The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第32部分

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THE　ISLAND　WAS　cold　and　bare。　A　small　fishing　community　clung　to　the　rim　of　the　western　bay。　Inshabel　swung　the　speeder　down
onto　the　cobbled　tideway　where　spread　nets　had　gone　stiff　with　ice。
'How　much　longer；　Gregor？'　Bequin　asked　me；　winding　her　scarf　around　her　throat。
'How　much　longer　what？'
'Until　we　give　up　and　leave？　I'm　so　sick　of　this　fate…forsaken　world。'
I　shrugged。　'Another　week。　Until　Candlemas。　If　we　haven't　found　anything　by　then；　I　promise　we'll　say　goodbye　to　Cadia。'
THE　THREE　OF　US　trudged　up　the　icy　walk　to　a　grim　tavern　overlooking　the　sea　wall。　Anchor　fish；　as　tall　as　men；　were　hung　outside；
salted　and　drying　in　the　winter　air。
The　barman　didn't　want　to　know　us；　but　his　steward　brought　us　drinks　and　led　us　through　to　a　back　parlour。　He　admitted　that　he　had
sent　the　message　about　the　smuggler。　The　smuggler　was　here　to　meet　us；　he　said。
We　entered　the　back　parlour。　A　man　sat　by　the　roaring　grate；　warming　his　jewelled　fingers　at　its　flames。　I　smelled　cologne。
'Good　morning；　Gregor；'　said　Tobias　Maxilla。
Despite　the　shouting　coming　from　the　back　parlour；　the　steward　brought　us　herb　omelettes　and　bowls　of　steaming　zar…fin　broth；　along
with　a　bottle　of　fortified　wine。
'Are　you　going　to　explain？'　asked　Inshabel　tersely。
'Of　course；　dear　Nathun；　of　course；'　Maxilla　replied；　pouring　a　careful　measure　of　wine　into　each　glass。
'Be　patient。'
'Now；　Tobias！'　I　snapped。
'Oh；'　he　said；　seeing　my　look。　He　sat　back。　'I　confess　I　have　become　despondent　these　last　few　weeks。　You've　been　so　busy　and　I've
just　been　waiting　up　there　on　the　Essene…　well；　anyway；　you've　said　a　number　of　times　that　the　answer　you're　searching　for　depended
on　one　key　thing。　It　depended　on　you　establishing　a　way　of　getting　past　this　dire　planet's　obsessively　tight　security。　Anonymously。
And　I　said　to　myself…　〃Tobias；　that's　what　you　do；　even　though　Gregor　doesn't　like　to　think　about　it。　Smuggling；　Tobias；　is　your
forte。〃　So　I　decided　to　see　if　I　could　smuggle　myself　down　here。　And　guess　what？'
He　sat　back；　sipping　his　glass；　looking　disgustingly　pleased　with　himself。
'You　smuggled　yourself　onto　the　planet　to　prove　it　could　be　done？'　asked　Bequin　slowly。
He　nodded。　'My　shuttle's　hidden　in　the　spinneys　behind　the　village。　It's　amazing　how　many　zipped　mouths　and　blind　eyes　you　can　buy
with　a　purse　of　hard　cash　round　here。'
'I　don't　know　what　to　say；'　I　said。
He　made　an　open…handed　gesture。　'You　told　me　weeks　ago　that　the　Interior　Guard　recognised　no　illegal　or　suspect　immigration。　Well；
I'm　here　today　…　literally　…　to　prove　that　claim　wrong。　Cadia's　a　tough　nut　to　crack；　I'll　admit。　One　of　the　toughest　I've　faced　in　a　long
and　naughty　career。　But　not　impossible；　as　you　see。'
I　sank　my　wine　in　a　single　gulp。　'I　should　sever　my　links　with　you　for　this；　Tobias。　You　know　that。'
'Oh；　pooh；　Gregor！　Because　I've　shown　up　the　Cadian　Interior　Guard　as　a　bunch　of　fools？'
'Because　you've　broken　the　law！'
