With a howl； Arianrhod threw herself at the dark eldar。 I saw her； for a moment； frozen in mid…air； her sabre descending。 Then the two
bodies struck each other； and flew apart。
The sabre had taken off the eldar's left arm at the shoulder。 But his glaive…
I knew she was dead。 No one could survive that； not even a noble swordswoman from far Carthae。
Bequin was pulling me up。 'Gregor！ Gregor！'
Beldame Sadia； her spider carriage limping； was fleeing towards the staircase。
Something exploded behind me。 I could hear Ravenor bellowing in rage and pain。
I ran after the Beldame。
THE UPPER CHAPEL； above ground； was silent and cold。 Darknight flares glimmered through the lines of stained glass windows。
'You can't escape； Sadia！' I shouted； but my voice was thin and hoarse。
I glimpsed her as she skittered between the columns to my left。 A shadow in the shadows。
'Sadia！ Sadia； old hag； you have killed me！ But you will die by my hand！'
To my right now； another skuttling shadow； half…seen。 I moved that way。
I was stabbed hard from behind； in between my shoulder blades。 I turned as I fell； and saw the manic face of the Beldame's archpoisoner；
Pye。 He cackled and giggled； prancing； a spent injector tube clutched in each hand。
'Dead！ Dead； dead； dead； dead； dead！' he warbled。
He had injected me with the secondary part of the poison。
I fell over； my muscles already cramping。
'How does it feel； inquisitor？' Pye chuckled； capering towards me。
'Emperor damn you。' I gasped and shot him through the face。 I blacked out。
WHEN I CAME round； Beldame Sadia had me by the throat and was shaking me with her augmetic mandibles。
'I want you awake！' she hissed； her veil falling back and the toxin sacs in her wizened cheeks bulging。 'I want you awake to feel this！'
Her head exploded in a spray of bone shards and tissue。 The spider carriage went into convulsions and threw me across the chapel。 It
continued to scuttle and dance； her corpse jerking slackly from it； for a full minute before it collapsed。
I was face down on the floor； and I tried to turn； but the advancing effect of the poison was shutting me down。
Shutting me down hard。
Massive feet strode into my field of vision。 Armoured feet； plated with ceramite。
I rolled as best I could and looked up。
Witchfinder Tantalid stood over me； holstering the boltgun he had used to kill Beldame Sadia。 He was encased in gold…encrusted
battle armour； the pennants of the Ministorum suspended over his back plate。
'You are an accursed heretic； Eisenhorn。 And I claim your life。'
Not Tantalid； I thought as my consciousness spun away again。 Not Tantalid。 Not now。
TWO
SOMETHING SO TYPICALLY BETANCORE。
MY FALLEN。
THE SUMMONS。
FROM THE MOMENT I slipped into unconsciousness at the feet of the vicious Witchfinder Tantalid； I knew nothing more until I woke；
twenty…nine hours later； aboard my gun…cutter。 I remembered nothing about the seven attempts to shock my system back to life； the
cardiac massages； the anti…venom shots injected directly into my heart muscle； the fight to make me live again。 I learned all about it
later； as I slowly recovered。 For days； I was as weak as a feline whelp。
Most particularly； I knew nothing about the way Tantalid had been denied。 Bequin told me； a day or two after my first awakening。 It
had been something so typically Betancore。
Alizebeth had been hard on my heels up the stairs from the sacrarium； in time to see Tantalid's arrival。 She had known him at once。
The Witchfinder is notorious throughout the subsector。
He'd been about to kill me； and I was unconscious at his feet； going into anaphylactic shock with the venom bonding and seething in
my veins。
She'd cried out； fumbling for her weapon。
Then light … hard； powerful light … had streamed in through the stained glass windows。 There was a roaring sound。 My gun…cutter； its
lamps on full beam； rose to a hover over the rained chapel； lighting up the night。 Guessing what was about to follow； Bequin had
thrown herself down。
Betancore's voice had boomed out from the hull tannoy of the hovering gunship。
'Imperial Inquisition！ Step away from the inquisitor now！'
Tantalid had squinted up into the glare； his stringy tortoise head turning in the rim of his massive carapace armour。
'Ministorum officer！' he had yelled back； his voice amplified by his suit's vox…unit。 'Back off！ Back off now！ This heretic is mine！'
Bequin grinned as she told me Betancore's response。 'Never argue with a gun…cutter； you asshole。'
The slaved servitors in the cutter's blunt wingtips opened fire； hosing the chapel with autocannon shells。 The stained glass windows
