The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第9部分

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Inquisitor　Endor　had　visited　Inquisitor　Eisenhorn。'
'It　is　well　known　that　those　two　are　old　friends。　Why　would　that　have　been　a　problem？'
Endor　set　down　his　drink；　unpopped　the　fasteners　around　his　waistband　and　pulled　the　top　half　of　his　stealth　suit　up　over　his　head。　He
cast　the　garment　aside。
'Too　hot；'　he　remarked。　His　undershirt　was　dark　with　sweat。　The　jagged　saurapt　tooth　still　hung　around　his　neck　on　a　black　cord。　That
tooth。　Years　ago；　I'd　dug　it　out　of　his　leg　after　he　had　driven　the　beast　off。　Brontotaph；　twelve　decades　ago　and　more。　The　pair　of　us；
alongside　Hapshant；　in　the　mist…meres。
'I've　come　for　the　Novena；'　he　said。　'I　was　summoned　to　attend　by　Orsini's　staff；　like　you　I　imagine。　I　wanted　to　talk　to　you；　talk　to　you
as　far　off　the　record　as　was　possible。'

'So　you　broke　into　my　house？'
He　sighed　deeply；　finished　his　drink　and　walked　over　to　the　spirit　stand　in　the　corner　of　the　room　to　fix　another。
'You're　in　trouble；'　he　said。
'Really？　Why　is　that？'
He　looked　round；　peeling　strips　of　citrus　rind　off　a　fruit　with　a　paring　knife。
'I　don't　know。　But　there　are　rumblings。'
'There　are　always　rumblings。'
He　turned　to　face　me　fully。　His　eyes　were　suddenly　very　hard　and　bright。　'Take　this　seriously。'
'Very　well；　I　will。'
'You　know　what　the　rumour…mill　is　like。　Someone's　always　got　a　point　to　make；　a　score　to　settle。　There　were　stories。　I　dismissed　them
at　first。'
'Stories？'
He　sighed　again　and　returned　to　his　seat　with　his　refreshed　drink。
'There　is　talk　that　you　are…　unsound。'
'What　talk？'
'Damn　it；　Gregor！　I'm　not　one　of　your　interview　suspects！　I've　come　here　as　a　friend。'
'A　friend　who　broke　in　wearing　a　stealth　suit　and—'
'Shut　up　just　for　a　minute；　would　you？'
I　paused。
'Gladly。　If　you　cut　to　the　chase。'
'The　first　I　heard；　someone　was　bad…mouthing　you。'
'Who？'
'It　doesn't　matter。　I　waded　in　and　told　them　just　what　I　thought。　Then　I　heard　the　story　again。　Eisenhorn's　unsound。　He's　lost　the　plot。'
'Really？'
'Then　the　stories　changed。　It　was　no　longer　〃Eisenhorn's　unsound〃；　it　was；　〃The　people　who　matter　think　Eisenhorn's　unsound〃。　As　if
somehow　suspicion　of　you　had　become　official。'
'I've　heard　nothing；'　I　said；　sitting　back。
'Of　course　you　haven't。　Who'd　say　it　to　your　face　but　a　friend…　or　a　convening　judge　from　Internal　Prosecution？'
I　raised　my　eyebrows。　'You're　really　worried；　aren't　you；　Titus？'
'Damn　right。　Someone's　gunning　for　you。　Someone　whose　got　the　ear　of　the　upper　echelon。　Your　career　and　activities　are　under
scrutiny。'
'You　get　that　all　from　rumours？　Come　on；　Titus。　There　are　plenty　of　inquisitors　I　can　think　of　who'd　like　to　score　points　off　me。
Orsini's　a　closet　Monodominant；　and　the　puritan　idealists　are　forming　a　power　block　around　him。　They　are　radicals；　in　their　way。　You
know　that。　Us　Amalathians　are　too　louche　for　their　tastes。'
I　mentioned　before　how　I　hated　politics。　Nothing　is　more　fruitless　and　wearying　than　the　internal　politics　of　the　Inquisition　itself。　My
