'Do you have children, my boy?' asked Sinder-mann, reaching out clasp the guard's arm.

'Yes, sir, I do.'

Then you understand why I have to see her,' pressed Sindermann, risking the more direct approach and hoping that he had judged these men correctly.

'You're just going to the medicae deck?' asked the guard.

'No further,’ promised Sindermann. 'I just need some time to say my goodbyes to her. That's all. Please?'

The guards exchanged glances and Sindermann fought to keep the smile from his face as he knew he had them. The first soldier nodded and they moved aside to let him past.

'Just the medicae deck, old man,’ said the guard, scrawling on a chit that would allow him passage through the ship to the medicae deck and back. 'If you're not back in your quarters in a couple of hours, I'll be dragging you back here myself,’

Sindermann nodded, taking the proffered chit and shaking both men warmly by the hand.

'You're good soldiers, boys,’ he said, his voice dripping with gratitude. 'Good soldiers. I'll be sure to tell Maloghurst of your compassion for an old man,’

He turned quickly so that they didn't see the relief on his face and hurried away down the corridor

towards the Medicae deck. The companionways echoed with their emptiness as he made his way through the twisting maze of the ship, an idiot smile plastered across his puffing features. Entire worlds had fallen under the spell of his oratory and here he was smiling about duping two simple-minded guards to let him out of his room. How the mighty had fallen.

'Is THERE ANY more news on Varvarus?' asked Loken as he and Torgaddon walked through the Museum of Conquest on their way to the Lupercal's Court.

Torgaddon shook his head. The shells were too fragmented. Apothecary Vaddon wouldn't be able to make a match even if we found the weapon that fired the shot. It was one of ours, but that's all we know,’

The museum was brimming with artefacts won from the Legion's many victories, for the Luna Wolves had brought a score of worlds into compliance. A grand statue dominating one wall recalled the days when the Emperor and Horus had fought side by side in the first campaigns of the Great Crusade. The Emperor, sword in hand, fought off slender, masked aliens while Horus, back to back with his father, blazed away with a boltgun.

Beyond the statue, Loken recognised a display of bladed insectoid limbs, a blend of metallic and biological flesh wrested from the megarachnids on Murder. Only a few of these trophies had been won after Horus's investiture as Warmaster, the majority having been taken before the Luna Wolves had

been renamed the Sons of Horus in honour of the Warmaster's accomplishments.

The remembrancers are next,’ said Loken. 'They are asking too many questions. Some of them may already have been murdered.'

'Who?'

'Ignace and Petronella Vivar,’

'Karkasy,' said Torgaddon. 'Damn, I'd heard he killed himself, but I should have known they'd find a way to do it. The warrior lodge was talking about silencing him, Abaddon in particular. They didn't call it murder, although Abaddon seemed to think it was the same as killing an enemy in war. That's when I broke with the lodge,’

'Did they say how it was to be done?'

Torgaddon shook his head. 'No, just that it needed to be done,’

'It won't be long before all this is out in the open,’ promised Loken. 'The lodge doesn't move under a veil of secrecy any more and soon there will be a reckoning,’

'Then what do we do?'

Loken looked away from his friend, at the high arch that led from the museum and into the Luper-cal's Court.

'I don't know,’ he said, waving Torgaddon to silence as he caught sight of a figure moving behind one of the furthest cabinets.

'What's up?' asked Torgaddon.

'I'm not sure,’ said Loken, moving between display cabinets of gleaming swords captured from an

ancient feudal kingdom and strange alien weapons taken from the many species the Legion had destroyed. The figure he had seen was another Astartes, and Loken recognised the colours of the World Eaters upon his armour.

Loken and Torgaddon rounded the corner of a tall, walnut-framed cabinet, seeing a scarred Astartes warrior peering intently at an immense battle-glaive that had been wrested from the hands of a xenos praetorian by the Warmaster himself.

'Welcome to the Vengeful Spirit,' said Loken.

The World Eater looked up from the weapon and turned to face them. His face was deeply bronzed, long and noble, contrasting with the bone white and blue of his Legion's colours.

'Greetings,’ he said, bringing his forearm across his armoured chest in a martial salute.

'Kharn, Eighth Assault Company of the World Eaters,’

'Loken of the Tenth,’ replied Loken. Torgaddon of the Second,’ nodded Torgaddon. 'Impressive, this,’ said Kharn, looking around him.

Thank you,’ said Loken. The Warmaster always believed we should remember our enemies. If we forget them, we shall never learn,’

He pointed at the weapon Kharn had been admiring. %fe have the preserved corpse of the creature that carried this weapon somewhere around here. It's the size of a tank,’

'Angron has his share of trophies too,’ said Kharn, 'but only from foes that deserve to be remembered.'

'Should we not remember them all?'

'No,' said Kharn firmly. There is nothing to gain from knowing your enemy. The only thing that matters is that they are to be destroyed. Everything else is just a distraction.'

'Spoken like a true World Eater,’ said Torgaddon.

Kharn looked up from the weapon with an amused sneer. 'You seek to provoke me, Captain Torgaddon, but I already know what other Legions think of the World Eaters,’

'We were on Aureus,’ said Loken. 'You are butchers,’

Kharn smiled. 'Hah! Honesty is rare these days, Captain Loken. Yes, we are and we are proud because we are good at it. My primarch is not ashamed of what he does best, so neither am I,’

'I trust you're here for the conclave?' asked Loken, wishing to change the subject.

Yes. I serve as my primarch's equerry,’

Torgaddon raised an eyebrow. Tough job,’

'Sometimes,’ admitted Kharn. 'Angron cares little for diplomacy,’

'The Warmaster believes it is important,’

'So I see, but all Legions do things differently,’ laughed Kharn, clapping Loken on his shoulder guard. As one honest man to another, your own Legion has as many detractors as admirers. Too damn superior, the lot of you,’

The Warmaster has high standards,’ said Loken.

'So does Angron, I assure you,’ said Kharn, and Loken was surprised to hear a note of weariness in Kharn's voice. The Emperor knew that sometimes the best course of action is to let the World Eaters do what we do best. The Warmaster knows it too; otherwise we would not be here. It may be distasteful to you, captain, but if it were not for warriors like mine, the Great Crusade would have foundered long ago,’ There we must agree to disagree,’ said Loken. 'I could not do what you do,’

Kharn shook his head. You're a warrior of the Astartes, captain. If you had to kill every living thing in a city to ensure victory, you would do it. We must always be prepared to go further than our enemy. All the Legions know it; the World Eaters just preach it openly,’ 'Let us hope it never comes to that,’ 'Do not pin too much on that hope. I hear tell that Isstvan III will be difficult to break,’ 'What do you know of it?' asked Torgaddon. Kharn shrugged. 'Nothing specific, just rumours really; something religious, they say, witches and warlocks, skies turning red and monsters from the warp, all the usual hyperbole. Not that the Sons of Horus would believe such things,’

The galaxy is a complicated place,' replied Loken carefully. 'We don't know the half of what goes on in it,’

'I'm beginning to wonder myself,’ agreed Kharn. 'It's changing,’ continued Loken, 'the galaxy, and the Crusade with it,’