The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第25部分

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from　him　was　more　sickly　green　than　the　gold　I　remembered。
Unhealthy　bulging　veins　corded　his　body；　and　the　nub…horns　on　his　brow　had　grown　into　short；　twisted　hooks。
'And　so　we　meet　again。　Aren't　you　going　to　say　anything？'

I　could　feel　Bequin　shaking　in　terror　beside　me。
'Stay　calm；　stay　still；'　I　told　her。
The　daemonhost　glanced　at　her　and　his　smile　widened。　'The　untouchable！　How　wonderful！　An　almost　exact　repeat　of　our　first
encounter。　How　are　you；　my　dear？'
'What　do　you　want？'　I　asked。
'Want？'
'You　always　want　something。　On　56…Izar；　it　was　the　Necroteuch。　Oh；　I　forgot。　You　never　want　anything；　do　you？　You're　just　a　slave；
doing　another's　bidding。'
Cherubael　frowned　slightly。　'Don't　be　uncivil；　Gregor。　You　should　treasure　the　fact　that　I　have　taken　a　personal　interest　in　you。　Most
things　that　cross　me　get　destroyed　very　quickly。　I　could　have　hunted　you　out　years　ago。　But　I　knew…　there　was　a　bond。'
'More　of　your　riddles。　More　nothings。　Tell　me　something　real。　Tell　me　about　Vogel　Passionata。'
He　laughed；　an　ugly　sound。　'Oh；　you　heard　about；　that　did　you？'
'Reports　of　the　incident　have　made　me　suspect　in　the　eyes　of　many。'
'I　know。　Bless　you；　that　wasn't　my　intention。　It　was　just　a　tiny　error　on　my　part。　I'm　sorry　if　it's　inconvenienced　you。'
'I　have　no　wish　to　be　seen　as　a　man　who　would　form　a　compact　with　daemons。'
'I'm　sure　you　haven't。　But　that　is　what's　happening；　whether　you　like　it　or　not。　Destiny；　Gregor。　Our　destinies　are　entwined；　in　ways
you　cannot　even　begin　to　see。　Why　else　would　you　dream　about　me？'
'Because　it　has　become　a　central　goal　of　my　life　to　hunt　you　down　and　banish　you。'
'Oh；　this　is　a　lot　more　than　simple　professional　obsession。　Think；　why　do　you　really　dream　of　me？　Why　do　you　search　for　me　so
diligently；　even　hiding　the　extent　of　that　search　from　your　masters？'
'I…'　My　mind　was　racing。　This　thing　knew　so　much。
'And　why　did　I　spare　you？　If　it　had　been　you　on　Vogel　Passionata；　I　would　have　let　you　live。　I　let　you　live　on　Thracian。'
'What？'
'You　stopped　to　pay　homage　at　Spatian's　tomb；　and　the　Gate　shielded　you　from　the　disaster。　Why　did　you　stop？　You　don't　know。　You
can't　explain　it；　can　you？　It　was　me。　Watching　over　you。　Planting　the　suggestion　in　your　mind。　Making　you　pause　for　no　reason。　We've
been　working　together　all　along。'
'No！'
'You　know　it；　Gregor。　You　just　don't　know　you　know　it。'
CHERUBAEL　FLOATED　AWAY　a　short　distance；　and　looked　around。　The　auction　site　was　frozen；　all　eyes　on　him。　No　one　dared　move；
not　even　the　most　weak…willed　twist　guard。　Even　those　present　who　didn't　know　what　he　was　recognised　the　extraordinary　evil　and
power　he　represented。
'What　are　you　waiting　for？'　a　voice　yelled　from　nearby。　Several　armed　men　stepped　out　of　their　cover　in　the　chew…after　tangles　and
approached。　It　was　Lyko；　with　six　gristly　examples　of　hired　muscle。
'Look　who　I　found；　Lyko。　I　sprang　this　trap；　just　like　you　suggested；　to　discover　if　anyone　was　on　your　tail；　and　look　who　it　turned　out
to　be。'
