feathered wings； its siren call signalling the death of those of weak mind that heard it。
They passed dozens of dark arches； each leading off into different areas of the labyrinthine ship。
Warrior brothers stood aside； their heads lowered； as they passed。 Black…cloaked slave…creatures
scurried out of their path； while others prostrated themselves pathetically； faces pressed to the floor。
Moans and tortured cries came from darkness beneath the walkways； and wasted； skeletal fingers
extended through the metal grids in appeal。 Thousands of wretched slaves were kept aboard the
Infidus Diabolus； existing in the darkness and squalid conditions below deck in order to perform all
the horrific and mundane jobs required to keep the ship running。 They were condemned to a lifetime
of servitude； and they cried out for death。
“The priest…magos of the Machine…God is necessary；” said Marduk finally； as the trio walked the
musty halls of the strike cruiser。 “The Nexus Arrangement will never be unlocked without him； he is
the Key…master；” he said； referring to a prophecy that told of one； the Enslaved； who would unlock
the potent device that the Host had uncovered from a xenos pyramid upon the shattered Imperial
world of Tanakreg。 It would be a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the Word Bearers； and much
favour would be granted to he who controlled it。
22
“The Key…master？” scoffed Kol Badar。 “The wretch has proven useless in unlocking the device
thus far。 He cannot be trusted。”
“The magos is mine；” said Marduk。 “He is my puppet； and will do exactly what I want。”
Magos Darioq was changing。 At first； the effects on his body had been subtle； barely noticeable； but；
as the daemon took further control of his purged system； the change was coming on with alarming；
exponential swiftness。
Stripped of his robes and chained to the wall of his cell； he shuddered in torment as the carefully
cultured daemon essence writhed within him。 He opened his mouth soundlessly； exposing a
secondary set of teeth； thick and sharp； pushing up through his bleeding gums behind his own。
His flesh was wasted and pallid； though most of his body had long been replaced with
mechanical augmentations。 His entire lower body had been replaced with heavy…duty bionic
replacements； immensely powerful leg…units with inbuilt gyro…stabilisers that enabled the magos to
bear almost two metric tonnes of weight upon his frame。 This was necessary； for with a fully
activated servo…harness； the magos weighed as much as a small tank。 Black tendrils crawled and
pulsed beneath his skin； and his flesh rippled from within as the daemon made its claim on him。
Augmetic telescopic braces were fused to his spine for stability and strength； but the distinction
between mechanical augmentation and flesh was blurring。 Blood dripped from rents in the metal。
The heavy bulk of Darioq’s servo…harness was clamped between his hips and his shoulders； and
again； the hybrid amalgamation of fusing metal and flesh could be seen。 Fleshy muscles had grown
over several of the pistons； enhancing their mechanical strength with that of the daemon and giving
the corrupted magos an even more hunched appearance。 The four servo…arms of his harness had
been sheared away； along with half a dozen mechadendrites that plugged into the nerve endings of
his spinal column； and they wept blood and ichor as their stubby remnants twitched and jerked
spasmodically。 Two of the severed mechadendrites had already re…sprouted； fleshy tentacles of
glistening muscle growing from his spine。 Plugs and sockets covered his wasted skin； and from
some of these leaked a milky ichor that hissed as it hit the floor。
With his hood and robes stripped away； Darioq’s head was laid bare。 Only a fraction of his
original face remained； the rest encased in mechanics。 A grilled voice box was implanted in his
throat； and his left eye was an impressive display of sensors and optical arrays。
The distinction between the mechanical and the human was blurring all over the corrupted
magos’s body。 Even as the trio of Word Bearers watched； the metal cranium of the magos swelled
and rippled like water； and a curving horn pushed up from the right…hand side of Darioq’s skull。 Its
tip was hard and bony； but clearly organic。
His right eye； which had been milky and blind when the Word Bearers had first captured him；
was now solid black。 His brain units； held in protective bell…jar casings that protruded from behind
his hunched shoulders； were filled with dark； writhing clots； and black； oily tentacles burrowed
through them； like a mess of bloodworms。
“Magos Darioq is no more。 This；” said Marduk with a wave of his arm； “is Darioq…Grendh’al。”
23
CHAPTER THREE
Guildmaster Pollo scanned the latest despatches； blinking his augmented silver eyes intermittently to
record their contents。 After several minutes of reading and recording； he dropped them onto his desk
and leant forward to pour himself another drink from the half empty crystal decanter in front of him。
He raised his glass up to his eyes； gazing at the play of light upon the ruby liquid as he sloshed it
around the ice。 Then he knocked the drink back； savouring its bite。 He placed the glass down on its
coaster； and rubbed at his temples with both hands； his eyes closed。
“Bad news； guildmaster？” ventured a voice。
Polio turned to face his young adjutant； Leto。 He was little more than a boy； barely having the
need to shave yet； and his eyes flicked around nervously as he waited for his answer。 He was young；
but he was a good officer and had a mind like a sponge。 He knew that in time he would have made a
