophe　had　begun。　I　remember　my　hands　were　shaking　even　then。
In　truth；　I　believe　I　was　in　shock。　From　the　event　itself；　naturally；　and　also　from　the　psychic　assaults　I　had　suffered　in　the　course　of　it。　I
pride　myself　on　a　sharp　mind；　but　there　was　no　sharpness　to　me　then。
Numb；　my　brain　kept　returning　to　the　idea　that　this　outrage　had　been　deliberate。
'There　is　no　question；'　Voke　said　from　behind　me；　clearly　reading　my　surface　thoughts　without　my　permission。　He　lifted　and
straightened　a　steel　chair　and　sat　down　on　it。
'Accidents　happen；　warplanes　crash！'　he　cried。　'But　these　turned　and　attacked。　Their　assaults　were　deliberate。'
I　nodded。　At　least　one　of　the　Lightnings　had　crashed　into　the　Warmaster's　entourage　and　another　had　come　down　amongst　the　files　of
the　Inquisition。　No　one　yet　knew　how　many　of　my　institution　had　been　slain；　but　Voke　had　seen　enough　of　it　to　know　that　as　many　as
two　hundred　of　our　fellow　inquisitors　had　been　obliterated。
I　remembered　the　conversation　that　had　turned　around　my　dining　table；　the　speculations　about　those　powerful　forces　who　would
oppose　Honorius's　bestowment。
'Is　this　the　first　act　in　a　House　war？'　I　said。　'The　Ecclesiarchy；　or　perhaps　great　dynasties；　trying　to　thwart　Lord　Commander　Helican's
advancement　of　the　Warmaster？　His　elevation　to　Feudal　Protector　would　not　have　been　popular　with　many；　powerful　factions。'
'No；'　he　said。　'Though　I'm　sure　that's　what　many　will　think。　What　many　will　be　supposed　to　think。'
Voke　looked　at　me　intently。　'Freeing　the　psykers　was　the　point；'　he　said。　'There　is　no　other　explanation。　The　Archenemy　struck　to
cause　mayhem　and　allow