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had　ever　been　up　there。
Borscz；　Barreski　and　Grayle　were　on　the　ground　beside　Steele；　struggling　to　disentangle
themselves　from　each　other。　Borscz　was　the　first　to　break　free　from　the　scrum；　and　he　rushed　to　join
in　the　near…ended　battle　with　gusto。
In　front　of　Steele；　there　was　a　forest。　Its　near　edge　was　almost　parallel　with　that　of　the　glacier；
leaving　only　a　narrow　strip　of　land　between　them；　eighty　metres　wide　or　less。　Like　the　glacier；　the
forest　stretched　out　far　to　each　side　of　him；　a　great　deal　further　than　even　his　bionic　eye　could　see。
It　was　a　forest　not　of　wood　but　of　ice　—　of　obscene；　twisted　sculptures；　mockeries　of　the　natural
shapes　they　had　presumably　replaced；　growing　thick　around　the　trunks　but　branching　out　into
grasping；　clawing　talons　as　they　reached　upwards。　The　ice　trees　grew　high　and　thick　enough　to　blot
out　the　already…scant　daylight　and　the　shadows　between　them　were　dark　and　foreboding。　Their
surfaces　were　encrusted　with　the　ever…present　purple　fungus；　and　Steele’s　sensitive　nose　wrinkled　at
its　overripe　stench。
He　could　detect　something　else　too：　a　movement。　There　was　something　out　there。
He　activated　his　eye’s　zoom　function。　It　took　the　augmetics　a　long　second　to　react　to　his　thought
but　then　the　colonel’s　gaze　probed；　searching；　penetrating　the　ice　forest’s　dark　depths；　and　there…
There　it　was…　for　a　moment　at　least：　a　humanoid　creature；　covered　in　light　grey　fur；　or　maybe　it
was　just　wearing　a　fur　coat。　Steele　couldn’t　tell　—　because　before　he　could　adjust　his　focus　to　see
the　creature　more　clearly；　it　was　off　again；　a　blur　of　motion　despite　its　odd；　shambling　gait。　It
disappeared　behind　an　especially　fat　tree；　and　he　had　lost　it。
Unless；　he　thought；　he　acted　now。
There　was　no　time　to　second…guess　his　instincts；　this　time。　The　figure　might　have　been　a　Chaos
scout；　in　which　case　Steele　couldn’t　let　it　go；　couldn’t　allow　it　to　take　news　of　the　Ice　Warriors’
presence　in　this　area　to　its　masters。　So；　he　drew　his　lasgun　and　set　off　in　pursuit　of　it　yelling　to
Troopers　Blonsky；　Palinev　and　Pozhar　to　follow　him。　The　rest　could　catch　up　once　the　final　snow
leopard　was　dead。
As　Steele　crossed　the　tree　line；　he　was　plunged　into　an　eerie　gloom；　and　the　aperture　of　his
bionic　eye　widened　to　compensate。　The　recent　snowfall　had；　for　the　most　part；　not　touched　the
ground　here。　The　soil　was　black　and　infertile；　but　the　roots　of　many　of　the　ice　trees　protruded　from　it
like　tripwires；　and　patches　of　the　slippery　fungus　were　everywhere。　Steele　had　to　slow　his　pace；
watch　his　step。　Even　so；　he　almost　lost　his　footing　—　and　as　he　caught　himself；　he　felt　a　sharp；
slicing　pain　to　his　left　shoulder。
He　had　brushed　against　a　tree　trunk；　and　it　was　razor　sharp。　Its　edge　had　cut　right　through　his
greatcoat；　through　its　layers　of　plasfibre　and　thermoplas；　to　score　his　skin。　He　turned　to　deliver　a
warning　to　his　troopers；　but　saw　that　they　had　discovered　the　danger　for　themselves。
They　proceeded　as　best　they　could　after　that。　Steele　used　his　power　sword　to　cut　away　some　of
the　more　treacherous　branches　in　his　path　—　even　without　its　energy　field　active；　the　well…honed
blade　sliced　easily　through　the　ice。　Still；　it　was　several　minutes　before　he　reached　the　spot　in　which
the　grey…furred　figure　had　lurked　—　and；　by　then；　he　was　not　at　all　surprised　to　find　no　sign　that　it
had　ever　been　there。
Blonsky　and　Pozhar　had　fallen　behind；　but　the　smaller；　slighter　Palinev　had　been　able　to　keep
pace　with　his　colonel；　slipping　through　the　forest　as　if　its　traps　and　snares　were　little　impediment　to
him。
“There　was　something　here；　sir；”　he　reported。　“You　can　see　where　its　breath　has　started　to　melt
this　tree。　I　could　search　for　its　tracks；　but　they’ll　be　hard　to　follow　on　this　ground。”
“No；”　said　Steele。　“Thank　you；　Trooper　Palinev；　but　we　don’t　have　time　for　that。”
“It　does　look　bleak；　sir；　if　you　don’t　mind　my　saying　so。　We’ve　lost　the　Termite。　Our　escape
route　through　the　ice　has　closed　behind　us；　so　that　even　if　we　do　find　Confessor　Wollkenden；　we’ve
