Nemesis

quiet and secrecy. Our clan has been allied to groups like the Theoge on dozens of

worlds, for centuries.” He looked away. “But I never truly… That is, I did not…”

165

Spear watched and waited, saying nothing. As he expected, Eurotas was

compelled to fill the silence.

“Horus is destroying everything. Every thread of power and influence we have,

broken one at a time. And now he strikes not only at our holdings, but at the network

my forefathers built to carry the word of the Lectitio Divinitatus! A network of

clandestine authority the Eurotas have used to control the Taebian Sector for

hundreds of years.” Spear shook Hyssos’ head. The human’s arrogance was

towering; he actually believed that a being as great as the Warmaster would lower

himself to such parlour games as disrupting the ambitions of a single petty, venal

rogue trader. The reality was, the slow collapse of the Eurotas clan’s fortunes was

just a side effect of Horus’ advance across the Ultima Segmentum.

Still; it would serve Spear’s interests to allow the man to think he was the focus

of some interstellar conspiracy, when in fact he and all his blighted clan were little

more than a means to an end.

“Ever since the conclusion of the Great Crusade, it has become harder and harder

to hold on to things.” Eurotas sighed. “Our fortunes are on the wane, my friend. I

have tried to hide it, but it grows worse every day. I thought perhaps, when we return

to Terra, I could petition the Sigillite for an audience, and then—”

“Where is the Warrant of Trade?” Spear was growing tired of the Void Baron,

and he struck out with the question.

Eurotas reacted as if he had been slapped. “It… In the reliquary, of course.” The

lie was a poor one at best.

“I am your senior security operative, sir,” Spear retorted. “Please credit me with

some intelligence. Where is the real Warrant?”

“How did you know?” He shot to his feet, knocking the water glass to the floor

where it shattered. A service mechanical skittered in across the carpet to clean up the

breakage, but Eurotas paid it no heed. “Only three people…” He paused, composing

himself. “When… did you find out?”

Spear studied him. “That is of no consequence.” After the abortive infiltration of

the reliquary, the killer had been careful to ensure that no trace of his entry remained.

“What matters is that you tell me where the real Warrant is now. If you are correct

about these agents in the employ of the Warmaster, then we must be certain it is

secure.”

“They were looking for it…” whispered Eurotas, shocked by the thought.

When the baron looked up at him with cold fear in his eyes, Spear knew that he

had the man in his grasp. “My sworn duty is to serve the Eurotas clan and their

endeavours. That includes your… network. But I cannot do that if the Warrant

becomes lost.”

“That must never happen.” The Void Baron swallowed hard. “It is… not with the

fleet. You have to understand, I had little choice. There were certain arrears that

could not be paid, favours that were required in order to keep the clan operating—”

“Where?” Spear cracked Hyssos’ gruff voice like a whip.

Eurotas looked away, abashed. “The Warrant of Trade was touched by the hand

of the God-Emperor of Mankind, and so in the eyes of those who embrace the word

of the Lectitio Divinitatus, it is a holy object. In exchange for the nullification of a

number of very large debts, I agreed to allow an assemblage of nobles involved with

166

the Theoge to take possession of the Warrant for… for an extended period of

pilgrimage.”

“What nobles?” Spear demanded. “Where?”

“They have not answered my communications. I fear they may be dead or in

hiding. When Horus’ forces find them, they will be wiped out, and the Warrant will

be destroyed…” His lip trembled. “If it has not already been.” Eurotas looked up.

“The Warrant is on the planet Dagonet.”

Finally. The answer. For a long moment, Spear considered breaking out of

Hyssos’ restrictive body and reverting back to his kill-form, just to show Eurotas

what sort of fool he was the instant before he ripped him to shreds; but instead he let

the rage ebb and gave a sullen nod. “I will need a ship, then. The fastest cutter

available.”

“You cannot go to Dagonet!” Eurotas insisted. “The government there has

already declared for the Warmaster! There is word that the Sons of Horus are on their

way to the planet at this very moment… It’s suicide! I won’t allow it.”

Spear twisted his proxy flesh into a sorrowful smile, and gave a shallow bow. “I

swear to you I will recover the Warrant, my lord. As of this moment, my life has no

other purpose.”

At length, the nobleman nodded. “Very well. And may the Emperor protect you.”

“We can but hope,” he replied.

167

THIRTEEN

Faith or Duty

Bonded

The Warrant