'Eisenhorn…'　Lyko　murmured；　fear　crossing　his　face　for　a　second。　He　looked　over　at　Cherubael。
'I　said；　what　are　you　waiting　for？　Kill　them　and　we　can　be　gone。'
It　was　suddenly　clear　to　me　Lyko　wasn't　the　daemonhost's　master。　Like　Konrad　Molitor　all　those　years　before；　Lyko　was　another
pawn；　a　corrupted　agent　of　someone…　something…　else。
'Must　I？'　asked　the　hovering　figure。
'Do　it！　No　witnesses！'
'Please！'　cried　the　elderly　Merdok。　'We　only　meant　t—'
Lyko　whipped　around　and　incinerated　the　old　man　with　his　plasma　gun。
That　broke　the　impasse。　Phant's　people　and　the　other　buyers　broke　in　panic；　drawing　weapons；　shouting。　Indiscriminate　shooting
began。　Lyko's　gunmen；　all　ex…military　types　with　autocannons；　hosed　the　staging　area　and　cut　down　the　fleeing　twists。　I　saw　Phant
Mastik　hit　by　a　burst　of　fire　and　collapse　in　rough　sections　backwards　off　the　platform。
His　horn…headed　minder　ran　at　Cherubael；　firing　a　grubby　old　laspistol。
Cherubael　hadn't　moved。　He　was　simply　watching　the　murder　around　him。　The　las…shots　sizzled　off　his　skin；　and　he　glanced　down　at
the　twist；　as　if　his　reverie　had　been　broken。
The　daemonhost　didn't　even　move　a　hand；　a　finger。　There　was　just　a　slight　nod　in　the　direction　of　the　horned　minder；　and　the　miserable
twist　was　somehow　filleted　where　he　stood；　waves　offeree　stripping　off　his　flesh　and　popping　out　his　skeleton；　parts　of　it　still
articulated。
I　felt　the　warp　churning　around　that　dismal　place　as　Cherubael　went　to　work。　Once　he　had　started；　his　fury　was　unstinting。　Merdok's
war…rena　ferns　disappeared　in　a　sudden　vortex　and　died；　fused　together。　The　mud　beneath　Vassik's　feet　boiled；　and　she　and　her
bodyguards　sank；　screaming　and　thrashing；　into　it。
I　was　frozen；　rigid。　I　felt　Bequin　pulling　at　me。
Shots　seared　past　my　face。　I　snapped　round；　and　saw　two　of　Lyko's　men　charging　us。　One　dropped　suddenly；　headshot　by　what　could
only　have　been　a　sniping　round　from　Husmaan　out　in　the　torn　undergrowth。
Nayl　flew　past　me　and　gunned　the　other　down　with　his　Tronsvasse　para…bellum。

'Come　on！　We've　got　to　get　out　of　here！'　he　yelled　at　me。
There　was　blood　and　filth　and　swirling　plant…fibre　in　the　air。　A　warp　storm　was　crackling　around　us；　so　dense　and　dark　we　could　barely
see；　barely　stand　against　its　churning　force。　But　I　could　make　out　the　glowing　shape　of　Cherubael　through　it　all。
I　drew　my　power　sword　and　ran　towards　him。
'Gregor！　No！'　Bequin　screamed。
I　had　no　choice。　I　had　waited　the　best　part　of　a　hundred　years。　I　would　not　let　him　go　again。
He　floated　around　to　face　me；　smiling　down。
'Put　that　away；　Gregor。　Don't　worry。　I　won't　kill　you。　Lyko　has　no　power　over　me。　I'll　deal　with　his　complaints　later；　and—'
'Who　does　have　power　over　you？　Who　is　your　master？　Tell　me！　You　caused　the　atrocity　on　Thracian；　didn't　you！　Why？　On　whose
orders？'
'Just　go　away；　Gregor。　This　is　not　your　concern　now。　Go　away。'
I　think　he　was　honestly　surprised　when　I　hacked　the　power　sword　into　his　chest。
I　don't　really　know　if　I　had　imagined　I　could　do　him　any　harm。
The　blessed　blade　almost　disembowelled　him　before　it　exploded　and　hurled　me　backwards。
