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rebreathers。　They　didn’t　need　them。
How　fragile　we　must　seem　to　them　sometimes；　he　thought　to　himself。　Do　they　pity　us；　or　do　they
view　us　with　contempt？
The　officers　had　turned　to　greet　the　tech…magos；　and　he　stopped　in　front　of　them。　Raising　his
dark；　unblinking　eye…lenses；　he　gestured　with　long　metal　fingers　towards　the　ancient　structure　up
ahead。　“Dar　Laq　lies　open　before　us。　Why　do　we　not　proceed？　The　ork　legion　will　be　upon　us　soon。”
“Dar　Laq？”　asked　Killian。　“Is　that　what　you　just　called　it？”
“May　I　assume；　magos；”　said　deViers　testily；　“that　this…　this　place　is　known　to　you？”
“In　name　only；　general；”　replied　the　magos。　“Dar　Laq　was　long　rumoured　to　be　somewhere　in
this　region；　though　it　was　never　located　and　catalogued　while　Golgotha　belonged　to　us。　At　this
altitude；　the　clouds　render　auspex　scanners　almost　entirely　useless；　and；　as　you　can　see　for　yourself；
we　are　shrouded　from　view　up　here。　There　were　tales　of　other　ancient　settlements；　too；　of　course；
but；　though　my　revered　brothers　searched；　it　seemed　that　time　had　hidden　them　too　well。　It　is
remarkable　that　this　gateway　still　stands；　and　it　pleases　me　that　our　expedition　has　led　to　its
accidental　discovery。”
“Gateway　to　what　exactly？”　asked　Bergen。
The　magos　turned　and　looked　straight　at　him。　Bergen　tried　to　read　him；　to　search　for　some　sign
of　deceit；　a　twitch　perhaps；　some　hint　of　conspiracy；　but　the　magos’　body　language　was　impossible
to　read；　for　there　simply　was　none。　Bergen　felt　he　might　as　well　have　tried　to　read　the　emotions　of　an
automatic　sentry…gun。
“We　do　not　know　the　name　of　the　sentient　race　that　occupied　Golgotha　before　us；　major
general；”　Sennesdiar　answered。　“We　found　no　remains　of　their　dead；　no　written　records。　They　were
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long　gone　when　the　Great　Crusade　came　this　way；　and　where　they　went　remains　a　mystery。　We　of
the　Mechanicus　do　not　like　to　posit　suppositions　without　adequate　data。”
“Meaning　you　can’t　really　tell　us　what　lies　ahead；　right？”　said　Rennkamp；　cutting　in。　He　shook
his　head　and　turned　to　General　deViers。　“Could　be　walking　into　anything；　sir。”
“I　said　they　were　long　gone；　major　general；”　said　Sennesdiar；　“and　I　meant　it。　I　doubt　we　shall
find　any　cause　for　alarm　within。　If　your　concern　is　greenskins；　on　the　other　hand；　perhaps　I　may
offer　some　reassurance。　By　their　extremely　superstitious　nature　there　is　a　very　high　probability　that
the　orks　will　not　pursue　us。　There　is　no　sign　that　they　have　entered　here。　If　they　ever　discovered　it；
they　did　not　deface　it　as　they　usually　do。　No　glyphs。　No　spoor；　unless　your　scouts　have　uncovered
some。　I　recognise　that　there　may　be　some　resistance　to　proceeding　this　way　among　the　troopers。　This
is　a　xenos　place；　but　I　project　that　the　most　we　shall　encounter　is　rubble　and　ruins。”
“And　an　exit　that　will　get　us　out　on　the　other　side；”　said　Bergen。　“Or　what’s　the　point　in　going
down　there　at　all？”
“I’m　not　leading　this　expedition　into　a　dead　end；　magos；”　growled　General　deViers。　“We’ve　got
a　critical　mission　to　complete；　by　Terra。　Tell　me　what　this　place　has　to　do　with　The　Fortress　of
Arrogance。　And　your　answer　had　better　satisfy　me。”
Sennesdiar　turned　his　hooded　head　from　Bergen　to　deViers　and　back　again。　The　threat　inherent
in　the　general’s　words　seemed　not　to　register　at　all；　either　that　or　he　judged　it　entirely　beneath　his
attention。
“We　can　be　sure　there　is　a　way　out；”　he　said；　“because　the　machine…spirit　is　our　guide。　Even
were　it　not　so；　an　exit　must　exist；　for　it　would　be　illogical　not　to　create　one。　Animals　of　the　lowest
forms　know　better　than　to　build　a　lair　with　only　a　single　exit。　And　we　are　not　talking　about　a　lowborn
animal　species　here。　We　are　talking　about　an　intelligent；　technological　race　that　dominated
Golgotha　for　many　ages。　The　scant　evidence　we　have　indexed　tells　us　that　much。”
Then　the　magos　turned　to　deViers　and　added；　“I　calculate　an　extremely　high　probability；　general；
that　this　tunnel　will　lead　us　safely　to　the　far　side　of　the　Ishawar　range。　For　the　sake　of　your　grand
