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He　paused。　'Vogel　Passionata。'
'And　it　thought　it　was　sparing　me？'
'The　implication　was　the　daemonhost　had　better　things　in　mind　for　you。　There　was　a　strong　suggestion　of…　a　compact　between　you
and　it。'
'Nonsense！'
'I　hope　so—'
'Really；　nonsense；　sir！'
'I　hope　so；　Eisenhorn。　Grandmaster　Orsini　has　no　time　for　radical　elements　in　the　Inquisition。　Even　if　he　wasn't　so　hardline；　I'd　not
stand　for　it。　Ordo　Xenos　Helican　has　no　place　for　those　who　consort　with　Chaos。'
'I　understand。'
'Make　sure　you　do。'　Rorken's　face　was　dark　and　stern　now。　'Your　search　for　this　entity　continues？'
'Even　now　I　have　agents　in　the　field　hunting　for　it。'
'With　any　signs　of　success？'
I　thought　of　the　Glossia…coded　message　I　had　received　the　night　before。　'No；'　I　said；　my　first　and　only　lie　in　the　conversation。
'The　inquisitor　in　question　urged　me　to　take　the　matter　to　the　Ordo　Malleus。　I'll　not　throw　one　of　my　best　men　to　the　mercy　of　Bezier's
dogs。　I　kept　the　matter　internal　to　our　ordo。'
'Then　why　the　stories？'
'That's　what　troubled　me　too。　Word　has　got　out　anyway。　I　thought　it　prudent　to　advise　you　that　the　Ordo　Malleus　might　be　scrutinising
you。'
A　second　warning　in　twelve　hours。
'I'd　like　to　suggest　you　leave　Thracian　and　get　on　with　other　work　until　the　matter　blows　over；'　he　said。　'But　your　presence　is　required
for　the　Apotropaic　Congress。'
PIECES　NOW　FELL　into　place。　The　sheer　scale　of　the　triumph　celebrations；　the　magnitude　of　the　Novena；　were　appropriate　enough；　but
the　number　of　senior　inquisitors　summoned　to　attend　was　heavy　handed　to　say　the　least。　Military　and　Ecclesiarch　luminaries　may　be
ordered　around　to　swell　such　events；　but　inquisitors　are　a　different　breed；　more　aloof；　more…　independent。　It　is　unusual　for　us　to　be
called　together　in　any　great　gathering；　particularly　by　such　incontestable　orders。　I　had　presumed　Orsini　was　throwing　his　weight
around　to　impress　the　Lord　Commander　Helican。
But　that　was　not　the　case。　There　was　to　be　an　Apotropaic　Congress。　That　is　why　we　had　been　called　here。
Apotropaic　studies　are　conducted　all　the　time　by　the　Inquisition；　and　usually　involve　one　or　perhaps　as　many　as　three　inquisitors。　On　a
larger　scale；　they　are　named　Councils；　and　require　a　quorum　of　at　least　eleven　inquisitors。　Larger　than　that；　they　become　a　Congress。
Such　assemblies　are　extremely　rare。　I　knew　for　a　fact　that　my　late　master　Hapshant　had　served　on　the　last　such　Congress　held　in　the
subsector。　That　was　two　hundred　and　seventy…nine　years　in　the　past。

