'Not deliberately。 I think he was just sloppy。'
'I want to speak with the current inquisitor general… Neve； did you say her name was？'
'Yeah。 I thought you might。'
WHILE DAYLIGHT REMAINED； we flew west to Kasr Derth； the largest castellum in the region and the seat of provincial government for
the Caducades。 Fischig switched on the speeder's vox…ponder and broadcast the day's access codes to the sentry turrets as we passed
the outer ring…ditch。 Even so； Man…ticore and Hydra batteries traversed and tracked us as we went over。
The vox…ponder pinged fretfully as it detected multiple target…locks。
'Don't worry；' said Fischig； noticing my look。 'We're safe。 I think the Cadians enjoy taking every possible opportunity to practise。'
We ran down the line of a slow moving convoy … drab； armoured twelve…wheeler transports escorted by lurching Sentinel walkers …
and followed the highway up towards the ridge of the earthwork。 Beyond it； and two more like it； the heavy； grey fortifications and
shatrovies of Kasr Derth sulked in the twilight。
Watch…lights on skeleton towers stood on the upper slope of the earthwork。 More turret emplacements and pillboxes studded the
defence berm like knuckles。 Again； the vox…ponder pinged。
Fischig dropped the speed and altitude； and swung us down towards the eastern barbican； a small fortress in its own right； bristling
with Earth…shaker platforms。 A bas…relief Imperial eagle decorated the upper face of the ashlar…dressed structure。
We ran in through the barbican's gate； over the hydraulic bascule that crossed the inner moat； and into the castellum's deliberately
narrow and twisting streets。
Cadia's earliest kasrs had been built in the High Terra style； with the wide streets laid out on a grid system。 In early M。32； a Chaos
invasion had made wretchedly short work of three of them。 The broad； ordered avenues had proved impossible to defend or hold。
Since then； the kasrs had been planned in elaborate geometric patterns； the streets jinking back and forth like the teeth of a key。 From
the air； Kasr Derth looked like an intricate； angular puzzle。 Given the Cadians' mettle and their skills at urban…war； a kasr could be
held； street by street； metre by metre； for months if not years。
We slunk along the busy； labyrinthine streets as the caged lamps came on and business began to shut for the night。 I was about to
remark to Fischig that it looked for all the world like a military camp； until I realised that even the civilian fashion was for
camouflaged clothing。 It soon became easy to pick out locals from visitors。 The jag…white and grey of tundra dress or the panelled
green and beige of moor fatigues marked out newcomers and off duty soldiery。 The population of Kasr Derth wore grey and brown
checkered urban camouflage。
We passed the stilted horreums of the Imperial Cadian Granary； and the tight…packed baileys of the rich and successful。 Even the
townhouses of the wealthy had armouring on their mansard roofs。
To the left lay the brightly…lit aleatorium； to which night crowds were already flocking to gamble away their pay。 To the right； Kasr's
senaculum with its gleaming； ceramite…plated shatrovy pyramid。 Ahead； lay the minster of the Inquisition。 The vox…ponder pinged
again as the gun…walls along the deep approach followed us。
Fischig settled the speeder down on the spicae testicae paving of the minster's inner yard； where sunken guide…lights stitched out a
winking cross。 Inquisitorial guards in gold…laced burgundy armour approached us as we swung back the speeder's canopy and climbed
out。
I showed the nearest one my rosette。
He clipped his heels together and saluted。
'My lord。'
'I wish to see the inquisitor general。'
'I will inform her staff；' he said obediently； and hurried away across the herringbone paving； holding up his baldric so his power sword
wouldn't trip him。
'You won't like her；' Fischig said as he came round the parked speeder to join me。 'Why？'
'Ah； trust me。 You just won't。'
'IT'S LATE。 I had finished business for the day；' said Inquisitor General Neve； stabbing her holoquill back into the brass power…well on
the desk。
'My apologies； madam。'
'Don't bother。 I'm not about to shut my doors to the famous Inquisitor Eisenhorn。 We're a long way from the Helican sub； but your
fame precedes you。'
'In a good way； I hope。'
The inquisitor general rose from her writing desk and straightened the front of her green flannel robe。 She was a short； sturdy woman
in her late one tens； if my eye was any judge； with salt and pepper hair plied back tightly into a bourse。 She had the typical pale； tight
flesh and violet eyes of a Cadian。
'Whatever；' she snapped。
We stood in her sanctum； an octastyle chamber with a black and white cosmati floor and aethercite walls inscribed with a waterleaf
design。 It was lit with rushlights and the flame glow accented the carved lotus motif。
Inquisitor General Neve clumped around her desk to face us； leaning on an ornate silver crutch。
'You'll want to be reviewing the Bael records； I suppose？'
'How did you guess？' I asked。
She favoured her weight on her sound foot and pointed the rubber…capped toe of the crutch at Fischig。
'Him； I know。 He's been here before。 One of yours； I suppose； inquisitor。'
'One of my best。'
She arched her spare； plucked eyebrows。 'Hah。 Much that says about you。 Come on。 The archivum。'
A DIM SCREW…STAIR led down to the basement archivum。 The turning steps of the spiral were hard for her to manage； but she shooed
me away curtly when I offered to assist her。
'I meant no insult； inquisitor general；' I said。
