to sprawl as he overshot her。 His head flew off； and the sabre swept on to impale a fourth without breaking its fluid motion。 Then
Arianrhod swept around； the sword held horizontally over her right shoulder。 The steel haft of the fifth shadow's polearm was cut in
two and he staggered back。 Barbarisater described a figure of eight in the air and another shadow fell； cut into several sections。
The last minion turned and fled。 A shot from Bequin's laspistol brought him down。
A pulse was pounding in my temple and I realised I had to sit down before I passed out。 Qus grabbed me by the arm and helped me
down onto a block of fallen wall stone。
'Gregor？'
'I'm all right； Alizebeth… give me a moment…'
'You shouldn't have come； you old fool！ You should have left this to your disciples！'
'Shut up； Alizebeth。'
'I will not； Gregor。 It's high time you understood your own limits。'
I looked up at her。 'I have no limits；' I said。
Qus laughed involuntarily。
'I believe him； Mistress Bequin；' said Ravenor； stepping from the shadows。 Emperor damn his stealth； even Arianrhod had not seen
him coming。 She had to force her sabre down to stop it slicing at him。
Gideon Ravenor was a shade shorter than me； but strong and well…made。 He was only thirty…four years old。 His long black hair was
tied back from his sculpted； high cheek…boned face。 He wore a grey bodyglove and a long leather storm coat。 The psycannon mounted
on his left shoulder whirred and clicked around to aim at Arianrhod。
'Careful； swordswoman；' he said。 'My weapon has you squarely。'
'And it will still have me squarely when your head is lying in the dust；' she replied。
They both laughed。 I knew they had been lovers for over a year； but still in public they sparred and sported with each other。
Ravenor snapped his fingers and his companion； the festering mutant Gonvax； shambled out of hiding； drool stringing from his thick；
malformed lips。 He carried a flamer； the fuel…tanks strapped to the hump of his twisted back。
I rose。 'What have you found？' I asked Ravenor。
'The Beldame … and a way in；' he said。
BELDAME SADIA'S LAIR was in the sacrarium beneath the main chapel of the ruin。 Ravenor had scouted it carefully； and found an entry
point in one of the raptured crypts that perhaps even she didn't know about。
My respect for Ravenor was growing daily。 I had never had a disciple like him。 He excelled at almost every skill an inquisitor is meant
to have。 I looked forward to the day when I supported his petition to inquisitorial status。 He deserved it。 The Inquisition needed men
like him。
SINGLE…FILE； WE entered the crypt behind Ravenor。 He drew our attention carefully to every pitfall and loose flag。 The stench of salt
and old bones was intolerable； and I felt increasingly weak in the close； hot air。
We emerged into a stone gallery that overlooked a wide subterranean chamber。 Pitch…lamps sputtered in the darkness and there was a
strong smell of dried herbs and fouler unguents。
Beings were worshipping in the chamber。 Worshipping is the only word I can use。 Naked； daubed in blood； twenty depraved humans
were conducting a dark eldar rite around a torture pit in which a battered man was chained and stretched。
The stink of blood and excrement wafted to me。 I tried not to throw up； for I knew the effort would make me pass out。
'There； you see him？' Ravenor whispered into my ear as we crawled to the edge of the gallery。
I made out a pale…skinned ghoul in the distant shadows。
'A haemonculus； sent by the Kabal of the Fell Witch to witness the Beldame's practices。'
I tried to make out detail； but the figure was too deep in the shadows。
I registered grinning teeth and some form of blade device around the right hand。
'Where's Pye？' asked Bequin； whispering too。
Ravenor shook his head。 Then he seized my arm and squeezed。 Even whispers were no longer possible。
The Beldame herself had entered the chamber。
She walked on eight； spider legs； a huge augmetic chassis of hooked arachnid limbs that skittered on the stones。 Inquisitor Atelath；
Emperor grant him rest； had destroyed her real legs one hundred and fifty years before my birth。
She was veiled in black gauze that looked like cobwebs。 I could actually feel her evil like a fever…sweat。
She paused at the edge of the torture pit； raised her veil with withered hands and spat at the victim belo
the glands built into her mouth behind her augmetic fangs。 The viscous fluid hit the sacrificial victim full in the face and he gurgled in
agony as the front of his skull was eaten away。
Sadia began to speak； her voice low and sibilant。 She spoke in the language of the dark eldar and her naked brethren writhed and
moaned。
'I've seen enough；' I whispered。 'She's mine。 Ravenor； can you manage the haemonculus？'
He nodded。
On my signal； we launched our attack； leaping down from the gallery； weapons blazing。 Several of the worshippers were punched
apart by Qus's heavy fire。
Whooping the battlecry of Carthae； Arianrhod flew at the haemonculus； way ahead of Ravenor。
I realised I had pushed it too far。 I was giddy as I landed； and stumbled。
Her metal spider legs striking sparks from the flagstones； Beldame Sadia reared up at me； ululating。 She pulled back her veil to spit at
me。
Abruptly； she reeled backwards； thunderstruck by the combined force of Bequin and Zu Zeng who flanked her。
I gathered myself and fired at her； blowing one of the augmetic limbs off her spider…frame。
She spat anyway but missed。 The venom sizzled into the cold stone slabs at my feet。
'Imperial Inquisition！' I bellowed。 'In the name of the hallowed God…Emperor； you and your kind are charged with treason and
manifest disbelief！'
I raised my weapon。 She flew at me。
Her sheer bulk brought me down。
One spider limb stabbed entirely through the meat of my left thigh。 Her steel fangs； like curved needles； snarled into my face。 I saw
her eyes； for an instant； black and without limit or sanity。
She spat。
I wrenched my head around to avoid the corrosive spew； and fired my bolt pistol up into her。
The impact threw her backwards； all four hundred kilos of wizened witch and bionic carriage。
I rolled over。
The haemonculus had met Arianrhod's attack face on； the glaive around his right hand screaming as the xenos…made blades whirled。
He was stick…thin and clad in shiny black leather； his grin a perpetual consequence of the way the colourless skin of his face was
pinned back around his skull。 He wore metal jewellery fashioned from the weapons of the warriors he had slain。
I could hear Ravenor crying out Arianrhod's name。
Barbarisater sliced at the darting eldar monster； but he evaded； his physical speed unbelievable。
She swung again； placing two perfect kill strokes that somehow missed him altogether。 He sent her lurching away in a mist of blood。
For the first time since I had known her； I heard Arianrhod yelp in pain。
Flames belched across the chamber。 Gonvax shambled forward； forever loyal to his master… and his master's lover。 He tried to squirt
flames at the haemonculus； but it was suddenly somehow behind him。 Gonvax shrieked as the glaive eviscerated him。
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 wea