The　purpose　of　these　studies；　even　at　their　smallest　level；　is　the　acute　examination　and　assessment　of　unusually　valuable　captives。
Once　in　the　custody　of　the　Inquisition；　a　rogue　psyker；　a　charismatic　heretic；　an　alien　warlord…　whatever…　undergoes　a　sometimes
lengthy　formal　examination　quite　separate　from　the　dissection　of　his　or　her　actual　crimes。　They　are　often　already　condemned　and　only
waiting　for　sentence　to　be　carried　out。　At　that　stage；　the　Inquisition　wishes　to　expand　its　own　learning；　to　understand　more　precisely
the　nature　of　the　enemies　of　mankind。　The　subjects　are　dissected；　usually　intellectually；　sometimes　psychically　and　occasionally
literally；　in　order　to　discover　their　strengths；　weaknesses；　beliefs　and　drives。　Vital　truths　have　in　this　way　been　discovered　by
Apotropaic　councils；　truths　that　have　armoured　the　servants　of　the　Imperium　for　later　clashes。　To　illustrate；　the　Imperial　Guard's
famous　victory　over　the　Ezzel　meta…breed　was　only　successful　thanks　to　methods　of　detecting　their　presence　discovered　by　the
examination　of　an　Ezzel　scoutform　by　the　Apotropaic　Council　of　Adiemus　Ultima　in　883。M40。
The　size　of　the　inquiry　depends　on　the　number　or　magnitude　of　the　subject。
'Thirty…three　heretic　psykers　of　level　alpha　or　above　were　captured　by　the　Warmaster　at　Dolsene；　during　the　final　major　engagement　of
the　Ophidian　Suppression；'　Rorken　told　me；　showing　me　a　data…slate。　The　security　clearance　on　the　slate　was　so　high　that　even　I　was
impressed。　'Trained；　somehow；　to　control　and　master　the　warp…spawned　filth　they　channel；　they　formed　the　backbone　of　the　Enemy's
high　command　defence；　the　beating　heart　of　the　adversary。'
'How　were　they　taken？　Alive；　I　mean？'　It　was　astonishing。　Untrained　psykers　are　terrifying　enough；　their　minds　always　carrying　the
horrendous　potential　to　open　up　a　gate　into　the　immaterium；　to　let　its　daemons　flood　through　into　our　universe。　But　these…　these
fiends；　they　had　somehow　learnt　…　or　been　trained　…　to　focus　their　warp…spawned　talents；　to　contain　the　daemons　within　themselves　and
use　their　damnable　strenguh。　My　mind　reeled　at　the　threat　they　had　posed；　and　posed　still；　though　they　were　our　prisoners。
Rorken　gestured　to　the　slate　in　my　hands。　'You'll　find　a　summary　of　the　incident　there；　appended　to　the　main　list。　In　brief；　it　was
luck…　luck；　and　the　amazing　courage　of　the　Adeptus　Astartes；　working　in　conjunction　with　Inquisitors　Heldane；　Lyko　and　Voke。'
'Voke…　Commodus　Voke。'
'I　forgot；　you're　old　friends；　aren't　you？　He　was　involved　with　the　Glaw　affair　on　Gudran；　just　before　the　Schism。'
'Old　friends　is　probably　pushing　it。　We　worked　together。　We　generated　a　mutual　respect。　I've　seen　him　infrequently　since　then。　I'm
amazed　the　old　dog　is　still　alive。'
'Alive；　despite　the　prognoses　of　several　generations　of　medicae　experts。　And　still　powerful。　To　achieve　this；　in　his　twilight　years…'
I　nodded。　Even　a　speed…reading　of　the　incident　suggested　an　act　of　near　mythical　valour。　Voke's　service　to　the　Emperor　was；　as　ever；
above　and　beyond　any　reasonable　expectation　of　duty。
'I　know　Heldane　too。　He　was　Voke's　pupil。　So　he's　finally　made　it　to　inquisitor　rank　too？'
'For　sixty　years　now…　Eisenhorn；　you　lead　a　solitary　life；　don't　you？'
'If　you　mean　I　don't　keep　up　with　the　comings　and　goings　of　elections　and　the　businesses　of　other　inquisitors；　sir；　yes。　I　do。　I　focus　on
my　work；　and　the　needs　of　my　staff。'
He　smiled；　as　if　indulging　me。　In　truth；　my　attitude　was　not　uncommon。　As　I　have　said；　we　of　the　Inquisition　are　an　aloof；　independent
kind；　and　have　little　interest　in　the　affairs　of　our　colleagues。　I　saw　another　difference　between　myself　and　Rorken。　Whatever　my
seniority；　I　was　still　an　agent　of　the　field；　a　worker；　an　achiever；　who　might　be　gone　into　the　distant　gulfs　of　the　Halo　Stars　for　months
or　even　years　at　a　time。　His　rank　tied　him　to　his　palace；　and　wrapped　him　in　the　intrigues　and　mechanisms　of　the　Imperial　ruling
classes　in　general　and　the　Inquisition　in　particular。
I　remembered　Commodus　Voke　as　a　poisonous　old　viper；　but　a　determined　ally。　During　the　affair　of　the　Necroteuch；　believing　himself
to　be　on　his　deathbed；　he　had　implored　me　to　stand　reference　for　his　pupil　Heldane。　I　had　promised　him　that；　though　when　Voke　then
proceeded　to　stay　alive；　I　had　never　followed　it　through。　He　had　been　around　to　see　that　Heldane　got　his　rosette。
Heldane…　I　had　never　liked　him　at　all。
I'd　never　met　Lyko；　the　third　member　of　the　glorious　trio；　but　I　knew　him　by　reputation　as　an　inquisitor　whose　star　was　very　much　in
the　ascendant。　Their　spectacular　achievement　on　Dolsene　would　further　all　their　careers　magnificently。
I　read　through　the　list　of　inquisitors　summoned　to　form　the　Council；　a　list　which　included　my　name。　There　were　sixty　in　all。　Titus
Endor　was　amongst　them。　So　was　Osma；　and　so　was　Bezier。　Some　names；　like　Schongard；　Hand　and　Reiker；　leapt　out　as　men　I　had
little　wish　to　be　in　the　same　room　with。　Others　…　Endor；　naturally；　and　Shilo；　Defay　and　Cuvier　…　were　individuals　it　would　be　a
pleasure　to　see　again。
Some　names　I'd　barely　heard　of；　or　never　heard　of　at　all；　others　were　famous　or　infamous　inquisitors　who　I　knew　only　by　reputation。　It
bly；　drawn　from　all　over　the　sector。
'My　inclusion　on　this　list？'　I　began。
'Is　no　surprise。　You　are　a　senior　and　respected　member　of　our　office。'
'Thank　you；　sir。　But　I　e　personally？'
'He　was　going　to；'　Rorken　told　me；　'but　you　had　already　been　nominated。'
'By　whom？'
'Inquisitor　Osma；'　he　replied。


FIVE
THE　TRIUMPH。

AT　THE　SPATIAN　GATE。
THE　LINE　BREAKS。
FOR　ALL　MY　condemnations　of　the　overzealous　pageantry　of　the　Novena；　I　will　admit　that　the　Great　Triumph　of　the　first　day　filled　me
with　a　sense　of　pride　and　ex