suitable guildmaster； but such a thing was not to be。
“You should have gone with the others； Leto；” he said； his voice tired。
“I will leave when you leave；” replied his adjutant。
When the first astrotelepathic despatches had come； warning of the xenos hive fleet’s approach；
Polio’s distaff had been aghast。 That had quickly descended into panic when the extreme dictate to
combat this threat had been transmitted； and that panic had not been aided by the sudden departure
of the Administratum’s advocate of Perdus Skylla。
“This world has been condemned to death；” the administrator had whined as he frantically
gathered up his possessions。 “You are a fool to stay behind。”
“I will not leave until the guilds are fully evacuated；” Polio had replied； his voice unwavering。 “I
will not abandon my post and leave those who depend upon me to their fate。”
“Do not judge me； guildmaster；” the administrator had snapped。 “I am a servant of the
Administratum； and with the mining facilities abandoned I see no purpose in my remaining here。 If
you have any sense at all； you will leave Perdus Skylla immediately。 Coordinate the evacuation
from space if your conscience demands such a thing。”
Guildmaster Polio had wanted to strike the man； but he had held his anger in check。 He had
turned his back on the administrator； and had watched as his shuttle left the moon for the safety of
the Imperial blockade。 He had ordered his distaff to vacate Perdus Skylla； and he had seen the relief
in their faces at his order。 He did not think badly of them as they saluted him and boarded the first
chartered evacuation ships。
“Why will you not go？” Leto had asked him。
“I swore an oath of service to the guilds of Perdus Skylla。 My leadership will be needed in the
evacuation effort。 It sends a message to the guilds； and the populace； if I remain。”
“Then I shall remain with you； sir；” said the boy。
Polio had promoted him to be his adjutant； and had been pleasantly surprised to find that the
young man adapted to his role admirably。
Polio sighed； picked up the reports and flicked them to Leto。 The young man caught them
awkwardly； and scanned their contents。 The guildmaster poured himself another drink as his
adjutant looked at the first of the reports。 Leto looked up in shock； his face pale。
“Keep reading；” said Guildmaster Polio。
24
The reports contained disturbing information： evidence of slaughter in three of the main mid…ice
access highways that linked the Phorcys starport to the guilds。 The attacks had occurred just hours
earlier； and there had been no survivors nor any eyewitnesses。 It was impossible to gauge the
number of casualties； but there was something in the realm of twelve thousand citizens reported
missing。 Thousands more had been killed in the stampede to get out of the tunnels； and the Skyllan
Interdiction Forces had shut the access tunnels down； pending an armoured investigation。
Three guilds； two of them major houses； had no direct access to the evacuation freighters。 That
translated as almost four million people； trapped on Perdus Skylla until the tunnels were opened； for
it would be almost impossible for them to make the journey on foot。
Three days had been the estimate before the xenos fleet made planet…fall。 It had been a logistical
impossibility to evacuate all of Perdus Skylla in that time； but now with access tunnels locked
down？
Guildmaster Polio was a realist。 He did not delude himself into thinking that he ever had even
half a chance of getting more than perhaps twenty per cent of the population of Perdus Skylla offworld；
there were just not enough ships to facilitate the evacuation。 He cursed the bureaucracy of the
Administratum that had given his world such callously short notice of its doom。
He had finished his glass of amasec by the time his adjutant had read through all the despatches。
“What does it mean； master？” asked Leto； his face pale。
“It means；” said Polio； cradling his empty glass； “that there are enemy forces already on Perdus
Skylla。”
“The… the tyranids？”
“I don’t think so； no；” said Leto。 “Something entirely else。”
With a sound akin to the birth…scream of a fledgling god； the Infidus Diabolus ripped through the
skin of the warp and entered real…space。 Flickering arcs of energy danced across its hull； coalescing
over the towering spires and cathedrals devoted to the dark gods of the ether。 The full awesome
majesty of the strike cruiser slipped from the protective womb of the immaterium； and the rift was
sealed behind it。
Within the bridge of the colossal vessel； Marduk and Kol Badar leaned over the flickering datascreens
before them； studying the stream of information being relayed。 They saw an image of the
sub…system； spinning slowly； and flashes of light began to appear； marking the positions of planets；
ships and radiation fields。
Remnants of the warp remained within the ship； and scenes of depravity and bloodshed flashed
up over the screens； momentarily disrupting the feed of information。 For a fraction of a second； the
screens showed a skinless face； its eyes on fire and its cheeks pierced by blades； before they
returned to normal。 A moment later； the screens flashed again； and an image of a writhing； bloodsoaked
figure appeared on the pict screens for less than a tenth of a second； accompanied by the
blare of static； overlaid with unholy roars and screams。
The pair of Word Bearers ignored the distractions； peering through the ghost…images of daemons
ripping apart flesh and bubbling blood that appeared on the screens； focusing on the wealth of subsystem
inf