我的美母教师 | 乡村精品合集 | 乡村活寡 | 乡村欲爱 | 乡村春潮 | 乡村花医 | 欲望乡村（未删） | 乡村艳福 | 乡村春事 | 人妻四部曲

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

understood？》
　said　Sennesdiar。

　asked　Sennesdiar。　
　said　Ipharod。　
　asked　Sennesdiar。
　said
Ipharod。　
　said　Sennesdiar。　

There　was　a　moment　of　silence　while　Ipharod　tried　in　vain　to　rise；　but　Xephous’　body　would　not
follow　his　neural　commands。
　said　Sennesdiar。　
　insisted　Ipharod。　
Sennesdiar　reached　forward　and　touched　a　recessed　button　on　Xephous’　head。　The　metal　panel
whined　open　again　to　reveal　the　adept’s　soft　grey　brain。
　said　Ipharod。　
Sennesdiar　yanked　the　tiny；　lambent　cylinder　from　its　socket　and　closed　the　panel。　Moments
later；　the　diodes　on　Xephous’　face　glimmered　to　life　again。
　Sennesdiar　told　him。　He　raised　the　intelligence　core　in　front　of　the　adept’s　face。
The　first　thing　the　adept　did　was　to　pull　his　cowl　up　over　his　head。　

Armadron　nodded　once。　
　said　Sennesdiar。　
Without　further　discussion；　he　crushed　Ipharod’s　intelligence　core　between　his　metal　thumb　and
forefinger。　The　cylinder　crumpled　easily。　Its　dim　glow　went　out。　Then　Sennesdiar　threw　the　ruined
core　over　his　shoulder　with　a　very　deliberate　and　precise　motion。
It　hit　something　soft　before　it　struck　the　ground。
It　hit　Jarryl　Katz。
“You　may　come　forward　now；　Cadian；”　said　Sennesdiar　in　Low　Gothic。　“We　have　known　of
your　presence　for　quite　some　time。”
Katz　shook　his　head。　The　game　was　up。　He　should　have　known　better　than　to　get　too　close。　They
were　tech…priests；　so　of　course　their　senses　were　augmented　beyond　his　own。　Had　they　smelled　him？
Or　heard　him？　Had　they　sensed　his　body　heat？
Resigned；　he　stepped　towards　them；　sweat　beading　on　his　head　despite　the　cool；　dry　air。　“What　is
your　name？”　asked　the　largest　of　the　three。
“Schweitzer；”　said　Katz　defiantly。
“A　falsehood；”　said　the　magos。　The　slightest　fluctuation　in　your　heartbeat　gives　your　deceit
away。　“Speak　the　truth。”
Katz　couldn’t　help　but　be　impressed。　“You　can　detect　that？”
“From　this　distance；　yes；”　replied　Sennesdiar。　“That　and　much　more。　No　matter　who　you　are；
you　could　not　have　followed　us　without　our　knowledge。　Still；　it　is　remarkable　that　you　moved　so
quickly　and　quietly　in　this　darkness。　You　are　augmented；　yes？”
160
The　magos　took　a　sudden　pace　forward；　and　Katz　found　himself　looking　up　into　a　face　more
dead　than　alive。　It　was　expressionless；　unreadable；　and　he　knew　he　had　to　get　away。　Whatever
humanity　might　have　once　existed　beneath　that　pallid　mask　of　ancient　skin　was　long　gone。　Despite
whatever　vestiges　of　organic　matter　remained；　it　was　a　machine　that　stared　back　at　him　through
black　lenses　—　a　cold；　calculating；　ruthlessly　efficient　machine。
“The　expedition　force　will　be　moving　out　shortly；”　said　Katz；　working　to　keep　his　voice　level。
“If　you’re　finished　here；　we　should　all　be　getting　back。　We　don’t　want　to　get　left　behind；　now；　do
we？”
Katz　wondered　if　the　tech…priests　were　reading　his　heartbeat　now。　It　was　galloping。
The　magos　said　nothing　more。　Katz　had　just　decided　to　turn　away　when　something　metallic
whipped　towards　him　from　the　bottom　edge　of　his　vision。　Bright；　flaring　agony　gripped　him。　His
lungs　felt　filled　with　liquid　fire。　He　looked　down　and　saw　that　one　of　the　magos’　writhing
mechadendrites　had　punched　straight　through　the　fabric　of　his　tunic　and　into　the　muscles　of　his
upper　abdomen。　Hot　blood　began　to　pour　out　over　his　tunic　and　trousers。
He　grunted　in　pain。　He　tried　to　speak；　but　there　was　no　breath　behind　the　words。　He　couldn’t
draw　any。　His　lungs　wouldn’t　work。　He　fumbled　weakly；　uselessly；　for　the　knife　at　his　belt。
“You　will　not　suffer　long；　Cadian；”　said　the　magos。　“Your　death　is　inconvenient；　but　we　cannot
allow　you　to　report　what　you　have　seen。　There　is　already　enough　mistrust　between　the　expedition
commanders　and　the　Machine　Cult。　The　relationship　must　not　be　destabilised　further　at　this　critical
time。”
Katz　felt　a　savagely　painful　tug　inside　him。　The　end　of　the　blood…covered　mechadendrite
withdrew　from　his　body；　taking　his　heart　with　it。　Blood　pattered　like　rain　on　the　ground。　For　the
briefest　instant；　Katz　saw　the　wet　heart　held　up　in　front　of　him；　gripped　by　the　sharp　manipulators　at
the　steel　tentacle’s　tip。
Then　true　darkness　closed　over　him；　a　darkness　his　augmented　eyes　couldn’t　possibly　pierce。
He　didn’t　feel　anything　when　his　body　hit　the　floor。
The　three　tech…priests　returned　to　the　light　and　noise　of　the　Cadian　vehicles　just　as　the　preparations
to　move　out　were　drawing　to　an　end。　The　wounded　had　been　stitched　and　bandaged　and　gathered
into　trucks。　Those　who　were　beyond　medical　help　were　given　the　painless　death　of　lethal　injection。
In　a　brief；　hurried　ceremony；　their　souls　were　commended　to　the　Emperor’s　side　by　a　hard…faced
confessor　from　the　88th。　The　supplies　freed　up　by　their　deaths　would　help　the　rest　of　the　force　last
that　little　bit　longer。　Vehicles　were　refuelled　and　rearmed。　Troops　were　fed　and　watered；　and　the
whole　expedition　force　awaited　only　the　command　of　General　deViers　to　leave　the　ruins　of　Dar　Laq
behind　them　and　head　back　to　the　surface；　to　the　open　air　and　the　daylight。
For　the　most　part；　the　troops　were　eager　to　put　this　unholy　place　behind　them。
Only　Gerard　Bergen　prayed　for　a　delay。　His　ever…faithful　adjutant　had　not　returned　from　his
mission。　When　Bergen　saw　the　three　tech…priests　walking　towards　their　Chimera；　he　charged　over　to
them。
“Where　have　you　been？”