The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第53部分

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'How　much　longer　will　we　be　here？'　Bequin　asked。
'I　don't　know。　Another　week？　A　month？　Longer？　It　depends　on　how　forthcoming　Glaw　decides　to　be。'
'But　you've　got　things　from　him　already？'　asked　Fischig。
'Yes。'　Not　too　much；　I　hoped。
I　WALKED　THROUGH　the　empty　streets　of　the　minehead　for　an　hour　or　two　that　evening　to　clear　my　mind。　I　knew　damn　well　that　I　was
choosing　a　dangerous　path。　I　had　to　remain　focussed　or　I　risked　losing　control。
Once　I'd　got　the　upper　hand　with　Glaw；　I'd　been　playing　with　him　during　those　early　conversations。　His　talk　of　the　line；　his　three…step
description　of　the　corruption　that　awaited　an　imprudent　inquisitor…　that　was　nothing　new　to　me。　I　had　indulged　him　so　that　he　might
feel　superior　and　smug。　Any　inquisitor　worth　the　rosette　knew　the　perils　and　temptations　that　surrounded　him。
But　it　didn't　stop　his　words　from　cutting　me。　Every　puritanical　Commodus　Voke　was　a　potential　Quixos。　When　Glaw　said　that　the　line
was　often　crossed　without　it　being　recognised；　he　was　right。　I'd　met　enough　radicals　to　know　that。
I　had　always；　always　prided　myself　on　my　puritanical　stance；　moderate　and　Amalathian　though　it　might　be。　I　deplored　the　radical
heresies。　That's　why　I　wanted　Quixos。
But　I　worried　still。　I　considered　what　I　was　doing　to　be　risky；　of　course；　but　also　pragmatic　given　my　difficult　situation。　To　destroy
Quixos；　I　had　to　get　past　his　daemonhosts；　and　that　required　power；　knowledge　and　expertise。　And　I　could　no　longer　turn　to　the　Holy
Inquisition　for　support。　But　had　I　crossed　the　line？　Was　I　becoming　guilty　of　sins　that　could　so　easily　escalate　into　radical
abomination？　Was　I　so　obsessed　with　bringing　Quixos　to　justice　that　I　was　abandoning　my　own　principles？
I　was　sure　I　was　not。　I　knew　what　I　was　doing；　and　I　was　taking　every　precaution　I　could　to　manage　the　more　dangerous　elements　I
was　employing。　I　was　pure　and　true；　even　now。
And　if　I　wasn't；　how　could　I　tell？
I　CLIMBED　AN　observation　mast　that　rose　above　the　mine　settlement　and　lingered　for　a　while　in　the　caged　glass　blister　at　the　top；
looking　out　across　the　town's　skyline　to　the　ragged　blue　landscape　of　Cinchare；　and　the　gliding　stars　beyond　it。　Shoals　of　meteors
burned　bright　lines　down　the　sky。
There　was　a　noise　on　the　stairs　behind　me。　It　was　Nayl。
He　put　away　his　sidearm。　'It's　you；'　he　said；　joining　me　in　the　blister。　'I　was　patrolling　and　I　saw　the　tower　door　open。　'Everything　all
right？'
I　nodded。　'You　fight　dirty　sometimes；　don't　you；　Harlon？'
He　looked　at　me　quizzically　and　scratched　his　shaved　scalp。　'Not　sure　I　know　what　you　mean；　boss；'　he　said。
'All　those　years；　bounty　hunting…　and　I've　seen　you　fight；　remember？　Sometimes　you　have　to　break　the　rales　to　win。'
'I　suppose　so。　When　all's　said　and　done；　you　use　whatever　works。　I'm　not　proud　of　some　of　my　more…　ruthless　moments。　But　they're
necessary。　I've　always　been　of　the　opinion　that　fairplay　is　overrated。　The　bastard　trying　to　skin　you　won't　be　playing　fair；　that's　for
sure。　You　do　what　you　have　to　do。'