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no　way　of　getting　back　to　Alpha　Hive　with　him。　We　must　be　at　least　twenty　kilometres　from　his
crash　site；　and　it　seems　our　enemies　know　we’re　here。”
Steele　couldn’t　have　summed　up　the　situation　more　succinctly　himself。
“We　should　get　back　to　the　others；”　he　said。　“We　have　a　great　deal　of　work　to　do。”
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CHAPTER　SIX
Time　to　Destruction　of　Cressida：　40。42。39
Pozhar　was　beginning　to　wonder　what　he　was　doing　here。
He　was　a　front…line　fighter；　not　a　scout。　Stealth　was　no　more　a　virtue　of　his　than　was　patience。
Bad　enough；　he　thought；　that　Steele　had　had　the　Termite　flee　from　a　single　artillery　unit；　bad　enough
they　had　let　the　enemy　have　that　victory。　At　least；　he　had　thought；　when　they　got　to　where　they　were
going；　when　he　was　able　to　climb　out　into　the　open　again　at　last；　he　would　have　the　chance　to　flex
his　muscles。
The　mutated　snow　leopards　had　been　a　welcome　diversion　—　and　Pozhar　felt　confident；
although　it　was　impossible　to　know　for　sure；　that　his　las…beams　had　finished　off　two　of　them。　But
then　Steele　had　directed　his　squad　into　the　ice　forest　and　warned　them　of　the　overriding　need　for
caution。
And　Pozhar　had　come　to　realise　that　the　ice　forest　was　almost　as　constricting；　almost　as
claustrophobic；　as　the　inside　of　the　Termite　had　been。
The　further　they　had　ventured　between　its　vile；　warped　trees；　the　more　densely　those　trees　had
become　packed。　Already　Pozhar　had　been　scratched　three　times　by　their　sharp　edges；　and　he　was
starting　to　ache　with　the　effort　of　walking　with　his　elbows　damped　to　his　sides；　his　head　bowed；
checking　the　ground　for　the　treacherous　purple　fungus　before　he　dared　to　take　each　step。
Still；　as　bad　as　this　was　for　him；　he　thought；　it　was　far　worse　for　Borscz；　who　was　visibly
straining　to　rein　in　his　massive　form；　and　who　let　out　an　aggrieved　yelp　every　few　minutes。　Borscz’s
greatcoat　was　so　crazed　with　cuts　by　now　that　Pozhar　was　expecting　great　squares　of　its　fabric　to
start　falling　away。
He　longed　to　set　eyes　on　another　snow　leopard　or　two；　something　against　which　he　could　cut
loose　—　but　the　ice　forest　seemed　sterile；　devoid　even　of　birds；　an　entire　area　scoured　of　life；　given
over　to　the　creeping　rot　that　was　destroying　this　world。
Pozhar　shivered　at　the　thought；　and　decided　that　on　reflection　this　was　far　worse　than　being
cooped　up　in　any　vehicle。　Out　here；　he　could　feel　the　Chaos　corruption　in　the　air；　pressing　in　on　him
like　a　physical　force；　battering　him。　He　wanted　to　yell　defiance　at　it；　to　fight　back。　He　wanted　to
hack；　slash　and　burn　this　accursed　place　down。
“Just　give　me　a　couple　of　flamers；”　seethed　Barreski；　who　had　obviously　had　the　same　thought；
“and　I　guarantee　you　there’ll　be　nothing　left　standing　here　in　ten　minutes。　We’d　be　wading　through
water　the　rest　of　the　way　to　the　crash　site。”
“And　the　Chaos　forces　would　hear　us　coming　ten　kilometres　away；”　said　Borscz。
“Just　making　a　point；　that’s　all；”　said　Barreski。　“I’d　put　my　faith　in　Imperial　firepower　over
anything　Chaos　can　muster　any　day；　no　contest。”
“Forgetting　what　happened　to　the　Termite；　are　we？”　asked　Mikhaelev　wryly。
Anyway；　there　were　no　flamers　—　only　the　one　that　Barreski　had　been　carrying；　and　it　was　out
of　fuel。　There　had　been　no　time　for　the　Ice　Warriors　to　salvage　anything　more　than　their　standard　kit；
worn　or　carried　in　their　rucksacks；　from　the　stricken　Termite。　Mikhaelev　in　particular　was　mourning
the　loss　of　his　missile　launcher；　being　now　a　heavy　weapons　expert　with　no　heavy　weapons。
Pozhar　heard　a　noise　ahead　of　him；　glimpsed　a　moving　shape　and　reacted　with　lightning　speed。
By　the　time　he　recognised　Trooper　Palinev；　he　was　already　staring　at　his　comrade’s　slender　form
34
through　his　lasgun　sights。　An　instant　later；　and　Pozhar　would　have　pulled　the　trigger。　He　chafed　at
having　to　hold　himself　back。
Palinev　had　adapted　to　his　surroundings　with　enviable　ease。　He　moved　between　the　ice　trees　like
a　ghost；　seeming　to　know　instinctively　where　to　step；　and　when　he　had　to　twist　or　hop　to　avoid　a
grasping　branch　or　a　protruding　root。　“I’ve　scouted　two　kilometres　ahead；　sir；”　he　reported　to　Steele；
“but　there’s　nothing；　nothing　at　a