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I watched the sapfinches spiralling in the air above the yard。
'Deja vu。'
'I know deja vu from a dream；' said Ungish sourly。 'I know deja vu from my backside。'
'The God…Emperor watches over us；' I reassured her。
'Yes； I know he does；' she said。 'I just think he doesn't like what he sees。'
WE WAITED UNTIL evening in the yard； buying hot loaves； wraps of diced salad and treacly black caffeine from street vendors。 Ungish
didn't eat much。 Long shadows fell across the yard in the late afternoon light。 I voxed Medea。 She was safely back aboard the launch；
waiting for us。
I was waiting to complete the second of my tasks。 This was the appointed day； and the appointed hour was fast approaching。 This
would be the first test of the twenty communiques I had sent out。 One had been to Inquisitor Gladus； a man I admired； and had worked
with effectively thirty years before during the P'glao Conspiracy。 Orbul Infanta was within his canon。 I had written to him； laying out
my case and asking for his support。 Asking him to meet me here； at this place； at this hour。
It was； like all the messages； a matter of trust。 I had only written to men or women I felt were beyond reproach； and who； no matter
what they thought of me； might do me the grace of meeting with me to discuss the matter of Quixos。 If they rejected me or my intent；
that was fine。 I didn't expect any of them to turn me in or attempt to capture me。
We waited。 I was impatient； edgy… edgy still with the dark mysteries Pontius Glaw had planted in my head。 I hadn't slept well in four
months。 My temper was short。
I expected Gladus to come； or at least send some kind of message。 He might be detained or delayed； or caught up in his own noble
business。 But I didn't think he'd ignore me。 I searched the evening crowds for some trace of his long…haired； bearded form； his grey
robes； his barb…capped staff。
'HE'S NOT COMING；' said Ungish。
'Oh； give it a rest。'
'Please； inquisitor； I want to go。 My dream…'
'Why don't you trust me； Ungish？ I will protect you；' I said。 I opened my black linen coat so'she could see the laspistol holstered under
my left arm。
'Why？' she fretted。 'Because you're playing with fire。 You've crossed the line。'
I balked。 'Why did you say that？' I asked； hearing Pontius's words loud in my head。
'Because you have； damn you！ Heretic！ Bloody heretic！'
'Stop it！'
She got to her feet from the courtyard bench unsteadily。 Pilgrims were turning to look at the sound of her outburst。
'Heretic！'
'Stop it； Tasaera！ Sit down！ No one's going to hurt you！'
'Says you； heretic！ You've damned us all with your ways！ And I'm the one who's going to pay！ I saw it in my dream… this place； this
hour… your lie at the altar； the circling birds…'
'I didn't lie；' I said； tugging her back down onto the bench。
'He's coming；' she whispered。
'Who？ Gladus？'
She shook her head。 'Not Gladus。 He's never coming。 None of them are coming。 They've all read your pretty； begging letters and
erased them。 You're a heretic and they won't begin to deal with you。'
'I know the people I've written to； Ungish。 None of them would dismiss me so。'
She looked round into my face； her head…cage hissing as it adjusted。 Her eyes were full of tears。
'I'm so afraid； Eisenhorn。 He's coming。'
'Who is？'
'The hunter。 That's all my dream showed。 A hunter； blank and invisible。'
'You worry too much。 Come with me。'
WE WENT BACK into the Cathedral of Saint Ezra Outlooking； and took seats in the front of the ranks of carrels。 Evening sunlight raked
sidelong through the windows。 The statue of the saint； raised behind the rood screen； looked majestic。
'Better now？' I asked。
'Yes；' she snivelled。
I kept glancing around； hoping that Gladus would appear。 Straggles of pilgrims were arriving for the evening devotion。
Maybe he wasn't coming。 Maybe Ungish was right。 Maybe I was more of a pariah than I imagined； even to old friends and colleagues。
Maybe Gladus had read my humble communique and discarded it with a curse。 Maybe he had sent it to the arbites… or the
Ecclesiarchy… or the Inquisition's Officio of Internal Prosecution。
'Two more minutes；' I assured her。 'Then we'll go。' It was long past the hour I had asked Gladus to meet me。
I looked about again。 Pilgrims were by now flooding into the cathedral through the main doors。
There was a gap in the flow； a space where a man should have been。 It was quite noticeable； with the pilgrims jostling around it but
never entering it。
My eyes widened。 In the gap was a glint of energy； like a side…flash from a mirror shield。
'Ungish；' I hissed； reaching for my weapon。
Bolt rounds came screaming down the nave towards me from the gap。 Pilgrims shrieked in panic and fled in all directions。
'The hunter！' Ungish wailed。 'Blank and invisible！'
He was that。 With his mirror shield activated； he was just a heat…haze blur； marked only by the bright flare of his weapon。
Mass panic had seized the cathedral。 Pilgrims were trampling other pilgrims in their race to flee。
The backs of the carrels exploded with wicked punctures as the bolt rounds blew through them。
I fired back； down the aisle； with tidy bursts of las…fire。
'Thorn wishes Aegis； craven hounds at the hindmost！'
That was all I was able to send before a bolt round glanced sidelong into my neck and threw me backwards； destroying my vox
headset in the process。
I rolled on the marble floor； bleeding all over the place。
'Eisenhorn！ Eisenhorn！' Ungish bawled and then screamed in agony。
I saw her thrown back through the panelled wood of the box pews； demolishing them。 A bolt round had hit her square in the stomach。
Bleeding out； she writhed on the floor amid the wood splinters； wailing and crying。
I tried to crawl across to her as further； heedless bolt…fire fractured the rest of the front pews。
I looked up。 Witchfinder Arnaut Tantalid disengaged his mirror shield and gazed down at me。
'You are an accursed heretic； Eisenhorn； and that fact is now proven beyond doubt by the carta issued for you。 In the name of the
Ministorum of Mankind； I claim your life。'
TWENTTY…ONE
DEATH AT ST EZRA'S。
THE LONG HUNT。
THE CELL OF FIVE。
