Lord of the Night

She glanced at Varitens, seeking confirmation of his collusion. The man's eyes seemed fixated on the floor, wide with child-like fascination. Like a sword of Damocles, descending to puncture her scant shred of victory, a long cord of spittle parted company with his lip and spattered to the floor. Mita's heart sunk.

'As you can see,' Kaustus added, interrupting her before she could answer, 'the good sergeant required some... calming. He was almost ranting, the poor beast.'

'He's been dragged?'

Kaustus's eyes glimmered within the narrow slats of his mask.

'Not quite. We thought it best to cleanse his mind — and that of the surviving driver — using a more...' he waved a thoughtful hand, '...permanent method.'

Lobotomisation. With such impunity could an inquisitor wipe away a man's thoughts and memories.

'Is that to be my fate, my lord?' she scowled, prideful rebellion sputtering in her belly. 'And Cog's? Our minds stripped away because you refuse to believe the truth?'

For an instant, there was silence.

Then Kaustus moved faster than her eye could follow, and with barely a hiss registering in her ears she found herself spinning in her place, the floor rising to meet her, cheek stinging. When the lights cleared from her eyes she found the inquisitor stood over her and she realised with a thrill that he'd struck her.

So much for the cool, collected Inquisitor Kaustus.

'Your insolence stops here, interrogator,' he said, breathing hard. 'And should I wish it I can command far worse fates than mere lobotomy. This is your last warning.'

'B-but why h—'

'Why have I erased the testimonies of the sergeant and the driver? Use your brain, child! If what they say — if what you say — is correct, then the taint is abroad.'

'So you believe me n—'

'I will not tolerate panic and rumour-mongering, is that clear? This is damage limitation, interrogator. Be grateful I consider you capable of keeping secrets.' He returned to his seat, eyes lowered, adding quietly, 'and yes. Yes, I believe you.'

Mita tottered to her feet, dizzied. Such an uncharacteristic performance from the inquisitor had prompted a chorus of astonished thought from the retinue, and Mita struggled to shut out the psionic clamour.

'So,' Kaustus intoned, returning to his brooding position with fingers toying at his pendant. 'Tell me. What manner of corruption draws me so successfully from my Holy Work?' The boredom in his voice was as theatrical as it was palpable. 'A cult of the Dark Powers? Some mutant animal, perhaps? Or some tainted aristocrat, seeking thrills and kills in the underhive?' He folded his arms. 'Speak, child — I would know the agent of this... distraction.'

Mita squared her shoulders.

'It is a Traitor Space Marine, my lord.'

Uproar.

The retinue dissolved in a froth of gabbled prayers and startled exchanges — outrage clamouring with denial and anger.

Only Kaustus remained silent, and it was only Mita — who regarded his reaction scrupulously — that noted the tightening of his knuckles and the stiffening of his spine.

His eyes burned into her, betraying nothing.

'Impossible!' It was Commander Orodai who first summoned the ire required to speak out, rising to his feet and stabbing an infuriated finger at the floor. The venom in his voice astonished even Mita.

'I won't listen to this!' the commander stormed, arms waving. 'No warpshit daemon ever set foot inside my city, and I won't have some slip of a witch suggesting otherw—'

'It's no daemon!' Mita interrupted, gorge rising. 'It's a Space Marine, you fool! One of our own, fallen from the light. It's more cunning than any daemon!'

'This is intolerable...' Orodai turned to Kaustus with his cheeks burning. 'Are we to listen to these heresies all day?' he snarled. 'Silence your brat before I do it myself!'

He drew his pistol.

Mita's heart skipped.

In the mist of her senses the psychic nebula of Orodai's mind turned black and red, an ugly bruise of murderous intent. She staggered away, a warding hand raised. Her eyes tracked the commander's fist with morbid absorption, every centimetre of the gun's slow ascension like a countdown to thick, endless night.

'Have a care, Orodai.'

The voice seemed to come from far away, and it took Mita's revolving senses an eternity to stabilise, to draw her eyes away from the rising gun, and to note the tip of a sword, paused centimetres short of pricking at Orodai's skin.

'It is unwise to issue orders to an inquisitor,' said Kaustus tiredly, 'or to threaten his flock.'

Mita hadn't even seen him draw the blade.

'I... I...' Orodai seemed torn between outrage and self-preservation, anger and terror jockeying on the surface of his thoughts. Mita allowed herself a tiny smirk, enjoying his dilemma.

'One cannot trust the testimony of a mutant,' the commander said carefully, tone levelled to be as reasonable as possible. The sword did not waver. 'She's probably in league with whatever "taint" she's uncovered, by the Throne!'