quest；　and　for　all　our　lives；　that　is　exactly　where　we　must　go。　You　see；　as　my　adepts　and　I　learned
from　our　communion　with　the　machine…spirit；　that　is　where　The　Fortress　of　Arrogance　awaits　us。”
The　column　was　moving　again。
About　bloody　time；　too；　thought　Wulfe。　Reports　from　the　spotters　at　the　very　rear　put　the　ork
forces　almost　within　striking　range；　and　the　scar　on　his　throat　had　begun　to　itch　like　crazy　in　the　last
few　minutes。　That　was　never　a　happy　sign。
It　was　good　to　be　moving　again；　but；　from　his　position　in　the　rearguard；　it　was　difficult　to　work
out　exactly　what　was　going　on。　As　Wulfe　sat　high　in　his　cupola　guiding　Metzger　around　another
bend　in　the　trail；　he　listened　carefully　to　the　regimental　vox…channel；　trying　to　learn　as　much　as　he
could。　All　he　could　really　draw　from　the　broken　chatter　was　that　scouts　had　found　a　way　forward；
and　that；　inexplicably；　a　good　many　of　the　troopers　didn’t　seem　to　like　it　much。
That　doesn’t　make　sense；　he　told　himself。　Everyone　with　half　a　brain　knows　we’ve　got　to　keep
moving　if　we’re　going　to　stay　ahead　of　those　bastards。　What’s　got　everyone　so　damned　twitchy　all
of　a　sudden？
Soon　enough；　he　found　out　first…hand。
“By　the　bloody　Golden　Throne；”　he　gasped　as　Metzger　followed　the　tank　in　front　between　two
eerily　symmetrical　columns　of　red　stone。　Beyond　the　weathered　pillars；　the　ancient　alcove　with　its
kneeling　gods　was　revealed　in　all　its　glory。　“We’re　going　inside　that？”
There　was　a　crackle　on　the　vox。
“Company　Command　to　all　tanks。　Keep　your　pace　up。　I’m　talking　to　you；　Holtz。　Keep　your　crate
in　line。　Why　have　you　stopped？　Get　moving。”
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Wulfe　heard　Holtz　growling　back；　“Sorry；　lieutenant。　Just　caught　us　a　bit　off…guard。　I　mean；　it’s
alien；　isn’t　it？　I　don’t　like　it；　sir。　We　shouldn’t　be　going　in　there。　Throne　knows；　we　shouldn’t。　We
could　be　walking　right　into　a　xenos　trap；　sir。”
The　link　spat　a　harsh　burst　of　static　in　Wulfe’s　ear　for　a　few　seconds　before　he　heard　van　Droi’s
answer。　“It’s　not　exactly　my　first　choice　either；　corporal；　but　we’re　out　of　options。　If　you’d　rather
stay　here　and　face　the　orks　on　your　own；　I　can　petition　Captain　Immrich　for　you。　Of　course；　the
commissars　have　already　made　it　very　clear　that　they’ll　execute　anyone　who　refuses　to　enter　on
charges　of　cowardice。”
Holtz　managed　to　sound　angry　and　chastised　at　the　same　time。　“I’m　no　frakking　coward；　sir。　Of
course；　I’m　going　in。　I　just　don’t　like　xenos　abominations；　that’s　all。”
Van　Droi’s　voice；　on　the　other　hand；　had　a　hint　of　humour　in　it　as　he　replied；　“That’s　all　I
thought　it　was；　corporal。　That’s　all　I　thought　it　was。”
As　Wulfe　was　listening　to　this；　he　watched　more　and　more　of　the　vehicles　in　front　being
swallowed　up　by　the　gaping　black　maw　of　the　ancient　tunnel。　As　soon　as　each　vehicle　went　in；　its
driver　hit　the　headlights；　but；　from　Wulfe’s　vantage　point；　it　didn’t　seem　as　though　the　lights　were
doing　much　to　illuminate　the　path　ahead。
Last　Rites　II　rolled　nearer　and　nearer　the　tunnel　mouth。　Wulfe　looked　from　side　to　side　at　the
huge　stone　guardians　as　he　passed　them。　What　in　the　warp　were　they　supposed　to　be？　He　might　have
said　ogryn；　but　they　were　too　misshapen　even　for　that。　They　didn’t　look　like　orks；　either。　In　fact；
they　didn’t　match　the　appearance　of　any　xenos　race　that　Wulfe　had　ever　encountered　or　read　about。
All　too　soon；　the　tunnel　swallowed　him。　Black　walls　cut　off　his　view　and　he　was　plunged　into
darkness。　The　air　that　moved　around　him　was　immediately　cooler。　He　noted　this　as　a　breeze　played
over　the　hairs　on　his　forearms　and　on　the　back　of　his　neck。　He　noted；　too；　that　the　featureless　black
floor　of　the　tunnel　was　sloping　downwards。
The　tanks　on　either　side　lit　their　headlamps；　and　cones　of　light　shot　forward；　striking　the　clouds
of　oily　exhaust　fumes　put　out　by　the　machines　in　front。　There　didn’t　seem　much　else　to　see；　at　least
for　now；　just　featureless　tunnel　walls；　blue…grey　clouds　of　exhaust　smoke　and　the　backs　of　the
machines　in　front。
“Metzger；”　said　Wulfe　over　the　intercom；　“hit　the　lights。”
“Aye；　sir；”　said　Metzger；　and　Last　Rites　II　added　her　own　illumination　to　the　da