kind　is　fractured　internally　by　belief　factions　and　intellectual　sectarianism。　Endor　and　myself　count　ourselves　as　Amalathian
inquisitors；　which　is　to　say　we　hold　an　optimistic　outlook　and　work　to　sustain　the　integrity　of　the　Imperium；　believing　it　to　be
functioning　according　to　the　divine　Emperor's　scheme。　We　preserve　the　status　quo。　We　hunt　down　recidivist　elements：　heretics；　aliens；
psykers；　the　three　key　enemies　of　mankind　…　these　are　of　course　our　primary　targets　…　but　we　will　set　ourselves　against　anything　that
we　perceive　to　be　destabilising　Imperial　society；　up　to　and　including　factional　infighting　between　the　august　organs　of　our　culture。　It
has　always　struck　me　as　ironic　that　we　had　to　become　a　faction　in　order　to　fight　factionalism。
We　profess　to　be　puritans；　and　certainly　are　so　compared　to　the　extreme　radical　factions　of　the　Inquisition　such　as　the　Istvaanians　and
the　Recongrenators。
But　equally　alien　to　us　are　the　extreme　right　wing　of　the　puritan　factions；　the　Monodominants　and　the　Thorians；　some　of　whom　believe
even　the　use　of　trained　psykers　to　be　heretical。
If　I　was　in　trouble；　it　would　not　be　the　first　time　an　inquisitor　of　tempered；　moderate　beliefs　had　run　foul　of　either　extreme　in　his　own
organisation。
'This　goes　beyond　simple　faction　intrigue；'　Titus　said　quietly。　'This　isn't　a　hardliner　deciding　to　give　the　moderates　a　going　over。　This
is　particular　to　you。　They　have　something。'
'What？'
'Something　concrete　on　you。'
'How　do　you　know？'
'Because　twenty　days　ago　on　Messina；　I　was　detained　and　questioned　by　Inquisitor　Osma　of　the　Ordo　Malleus。'
I　suddenly　realised　I　was　up　out　of　my　seat。
'You　were　what？'
He　waved　dismissively。　'I'd　just　finished　a　waste…of…time　matter；　and　was　preparing　to　pack　up　and　ship　for　Thracian。　Osma　contacted
me；　polite　and　friendly；　and　asked　if　he　could　meet　with　me。　I　went　to　see　him。　It　was　all　very　civil。　He　made　no　effort　to　restrain　me…
but　I　don't　think　I　could　have　left　before　he　had　finished。　He　was　guarded；　but　he　made　it　clear　that　if　I　decided　to　walk　out…　his
people　would　stop　me。'
'That's　outrageous！'

'No；　that's　Osma。　You've　met　him　surely？　One　of　Orsini's。　Bezier's　right…hand　man。　Thorian　to　the　marrow。　He　makes　a　point　of
getting　what　he's　after。'
'And　what　did　he　get？'
'From　me？'　Endor　laughed。　'Not　a　thing；　except　for　a　glowing　character　reference！　He　allowed　me　to　leave　after　an　hour。　The　bastard
even　suggested　we　might　meet　and　dine　together；　socially；　during　the　Novena。'
'Osma　is　a　skilled　operator。　Slippery。　So…　that　begs　the　question；　what　did　he　want？'
'He　wanted　you。　He　was　interested　in　our　friendship　and　our　history。　He　asked　me　about　you；　like　he　wanted　me　to　let　something
personal　and　damning　slip。　He　didn't　give　away　much　of　anything；　but　it　was　clear　he　had　dirt。　Some　report　had　been　filed　that
compromised　you；　directly　or　indirectly。　By　the　end　of　it；　I　knew　that　the　rumours　I　had　been　hearing　were　just　the　surface　ripples　of　a
secret　inquiry。　I　knew　then　that　I　had　to　warn　you…　without　anyone　knowing　we'd　spoken。'
'It's　all　lies；'　I　told　him。
'What　is？'
