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The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第75部分

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additional。''
I wandered behind the trailer。 It was parked at the edge of the fairground; near to a copse of fintle and yew that screened the meadow
from pastures beyond the ditch。 It was damp and shaded here; small animals rustling in the thickets。 I tried to look in at one small
window; but it was shuttered。 I touched the side of the trailer and felt Barbarisater twitch against my hip。 There was a door near the far
end of the trailer。 I tried it; but it was locked。
'What's your business?' growled a voice。
Three burly fairground wranglers had approached along the copse…side of the booths。 They had been smoking lho…sticks behind their
trailer on a break。
'Not yours;' I assured them。
'You had best be leaving Master Bakunin's trailer alone;' one said。 All three were built like wrestlers; their bared arms stained with
crude tattoos。 I had no time for this。
'Go away now;' I said; pitching my will through my voice。 They all blinked; not quite sure what had happened to their minds; and then
simply walked away as if I wasn't there。
I returned my attention to the door; and quickly forced the lock with my multi…key To my surprise; the thin wooden door still refused
to open。 I wondered if it was bolted from inside; but as I put more weight into it; it did shift a little; enough to prove there there was
nothing physical holding it。 Then it banged back shut as if drawn by immense suction。
My pulse began to race。 I could feel the sour tang of warpcraft in the air and Barbarisater was now vibrating in its scabbard。 It was
time to dispense with subtleties。
I paced around to the front of the booth; but there was no longer any sign of Bequin or the old man。 Stooping; I went in under the
entrance flap。 An inner drop curtain of black cloth stopped exterior light from entering the tent。
I pushed that aside。
'I will be with you shortly; sir;' Bakunin called; 'if you would give me a moment。'
'I'm not a customer;' I said。 I looked around。 The tent all; and lit by the greenish glow of gas mantles that ran; I supposed;
off the trailer supply。 Alizebeth was sat at the far side on a ladderback chair with a dropcloth of cream felt behind her。 Bakunin was
facing her; carefully adjusting his hololithic camera; a brass and teak machine mounted on a wooden tripod。 He looked round at me
curiously; his hands still polishing a brass…rimmed lens。 Alizebeth rose out of her seat。
'Gregor?' she asked。
'The good lady is just sitting for a portrait; sir。 It's all very civilised。' Bakunin peered at me; unsure what to make of me。 He smiled and
offered his hand。 'I am Bakunin; artist and hololithographer。'
'I am Eisenhorn; Imperial inquisitor。'
'Oh;' he said and took a step backwards。 'I… I…'
'You're wondering why a servant of the Ordos has just walked into your booth;' I finished for him。 Bakunin's mind was like an open
book。 There was; I saw at once; no guile there; except for the natural money…making trickery of a fairground rogue。 Whatever else he
was; Bakunin was no heretic。
'You took a portrait of Lord Froigre at the fete held on his lands just the other day?' I said; thinking of the picture on the harpsichord
back at the hall。
'I did;' he said。 'His lordship was pleased。 I made no charge for the work; sir。 It was a gift to thank his lordship for his hospitality。 I
thought perhaps some of his worthy friends might see the work and want the like for themselves; I…'
He doesn't know; I thought。 He has no clue what this is about。 He's trying to work out how he might have drawn this investigation to
himself。
'Lord Froigre is dead;' I told him。
He went pale。 'No; that's… that's…'

'Master Bakunin… do you know if any other of your previous subjects have died? Died soon after your work was complete?'
'I don't; I'm sure。 Sir; what are you implying?'
'I have a list of names;' I said; unclipping my data…slate。 'Do you keep records of your work?'
'I keep them all; all the exposed plates; in case that copies or replacements are needed。 I have full catalogues of all pictures。'
I showed him the slate。 'Do you recognise any of these names?'
His hands were shaking。 He said; 'I'll have to check them against my catalogue;' but I knew for a fact he'd recognised some of them at
once。
'Let's do that together;' I said。 Alizebeth followed us as we went through the back of the tent into the trailer。 It was a dark; confined
space; and Bakunin kept apologising。 Every scrap of surface; even the untidy flat of his little cot bed; was piled with spares and partly
disassembled cameras。 There was a musty; chemical stink; mixed with the scent of Penshel seeds。 Bakunin's pipe lay in a small bowl。
He reached into a crate under the cot and pulled out several dog…eared record books。
'Let me see now;' he began。
There was a door at the end of the little room。 'What's through there?'
'My dark room; along with the file racks for the exposed plates。'
'It has a door to the outside?'
'Yes;' he said。
'Locked?'
'No…'
'You have an assistant then; someone you ordered to hold the door shut?'
'I have no assistant…' he said; puzzled。
'Open this door;' I told him。 He put down the books and went to the communicating door。 Just from his body language; I could tell he
had been expecting it to open easily。
'I don't understand;' he said。 'It's never jammed before。'
'Stand back;' I said; and drew Barbarisater。 The exposed blade filled the little trailer with ozone and Bakunin yelped。
I put the blade through the door with one good swing and ripped it open。 There was a loud bang of atmospheric decompression; and
fetid air swept over us。 A dark; smoky haze drifted out。
'Emperor of Mankind; what is that?'
'Warpcraft;' I said。 'You say you mix your own oxides and solutions?'
'Yes。'
'Where do you get your supplies from?'
'Everywhere; here and there; sometimes from apothecaries; or market traders or…'
Anywhere。 Bakunin had experimented with all manner of compounds over the years to create the best; most effective plates for his
camera。 He'd never been fussy about where the active ingredients came from。 Some…ming in his workshop; something in his rack of
flasks and bottles; was tainted。
I took a step towards the dark room。 In the half…light; things were flickering; half…formed and pale。 The baleful energies lurking in
Bakunin's workshop could sense I was a threat; and were trying to protect themselves by sealing the doors tight to keep me out。
I crossed the threshold into the dark room。 Alizebem's cry of warning was lost in the shrieking of tormented air that suddenly swirled
around me。 Glass bottles and flasks of mineral tincture vibrated wildly in metal racks above Bakunin's work bench。 Jars of liquid
chemicals and unguent oils shattered and sprayed their contents into the air。 The little gas…jet burner flared and ignited; its rubber tube
thrashing like a snake。 Glass plates; each a square the size of a data…slate; and each sleeved in a folder of tan card; were jiggling and
working themselves out of the wooden racks on the far side of the blacked out room。 There were thousands of them; each one the
master exposure of one of Bakunin's hololiths。 The first yanked clear of the shelf as if tugged by a sucking force; and I expected it to
shatter on the floor; but it floated in the air。 Quickly others followed suit。 Light from sources I couldn't locate played in the air; casting
specks and flashes of colour all around。 The air itself became dark brown; like tobacco。
I raised my sword。 A negative plate came flying at my head and I struck at it。 Shards of glass flew in all directions。 Another came at
me and I smashed that too。 More flew from the shelves like a spray of playing cards; whipping through the air towards me。 I made a
series of quick uwe sar and ulsar parries; bursting the glass squares as they struck in。 I missed one; and it sliced my cheek with its edge
before hitting the wall behind me like a throwing knife。
'Get him out of here!' I yelled to Alizebeth。 The trailer was shaking。 Outside there was a crash of thunder and rain started to hammer
on the low roof。 The hurtling plates were driving me back; and Barbarisater had become a blur in my hands as it struck out to intercept
them all。
Then the ghosts came。 Serious men in formal
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