'The　end　justifies　the　means？'
He　raised　his　eyebrows　and　laughed。　'Now　that's　different。　That　kind　of　thinking　gets　a　man　into　trouble。　There　are　some　means　that　no
end　will　ever　justify。　But　fighting　dirty；　occasionally；　is　no　bad　thing。　Neither's　breaking　the　rules。　Provided　you　remember　one　thing。'
'Which　is？'
'You　have　to　understand　the　rales　in　the　first　place　if　you're　going　to　break　them。'
APART　FROM　MY　daily　visits　to　Glaw　in　the　annex；　I　also　spent　time　with　Bure。　He　was　labouring　in　his　workshops；　assisted　by
servitors　and　his　tech…adepts。　He　had　thrown　himself　totally　into　the　tasks　I　had　set　him。　Though　he　never　said；　I　think　he　saw　it　as
returning　with　interest　my　efforts　in　the　battle　with　the　Lith。
He　had　also　listened　without　alarm　when　Aemos　and　I　had　related　the　history　of　the　recent　past。　It　felt　like　a　confession。　I　explained
the　carta　out　against　me；　my　rogue　status。　He　had　accepted　my　innocence　without　question。　As　he　put　it；　'Hapshant　wouldn't　have
raised　a　radical。　It's　the　rest　of　the　galaxy　that's　wrong。'
That　was　good　enough　for　him。　I　oved。
One　day　in　the　sixth　week　of　our　increasingly　prolonged　stay；　he　called　me　to　his　workshop。
It　lay　beneath　the　main　chapel　of　the　annex　and　was　two　storeys　deep；　a　veritable　smithy　alive　with　engineering　machines　and
apparatus　the　purposes　of　which　baffled　me。　Steam…presses　hammered　and　banged；　and　screy　own

projects；　there　was　much　work　to　do　repairing　the　annex　and　the　translithopede。　I　walked　down　through　the　swathes　of　steam　and
found　Bure　supervising　two　servitors　who　were　machining　symbols　into　a　two…metre　long　pole　of　composite　steel。
'Eisenhorn；'　he　said；　raising　his　bright　green　eye…lights　to　look　at　me。
'How　goes　the　work？'
'I　feel　like　a　warsmith；　back　in　the　foundries　of　the　forge　worlds；　when　I　was　flesh。　The　specifications　you　have　asked　for　are　difficult；
but　not　impossible。　I　enjoy　a　challenge。'
I　took　several　sheets　of　paper　from　my　coat　pocket　and　handed　them　to　him。　'More　notes；　taken　during　my　last　interview　with　Glaw。
I've　underlined　the　key　remarks。　Here；　he　suggests　electrum　for　the　cap　piece。'
'I　was　going　to　use　iron；　or　an　iron　alloy。　Electrum。　That　makes　sense。'　He　took　my　notes　over　to　a　raised　planning　table　that　was
littered　easuring　tools　and　data…slates。　Pages　of　notes　that　I　had　already　provided　him　with　were　piled　up；
along　with　the　psychomet…rically　captured　images　Ungish　had　drawn　from　my　mind　of　the　Cadian　pylons；　Cherubael；　Prophaniti；　and
the　ornaments　he　had　worn。
'I'm　also　pondering　the　lodestone　for　the　cap。　I　considered　pyraline　or　one　of　the　other　tele…empathic　crystallines　like　epidotrichite；　but
I　doubt　any　of　them　would　have　the　durability　for　your　purposes。　Certainly　not　for　more　than　one　or　two　uses。　I　also　thought　of　tabular
zanthroclase。'
'What's　that？'
'A　silicate　we　use　in　mind…impulse　devices。　But　I'm　not　convinced。　I　have　a　few　other　possibilities　in　mind。'　It　was　a　measure　of　the
trust　Bure　showed　me　that　he　felt　he　could　mention　such　Cult　Mechanicus　secrets　so　freely。　I　felt　honoured。