'I　don't　know。　Whatever　they　think。　Whatever　they　fear。　I've　done　nothing　that　deserves　the　attention　of　the　Ordo　Malleus。'
'I　believe　you；　Gregor；'　Endor　said；　in　a　way　that　suggested　to　me　he　undoubtedly　did　not。
WE　TOOK　FRESH　drinks　onto　the　sea　terrace。　He　looked　out　at　the　kalaedo…scopic　swirls　of　luminous　plankton　and　said；　'They've　only
just　begun。'
I　nodded　and　looked　down　at　the　drink　cradled　in　my　hands。
'On　Lethe…　Tantalid　came　after　me。　I　supposed　at　the　time　it　was　old　scores；　but　from　what　you've　said　tonight；　I　doubt　that　now。'
'Be　careful；'　he　murmured。　'Look；　Gregor；　I　should　go。　This　should　have　been　a　better　reunion　of　old　friends。'
'I　want　to　thank　you　for　the　chance　you　took。　The　effort　you　made　to　bring　this　to　me。'
'You'd　do　the　same。'
'I　would。　One　last　thing…　how　did　you　get　in？'
He　looked　round　at　me　sharply。
'What？'
'In　here？　Tonight？'
'I　used　a　code　scrambler　on　the　door。'
'You　diverted　the　alarms。'
'I'm　not　a　novice；　Gregor。　My　scrambler　was　set　to　trigger　a　nulling　cascade　effect　through　the　system。'
'That's　quite　a　piece　of　kit。　May　I　see　it？'
He　took　a　small　black　pad　from　his　hip…pocket　and　passed　it　to　me。
'An　Amplox　model；'　I　noted。　'Quite　advanced。'
'I　only　use　the　best。'
'Me　too。　I've　employed　these　before。　They　seem…　just　in　my　experience…　to　work　best　after　a　few　tests。'
'How　so？'
'A　dry　run　or　two；　I　mean。　To　assess　the　system　you're　trying　to　penetrate。　A　few　soft　passes　to　gauge　the　security　and　let　the　scrambler
assimilate　and　learn　what　it's　up　against。'
'Yeah；　I've　done　that；　when　I've　had　the　luxury　of　time。　These　suckers　learn　fast。　Still；　they　do　the　job　on　the　spot　when　time　is　tight。'
'Like　tonight？'　I　handed　the　device　back　to　him。
'Yes…　what　do　you　mean？'
'It　got　you　in　tonight　from　cold？　No　test　runs　necessary？'
'No；　of　course　not。　This　visit　was　spur　of　the　moment。　And　until　that　pretty　bitch　of　yours　kicked　me　in　the　face；　I　had　thought　myself
very　lucky　to　have　gotten　so　far。'
'So　you　haven't　been　here　before？　You　haven't　been　in　before？'
'No；'　he　said　sharply。　Either　I　had　offended　him　or…
'Go　if　you　have　to；'　I　said。
'Goodnight；　Gregor。'
'Goodnight；　Titus。　I'd　offer　to　show　you　out；　but　I　think　you　know　the　way　well　enough。'
He　grinned；　raised　his　glass　and　finished　it　in　a　single　swig。
'Raise　'em　and　sink　'em　and　let's　have　another！'
'I　hope　so；'　I　replied。
THE　PALACE　OF　the　Inquisition　on　Thracian　Primaris　is　high　in　the　cloud　tiers　of　Hive　Forty…Four。　The　size　of　a　small　city　itself；　it　is
the　chief　office　of　the　Inquisition　in　the　Helican　subsector；　maintaining　a　permanent　staff　of　sixty　thousand。　I　make　no　excuses　for　its
black　staetite　facings；　its　darkened　windows；　its　protective　spines　of　iron　spikes。　Critics　of　the　Inquisition　may　regard　its　architecture
as　almost　comically　overdone；　playing　directly　to　the　general　public's　worst　fears　about　the　nature　of　the　Inquisition　with　its　deliberate；
black　menace。　That；　I　would　say；　is　precisely　the　point。　Fear　keeps　the　populace　in　line；　fear　of　an　institution　so　terrible　it　will　not
hesitate　to　punish　them　for　transgressions。

At　the　start　of　the　next　day　cycle；　I