had all shattered； statues had been decapitated； flagstones had disintegrated。 Hit at least once； Tantalid had fallen backwards into the
dust and debris。 His body had not been found； so I presumed the bastard had survived。 But he had been smart enough to flee。
My prone body had not been touched； even though the chapel around me had been peppered with fire。
Typical Betancore bravado。 Typical Betancore finesse。
She was just like her damned father。
'SEND HER TO me；' I told Bequin as I lay back in my cot； half…dead and feeling terrible。
Medea Betancore looked in a few minutes later。 Like her father； Midas； she was clad in the red…piped black suit of a Glavian pilot； and
she proudly wore his old cerise； embroidered jacket。
Her skin； like Midas's； like all that of all Glavians； was dark。 She grinned at me。
'I owe you；' I said。
Medea shook her head。 'Nothing my father wouldn't have done。' She sat on the foot of my cot。
'He'd have killed Tantalid； though；' she decided。
'He was a better shot。'
That grin again； pearl white teeth framed by ebony skin。
'Yeah； he was that。'
'But you'll do；' I smiled。
She saluted and left。
MIDAS BETANCORE HAD been dead for twenty…six years。 I missed him still。 He was the closest thing to a friend I had ever had。 Bequin
and Aemos； they were allies； and I trusted them with my life。 But Midas…
May the God…Emperor rot Fayde Thuring for taking him。 May the God…Emperor lead me to Fayde Thuring one day so that I and
Medea may avenge Midas。
Medea had never known her father。 She'd been born a month after his death； raised by her mother on Glavia； and had come into my
service by chance。 I was her godfather； a promise to Midas。 Duty bound； I had visited Glavia for her ascension to adulthood； and
watched her drive a Glavia long…prow through the vortex rapids of the Stilt Hills during the Rites of Majority。 One glimpse of her
skills had convinced me。
ARIANRHOD ESW SWEYDYR was dead。 So were Gonvax and Qus。 The battle in the sacrarium had been fierce。 Ravenor had killed the
raging haemonculus； but only after it had ripped open his belly and taken off Zu Zeng's left ear。
Gideon Ravenor was in intensive care in the main city infirmary of Lethe。 We would collect him once he was out of danger。
I wondered how long that would be。 I wondered how he would be。 He had loved Arianrhod； loved her dearly。 I prayed this loss would
not set him back too far。
I mourned Qus and the se for nineteen years。 That Darknight in the chapel had robbed me of so
much。
Qus was buried with full honours in the Imperial Guard Memorial Cenotaph at Lethe Majeure。 Arianrhod was burned on a bare hill
west of the salt…licks。 I was too weak to attend either service。
AEMOS BROUGHT THE sabre Barbarisater to me after the pyre。 I wrapped it in a vizzy…doth and a silk sheet。 I knew I was duty bound to
return it to the tribal elders of the Esw Sweydyr on Carthae before long。 That would mean a round trip of at least a year。 I had no time
for it。 I put the wrapped sword in my safebox。 It barely fitted。
As I worked my way back to health； I considered Tantalid。 Arnaut Tantalid had risen from the rank of confessor militant in the
Missionaria Galaxia seventy years before to become one of the Ministorum's most feared and ruthless witch…hunters。 Like many of his
breed； he followed the doctrines of Sebastian Thor with such unswerving precision it bordered on clinical obsession。
To most of the common folk of the Imperium； there would be blessed little to choose between an Ordo Xenos inquisitor such as
myself and an ecclesiarchy witchkiller like Tantalid。 We both hunt out the damning darkness that stalks mankind； we are both figures
of fear and dread； we are both； so it seems； laws unto ourselves。
Twinned though we may be in so many ways； we could not be more distinct。 It is my personal belief that the Adeptus Ministorum； the
Imperium's vast organ of faith and worship； should focus its entire attention on the promulgation of the true church of the God…
Emperor and leave the persecution of heretics to the Inquisition。 Our jurisdictions often clash。 There have； to my certain knowledge；
been two wars of faith in the last century provoked and sustained by just such rivalry。
Tantalid and I had locked horns twice before。 On Bradell's World； five decades earlier； we had faced each other across the marble
floor of a synod court； arguing for the right to extradite the psyker Elbone Parsuval。 On that occasion； he had triumphed； thanks
mainly to the strict Thorian mindset of the Ministorum elders of Bradell's World。
Then； just eight years ago； our paths had crossed again on Kuuma。
Tantal