Hereticus by Dan Abnett

Author:Dan Abnett
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2012-03-10T14:20:42+00:00

Twelve

Into the night, into the mountains.

The Trans-Atenate Express.

A prompt from the dead.

‘No,’ said Crezia. ‘No. No way. No.’

‘This isn’t up for debate, Crezia. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a… an instruction.’

‘How dare you order me around like one of your staff lackeys, Eisenhorn. I am not leaving!’

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The brutal murder of her man Phabes was causing her great distress. Getting through to her would be hard.

I turned to Aemos and Eleena. ‘Get dressed. Collect up everything and stow it in the flier. I want to be away from here in under half an hour.’ They both hurried away.

It was difficult to know how long the janissary had been gone. Phabes, whose body Aemos had covered with a sheet, was still quite warm, so I reckoned Tarl only had an hour’s head start, ninety minutes worst case. Given his Vessorine pragmatism, I figured he had headed straight for a vox-station to report our location to his brethren. That’s what I’d have done in his position. He could have tried to kill me himself, but by then he knew not to underestimate my abilities. There was a decent chance I’d have taken him down, in which case the secret of my location would never have got out.

No, he’d gone to find means of sending the message. It was impossible to know how close elements of his party were, but if we were still here in sixty minutes’ time, I didn’t much rate our chances.

It also occurred to me that once he’d got his message off safely, he’d be clear to come back and have a try at me himself.

I took Crezia by the hand and led her back upstairs. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she was a little vacant with shock. She sat on the end of my bed as I got dressed.

‘If I could just go, Crezia, I would,’ I said softly, finding a fresh shirt. ‘If it was just a matter of walking away and removing all my crap from your life, that’s what I’d do. But that’s not what’s going to happen. Mercenaries will be heading this way. They will be arriving soon, probably before dawn. They will question and kill anyone they find. You won’t be able to tell them you don’t know where I’ve gone. They will… well, they’re Vessorine janissaries and they’re being paid well. I can’t leave you here.’

‘I don’t want to go. This is my home, Gregor. My damn home, and look what you’ve done.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Look what you’ve damn well done to my life!’

‘I’m sorry. I’ll make amends.’

She got up, the anger coming back and eclipsing her sorrow. ‘How? How the hell can you make up for this? How the hell can you make up for all the pain you’ve ever caused me?’

‘I have no idea. But I will. And you have to stay alive so I can. I’ve got the ruination of your nice comfortable existence on my conscience, Crezia. I will not add your death to that.

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