'Ah　ah　ah！　No；　I　haven't。　Bent　it；　possibly；　but　not　broken　it。　My　presence　here　is　entirely　legal；　under　both　Cadian　local　and　Imperial
general　law。'
'What？'
'Come　on；　my　old　friend！　Why　do　you　think　my　shuttle　wasn't　blasted　out　of　the　heavens　this　morning　by　eager　Cadian　lightning
jockeys？　That　was　a　rhetorical　question　by　the　way。　Answer…　because　when　the　interceptors　came　scrambling　up　to　meet　me；　I
broadcast　the　right　security　clearance；　and　that　contented　them。'
'But　the　day　codes　are　privileged！　The　counter…checks　are　triple！　They　are　issued　only　to　those　with　appropriately　high　credentials。
What　authority　could　you　possibly　have　used　to　get　them？'
'Well；　Gregor…　yours；　of　course。'

IT　HAD　BEEN　staring　me　in　the　face；　and　it　took　the　grandstanding　flamboyance　of　Maxilla；　in　his　very　worst　showing…off　mode；　to
reveal　it。　The　reason　the　Interior　Guard　had　no　file　on　illegal　or　suspect　immigration　was　because　there　was　nothing　of　that　nature　to
file。　Those　that　tried　to　run　the　strict　gauntlet　of　Cadian　security　and　failed；　died。　The　ones　that　got　through　were　never　noticed。
Because　they　were　using　high…level　security　clearances；　masquerading　as　the　sort　of　official　visitor　who　would　not　be　stopped。
People　like　me。　People　like　Neve。
'I　NEVER　MADE　this　trip；'　Neve　said；　staring　steadily　at　the　data…slate　I　was　showing　her。　'Or　this。'
'Of　course　not。　But　someone　borrowed　your　authority　code。　Used　it　to　gain　trans…orbital　access。　That's　how　they　were　getting　in。　Look
here；　your　code　again；　and　again。　And　before　that；　the　code　headers　of　your　predecessor；　Gonfal。　It　goes　back　forty　years。　Each　and
every　flurry　of　activity　from　the　Sons　of　Bael…　and　other　cults…　can　be　matched　by　space…to…surface　transfers　cleared　as　genuine
Inquisition　flights。'
'Emperor　protect　me！'　Neve　looked　up。　She　put　down　the　data…slate　and　called　hoarsely　for　a　servitor　to　bring　more　lights　into　her
octastyle　sanctum。
'But　my　authority　code　is　protected。　How　was　it　stolen？　Eisenhorn；　yours　was　used　to　prove　this。　How　was　that　stolen？'
I　paused。　'It　wasn't；　not　exactly。　One　of　my　associates　borrowed　it　to　prove　the　point。'
'Why　doesn't　that　surprise　me？　Oh；　no　matter！　Eisenhorn；　there's　a　great　deal　of　difference　between　you　and　me。　You　may　have　rogue
elements　in　your　band　who　act　behind　your　back　in　unorthodox；　unilateral　ways。　I　do　not。　My　code　could　not　have　been　abused　so。'
'I　accept　your　point；　but　it　could。　Who　has　access　to　your　code？'
'No　one！　No　one　below　me！'
'But　above　you？'
'What？'
'I　said　this　could　be　one　of　ours。　A　senior　inquisitor；　a　grandmaster　even。　Certainly　a　wily　veteran　with　enough　clout　to　pull　the　right
strings。'
That　would　require　a　direct　override　at　the　highest　levels。
'Exactly。　Let's　look。'
IN　THE　END；　that　was　my　adversary's　downfall。　All　the　blood　and　fury　and　combat　we　had　gone　through　was　as　nothing　to　this　prosaic
clue　that　revealed　his　identity。　To　steal　Neve's　authority　code；　and　the　authority　codes　of　her　predecessors；　my　adversary　had　been
forced　to　use　the　clout　of　his　own　identity　get　into　the　files。
The　record　of　that　operation　was　encrypted；　of　course。　Sitting　side　by　side　at　the　codifier　in　her　sanctum's　annex；　Neve　and　I　quickly