'Here's　the　haft；'　he　said；　showing　me　to　the　etching　bench　where　the　two　servitors　were　machining　the　decoration　of　the　long　pole。
'Steel？'
'Superficially。　There's　a　titanium　core　surrounded　by　an　adamantium　sleeve　under　the　steel　jacket。　The　titanium　is　drilled　with
channels　that　carry　the　conductive　lapidorontium　wires。'
'It　looks　perfect；'　I　said。
'It　is　perfect。　Virtually　perfect。　It's　machined　to　within　a　nanometre　of　your　measurements。　Let　me　show　you　the　sword。'
I　followed　him　to　a　workbench　at　the　far　end　of　the　smithy　where　the　sword　lay　on　a　rest　under　a　dust　sheet。
'What　do　you　think？'　he　asked；　drawing　the　cloth　back。
Barbarisater　was　as　beautiful　as　I　remembered　it。　I　admired　the　fresh　pentagrammatic　wards　that　had　been　etched　in　the　blade　since　I
had　last　seen　it；　ten　on　each　side。
'It　is　a　remarkable　artifact。　I　was　almost　unwilling　to　make　the　alterations　you　requested。　As　it　was；　I　wore　out　eight　adamantium　drill
bits　on　this　side　alone。　The　hardened　steel　skin　of　the　blade　around　the　solid　core　has　been　folded　and　beaten　nine　hundred　times。　It　is
beyond　anything　we　can　manufacture　today。'
I　would　owe　Clan　Esw　Sweydyr　for　this　weapon；　as　I　already　owed　them　for　Arianrhod's　life。　I　should　have　returned　it　to　their　care；
for　it　was　part　of　their　clan　legacy　and　usuril；　or　''living　story''。　It　was　mine　to　safeguard；　not　to　take；　and　certainly　not　to　deface　this
way。　But　face　to　face　with　Prophaniti　at　Kasr　Gesh　I　had　learned　two　things。　Indeed；　that　monstrous　thing　had　told　them　to　me。
Pentagrammatic　wards　worked　against　dae…monhosts；　but　they　were　no　stronger　than　the　weapon　that　bore　them。
To　my　certain　knowledge；　there　were　few　finer；　stronger　blades　in　human　space。　I　would　make　my　peace　and　apologies　to　the　clans　of
Carthae　in　time；　fates　permitting。
I　went　to　touch　it；　but　Bure　stopped　me。　'It　is　still　resting。　We　must　respect　its　anima。　In　a　few　days；　you　can　take　it。　Train　with　it　well。
You　must　know　it　intimately　before　you　use　it　in　combat。'
He　accompanied　me　to　the　door　of　the　forge。　'Both　weapons　must　be　blessed　and　consecrated　before　use。　I　cannot　do　that；　though　I　can
ceremonially　dedicate　their　manufacture　to　the　Machine　God。'
'I　have　already　planned　for　their　consecration；'　I　said。　'But　I　would　welcome　your　ceremony。　When　I　go　against　Quixos；　I　can　think　of
no　more　potent　a　patron　god　to　be　looking　down　over　me　than　your　Machine　Lord。'
'WE　WILL　BE　leaving　in　a　few　days；'　I　told　him。
The　casket　was　silent　for　a　while。　'I　will　miss　our　conversations；　Eisenhorn。'
'Nevertheless；　I　have　to　go。'
'You　think　you're　ready？'
'I　think　this　part　of　my　readiness　is　complete。　Is　there　anything　else　you　can　tell　me？'
'I　have　been　wondering　that。　I　cannot　think　of　anything。　Except…'
'Except　what？'
The　lights　around　the　engram　sphere　twinkled。　'Except　this。　Apart　from　everything　you've　learned　from　me；　the　secrets；　the　lore；　the
mysteries；　you　must　know　that　going　after　this　foe　is…　dangerous。'
I　laughed　involuntarily。　'I　think　I've　worked　that　much　out　already；　Pontius！'
'No；　you　don't　know　what　I　mean。　You　have　the　determination；　I　know；　the　ambition；　I　know　that　too　…　you　h