PRECISELY HOW HE had found me was a mystery； but I believe he had been on my tail for a long time； since before Cinchare。 The fact
that he had come to Saint Ezra Outlooking at that hour and that day convinced me that he had intercepted my communique to Gladus。
And he might have triumphed over me； right there； right then； if he'd but pressed the advantage and finished the job with his boltgun。
Instead； Tantalid holstered his bolt pistol and drew his ancient chainsword； Theophantus； intent on delivering formal execution with
the holy weapon。
I fired my laspistol； powering shot after shot at him； driving him backwards。 His gold…chased battle suit； which gave his shrivelled
frame the bulk and proportions of a Space Marine； absorbed or deflected the impacts； but the sheer force knocked him back several
paces。
I jumped up； firing again； and retreating down the epistle side of the cathedral； towards the feretory。 Bystanders and church servants
were still fleeing。 Its iron teeth singing； Theophantus swung at me。 Tantalid was barking out the Accusal of Heresy； verse after verse。
Be quiet！ I yelled； enforcing my will。
The psychic sting shocked him into silence； but he was generally protected by psi…dampers and ignored my next will…driven order to
''desist'' completely。
The chainsword revved around and I threw myself aside as it cleft a bench pew in two。 The backswing nearly caught me； but I dodged
behind a pier column that took the force of the blow in a splintering shower of sparks and stone chippings。
Ungish was still crying out in pain。 The sound chilled and infuriated me。 I fired my laspistol again； but the last few shots fizzed and
spluttered； underpowered。 The power cell was exhausted。 I dived again； feinting past his slow…moving bulk； and grappled with him
from behind。 It was a desperate ploy。 Unarmoured as I was； I stood little chance of overwhelming his brute force or hurting him。 He
got a steel…gloved paw round behind himself； grabbed me by the coat and tore me off him。
My coat ripped。 I bounced hard off a pillar and crashed awkwardly through the delicate fretwork of a confessional screen。 I had barely
pulled myself out of the flimsy wooden wreckage when the chainsword swooped in again and chewed a deep gouge in the cathedral
floor。
I ran from him then； across the south aisle towards the feretory。 Two men of the cathedral's Frateris Militia； clearly seeking
advancement by coming to the aid of the fearsome Ministorum witch…hunter； closed in to block my escape。 They were both clad in
Ezra's yellow and carried short stave…maces in one hand and temple lanterns in the other。
I think they both quickly regretted their enthusiastic involvement。
I didn't even bother with the will。 I think my rage was too great to have used it cleanly anyway。 I side…stepped the first mace； caught
and broke the wrist that wielded it； and kicked the man down。 The mace turned in the air as it flew from the sprawling oafs useless
hand； and I caught it and turned it cross…wise in time to block the down…stroke of the other man's club。 As he bounced back with the
recoil of his own； negated strike； I smacked him in the side of the knee with my captured weapon。 He fell over with sharp wail of pain；
losing hold of his own mace and trying to beat me with his temple lamp instead。 I took the lamp away from him and kicked him in the
belly so he doubled up on his side； sobbing and trying to remember how to breathe。
The first man was back up； running at me。 I spun and smashed the temple lamp in his face； sideways。 Both its light and his went out。
The paving shook as Tantalid hove down on me。 I used the captured mace like a sword； double…handed； to deflect his first strokes。 It
was iron…banded hardwood； and tough； but no match for a chainsword。 After three or so clashes； the mace was chewed and mangled。 I
threw it aside and tore a church standard down from the wall beside the feretory door。 Theo…phantus immediately shredded the old
embroidered cloth and wood…frame titulus from the end； but that left me with three metres of cast…iron pole。
I held it like a quarterstaff； striking Tantalid hard on the side of the head with one end and then square on the opposite hip with the
other。 Then I stabbed the end at him viciously； like a spear…thrust； and managed to dent the chest…plate of his armour。
In response … and frothing mad with anger himself now … he put up Theophantus and shortened my pole by about half a metre。 I
wrenched the remaining pole around one…handed and struck him on the other side of the head。 Blood was spilling from his ears。 He
howled and made an attack that almost took my arm off。
My third attempt to clip his miserable head missed。 He was wise to it now； and blocked with his chainsword。 The chain teeth caught in
the pole and plucked it from my hands； throwing it up ten metres into the air。 It landed behind some pews with a loud； echoing clang。
I rocked back from the follow up； but the murderous saw caught my right shoulder and gashed me deeply。 Clutching the wound； I
ducked again； and Theophantus decapitated a statue of Saint Ezra's pardoner。
No matter what I did； it was going his way。 He had the weapons and the armour on his side。 And now I was bleeding badly； which
meant I would progressively slow and weaken； and it was just a matter for him to keep pressing the onslaught and he would triumph。
I became aware of another commotion near the main doors of the great church。 Many startled worshippers and hierarchs had retreated
and gathered there to watch the holy combat。 Now they were spilling aside； their huddle breaking。 A figure stormed through them。
Medea。
She ran down the main aisle； calling to me； firing her needle pistol over the tops of the pews at Tantalid。 The lethal rounds pinged and
clicked off his armour； and he turned in annoyance。
Tantalid dragged out his boltpistol and fired at this new attack。 Medea hurled the object she had been carrying in her other hand and
then disappeared from view as she dived to evade the hammer blows of the bolt rounds。 At least； I prayed it was a deliberate dive。 If
he had hit her…
The object she had thrown bounced off a