'Your kind never do；' she snapped。 I felt it wasn't the moment to inquire what kind that might be。
The archivum was a long； panelled chamber lit only by the lamps of the double…faced desk…row that ran down its middle。
'Light buoy！' Neve snarled； and a servitor…skull drifted down from the coffered ceiling； hovering at her shoulder and igniting its
halogen eye…beams。
'Bael； Sons of。 Find；' she told it； and it coursed away； turning and dipping； sweeping the racks of the catalogue with its twin spears of
light。
It stopped； eight sections down； and began to buzz around a shelf groaning with data…slates； file tubes and dusty paper books。
Fischig and I followed Neve as she hobbled over to join it。
'Sons of… Sons of… Sons of Teuth； Sons of Macharius； sons of bitches。 She glanced round at me。 That passes for humour here；
Eisenhorn。'
'I'm sure it does； madam。'
Her fingers went back to the stacks； running along the fraying spines and tagged slate…sleeves； following the skull…buoy's light beams。
'Sons of Barabus… Sons of Balkar… Here！ Here it is。 Sons of Bael。'
She pulled a file case off the shelf； blew the dust off it into my face and handed it to me。 'Put it back where you found it when you've
finished；' she said。 She turned to go。
'Your pardon； wait；' I said。
Two emphatic thumps of her cratch swung her around to face me again。
'What？'
'Your predecessor… um…'
'Gorfal；' whispered Fischig。
'Gorfal。 He burned the members of this cult without examination。 Have you never reviewed the case？'
She smiled at me。 It wasn't encouraging。
'You know； Eisenhorn… I always imagined roving inquisitors like you had adventurous； exciting lives。 All so very exhilarating； all
that celebrity and heroism and notoriety。 To think I used to dream of being like you。 You have no idea； do you？'
'With respect； inquisitor general… of what？'
She gestured at the file case I was clutching。 'The crap。 The nonsense。 The bric…a…brac。 The Sons of Bael？ Why the hell should I
review that case？ It's dead； dead and nothing。 A bunch of fools who were pulled off the West…moorland pylon in the middle of the
night for playing around with geo…locators。 Whoooo！ I'm so scared！ Imagine that； they're measuring us！ Do you have any idea what
this wardship is like？'
'Inquisitor general； I—'
'Do you？ This is Cadia； you silly fool！ Cadia！ Right on the doorway of Chaos！ Right in the heart of everything！ The seepage of evil is
so great； I have a hundred active cults to subdue every month！ A hundred！ The place breeds recidivists like a pond breeds scum。 I
sleep three or four hours a night if I'm lucky。 My vox chimes and I'm up； called out to another nest of poison that the arbites have
uncovered。 Firefights in the street； Eisenhorn！ Running battles with the foot soldiers of the archenemy！ I can barely keep up with the
day…to…day banishments； forget the past cases my crap…witted predecessor filed。 This is Cadia！ This is the Gate of the Eye！ This is
where the bloody work of the Inquisition is done！ Don't distract me with stories of some engineering club gone bad。'
'My apologies。'
'Taken。 See yourselves out。' She limped away。
'Neve？'
She turned。 I dropped the file case on to the reading table。
'They might have been idiots；' I said； 'but they're the only solid link I have to a daemonhost that could destroy us all。'
'A daemonhost？' she said。
'That's right。 And the beast that controls it。 A beast that； if I'm right… is one of ours。'
She lurched back down the archivum。
'Convince me；' she said。
THIRTEEN
A REUNION。
WAR〣ELLS。
THE LONG； SLOW TASK BEGINS。
I DON'T KNOW if I did convince the inquisitor general。 I don't know if I could。 But she heard me out and stayed around for another two
hours； helping to locate the files of connected cases and other materials。 Past nine； she was called away to a disturbance on an island
community in the Caducades。 Before she left； she offered accommodation for me and my staff in the minster； which I politely
declined； and made it clear that I had her permission to continue my investigation in Kasr Derth； provided I kept her informed。
'I've heard stories about your… adventures； Eisenhorn。 I don't want anything like that happening on my turf。 Do we understand each
other？'
'We do。'
'Good night； then。 And good hunting。'
Fischig and I were left alone in the archivum。
'You were wrong；' I told him。
'How's that？'
'I did like her。'
'Hah！ That hard…nosed bitch？'
'Actually； I liked her because she was a hard…nosed bitch。'
I always took pleasure in meeting a fellow inquisitor who conducted their work fairly and seriously； even if their methods differed
from mine。 Neve was a thoroughbred puritan； and lacked patience。 She was abrupt to the point of rudeness。 She was over…worked。 But
she called things as she saw them； despised sloppiness； and took the threats to our society and way of life completely seriously。 In my
opinion； there was no other way for an inquisitor to behave。
WE WORKED ON until midnight； studying and collating the contents of hundreds of case…files。
By then； the gun…cutter had arrived from the landing fields at Kasr Tyrok； in response to my vox…summons。 Fischig found one of
Neve's rubricators and charged him with making data…slate copies of the most promising files ready for our return in the morning。
Then we got back into the speeder and flew through the castellum's zig…zag streets to the town field。
The stars were out； and it was cool。 Noctule moths fluttered around the landing lights of the waiting cutter。
There was a mauve smudge in the night sky； down low over the eastern horizon。 The rising nebula of the Eye of Terror。 Even from
this great distance； just a blur in th