He　looked　down　in　dismay　at　the　wound　across　his　torso。　Warp　energies；　bright　and　toxic；　were　spilling　out　of　it。　In　a　second；　the
wound　closed　as　if　it　had　never　been。
'You　little　fool；'　said　Cherubael。
I　found　myself　flying　backwards　through　the　air；　blood　in　my　mouth。
The　impact　of　landing　shook　my　bones　and　smashed　the　breath　out　of　me。　My　head　swam。　The　daemonhost's　power　had　thrown　me　a
good　thirty　metres　across　the　site；　into　the　underbrush。
Furious　psychic　detonations　went　off　all　round。　Screaming；　semi…sentient　winds　from　the　deepest　warp　snaked　around　the　field；
destroying　the　last　of　the　twists　and　the　fleeing　buyers。
I　tried　to　rise；　but　consciousness　left　me。
WHEN　I　CAME　to；　the　chew…after　was　on　fire。　There　was　no　sign　of　Cherubael。　Inshabel　and　Aemos　were　pulling　me　to　my　feet。
'Bequin！　Nayl！'　I　coughed。
'I'll　find　them；'　Inshabel　said。
'Where's　Lyko？'　I　asked　Aemos；　as　Inshabel　ran　off；　weapon　drawn。
'Fled；　with　his　men；　in　two　of　the　land　speeders。'
'And　the　daemonhost？'
'I　don't　know。　It　seemed　to　just　vanish。　Maybe　it　had　a　displacer　field。'
I　started　to　ran　back　into　the　site；　though　my　body　was　burning　with　pain。　Aemos　cried　out　after　me。
MOST　OF　THE　vehicles　were　smashed　or　overturned；　but　a　couple　were　still　intact。
I　scrambled　into　a　small；　black　speeder；　a　sleek；　up…hive　sports　model　that　had　presumably　belonged　to　Vassik。　I　cued　the　thrasters；
lifting　off　before　I'd　even　strapped　on　the　seat　harness。
The　craft　was　powerful　and　over…responsive。　It　took　a　moment　to　master　the　lightness　of　touch　needed　to　accelerate　without　sudden
blurts　of　speed。　I　turned　it　unsteadily　in　the　air　as　I　climbed　too　fast　above　the　blasted　site。　Below；　I　could　see　Nayl；　ragged　and
bloody；　shouting　up　at　me　to　come　back。
Banking　out　of　the　cone　of　smoke　at　a　hundred　metres；　I　got　my　hearings。　On　every　side；　the　acreage　of　the　chew…after　spread　out　until
it　became　lush　greencover　again。　There　was　the　mainhive；　looming　in　the　distance。　Where　were　they？　Where　were　they？
I　saw　two　dots　in　the　air　three　kilometres　to　the　west　and　gunned　the　machine　after　them。　Heavy　land　speeders；　making　towards　the
bulk　of　the　nearest　harvester　factory。
I　pushed　the　turbines　to　their　limit；　coming　in　low　and　fast　behind　the　slower　lift…machines。　I　knew　they'd　seen　me　the　moment　autofire
chattered　back　in　my　direction；　wildly　off　target。
I　began　to　jink；　the　way　Midas　had　taught　me；　before　they　got　their　aim　in。　I　thought　about　shooting　back　at　them；　but　it　took　both
hands　on　the　stick　just　to　keep　the　sports　speeder　level。
We　were　passing　over　green　crop　land　now；　an　emerald　sea　that　raced　away　below　in　an　alarming　blur。　More　tracer　shots　howled　back
past　me。
A　big　shadow　passed　across　the　sun。
'Want　them　splashed？'　crackled　from　the　vox。
Downjets　flaring；　the　streamlined　bulk　of　my　gun…cutter　settled　in　beside　me；　matching　my　speed。　It　seemed　huge　compared　to　my
insignificant　little　speeder；　one…fifty　tonnes；　eighty　metres　from　beak　nose　to　finned　tail；　landing　gear　lowered　like　insect　legs。　I　could
see　Medea　grinning　in　the　cockpit。
I　daren't　lift　my　hands　from　the　jarring　sti