found　it。　It　wasn't　even　hidden。　He　never　thought　anyone　would　look。
But　still；　it　was　encrypted。
The　cryptology　was　beyond　both　me　and　Neve。　But　together；　combining　our　ranks；　we　could　request；　via　the　Astropathicus；
permission　to　use　the　Inquisition's　most　powerful　decryption　keys。
It　took　five　hours　to　approve　our　joint　rating。
JUST　AFTER　MIDNIGHT；　a　scribe　from　the　Officio　Astropathicus　brought　us　the　message　slate。　Midwinter　winds　shook　the　sanctum's
casements。
I　was　alone　with　Neve。　We　had　felt　it　inappropriate　to　have　company。　This　was　a　matter　of　the　gravest　import。　We　had　talked；　of　this
and　that；　to　pass　the　time；　though　both　of　us　were　restless　and　edgy。　She　poured　generous　glasses　of　Cadian　glayva；　which　took　the
edge　off　the　cold。
Her　aide　announced　the　scribe；　and　he　entered；　bowing　low；　his　augmetic　chassis　grinding　beneath　his　robes。　He　held　out　a　slate　to　her
clutched　in　the　mechadendrites　that　served　as　his　hand。　Neve　took　it　and　dismissed　him。
I　rose；　and　put　down　my　barely　touched　glass　of　spirits。
Neve　limped　over　to　me；　leant　on　her　silver　crutch；　and　held　up　the　slate。
'Shall　we？'　she　asked。
WE　WENT　INTO　the　annex　and　loaded　the　slate　into　the　ancient　codifier。　The　limpid　green　display　shifted　feverishly　with　runes。　She
opened　the　file　we　were　after　and　set　the　key　to　work。
It　took　a　moment　or　two。
Then　the　identity　of　the　veteran　who　had　used　his　power　to　manipulate　Neve's　code　was　revealed　on　the　small；　green…washed　screen。
At　last；　the　damned　had　a　name。
It　shocked　even　me。
'Glory　from　above；'　breathed　Inquisitor　General　Neve。　'Quixos！　'
AEMOS　WAS　ARGUING　with　Neve's　chief　savant；　Cutch。
'Quixos　is　dead；　long　dead！'　Cutch　maintained。　'This　is　clearly　a　case　of　someone　using　his　authority。'
'Quixos　is　still　registered　as　living　by　the　annals　of　the　Inquisition。'
'As　an　oversight！　No　body　has　ever　been　retrieved。　No　proof　of　death—'
'Precisely…'

'But　still！　There　has　been　no　sign　or　word　from　Quixos　for　over　a　hundred　years。'
'None　that　we've　seen；'　I　said。
'Eisenhorn's　right；'　Neve　said。　'Inquisitor　Utlen　was　presumed　dead　for　over　seventy　years。　Then　he　reappeared　overnight　to　bring
down　the　tyrants　of　Esquestor　II'
'It's　most　perturbatory；'　Aemos　muttered。
Quixos。　Quixos　the　Great。　Quixos　the　Bright。　One　of　the　most　revered　inquisitors　ever　to　roam　the　Imperium。　His　early　texts　had　been
required　reading　for　all　of　us。　He　was　a　legend。　At　the　age　of　just　twenty…one　he　had　burned　the　daemons　out　of　Artum。　Then　he　had
purged　the　Endorian　subsector　of　its　false　goat…gods。　He　had　transcribed　the　Book　of　Eibon。　He　had　broken　the　wretched　sub…cult　of
Nurgle　that　had　tainted　one　of　the　palaces　of　Terra　itself。　He　had　tracked　down　and　killed　the　Chaos　Marine　Baneglos。　He　had　silenced
the　Whisperers　of　Domactoni。　He　had　crucified　the　Witch…king　of　Sarpeth　on　the　battlements　above　his　incinerated　hive。
But　there　had　always　been　an　odour　about　Quixos。　A　hint　that　he　was　too　close　to　the　evil　he　prosecuted。　He　was　a　radical；　certainly。
Some　amongst　the　ordos　said　he　was　a　rogue。　Others　said；　in　low；　p