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security　consequences　they　brought。　Kircher　was　an　able　man；　ex…arbites；　and　dependable　if　a　little　unimaginative。　As　dessert　was
served；　the　discussion　broadened　across　the　table。
'They　say　the　Bestowment　will　be　the　making　of　the　Warmaster；'　Nayl　said；　his　loaded　spoon　poised　in　front　of　his　mouth。
'He's　made　already；　I'd　say；'　I　retorted。
'Nayl's　right；　Gregor。　I　heard　that　too；'　said　Ravenor。　'Feudal　Protector。　That's　as　good　as　Imperial　Lord　Commander　Helican　admitting
the　。'
'It's　a　sinecure。'
'Not　at　all。　It　makes　Honorius　the　favourite　to　become　warmaster…in…chief　in　the　Acrotara　theatre　now　that　Warmaster　Hiju　is　dead；　and
Hiju　was　being　groomed　for　a　place　on　the　Senatorum　Imperialis；　perhaps　even　to　sit　amongst　the　High　Lords　of　Terra。'
'Honorius　may　be　〃Magnus〃；　but　he's　not　High　Lord　material；'　I　ventured。
'After　this　he　might　be；'　said　Nayl。　'Lord　Commander　Helican　must　think　he　has　potential；　or　he　wouldn't　be　giving　him　such　an
almighty　hand　up。'
Politics　left　me　cold；　and　I　seldom　empathised　with　political　ambitions。　I　only　studied　the　subject　because　my　duties　often　demanded　a
detailed　working　knowledge。　Imperial　Lord　Commander　Helican；　which　is　to　say　Jeromya　Faurlitz　IV　of　the　noble　Imperial　family
Faurlitz；　was　the　supreme　secular　authority　in　the　Helican　subsector；　for　which　reason　he　styled　himself　with　the　subsector's　name　in
his　appellation。　On　paper；　even　the　cardinals　of　the　Ministorium；　the　Grandmaster　of　the　Inquisition；　the　senior　luminaries　of　the
Administratum　and　the　Lords　Militant　had　to　answer　to　him；　though　as　with　all　things　in　Imperial　society；　it　was　never　as　easy　as　that。
Church；　state　and　military；　woven　together　as　one；　yet　constantly　inimical。　In　favouring　Warmaster　Honorius　with　the　Bestowment；
Lord　Helican　was　throwing　his　lot　in　with　the　military　…　an　overt　signal　to　the　other　organs　of　government　…　and　clearly　expected　the
Warmaster　to　return　the　favour　when　he　rose　to　levels　of　government　beyond　those　of　a　single　subsector。　It　was　a　dangerous　game；　and
rare　for　so　senior　an　official　to　play　openly　for　such　an　advantage；　though　the　battle…glory　that　surrounded　Honorius　made　a　perfect
excuse。

And　that　made　it　a　dangerous　time。　Somebody　would　want　to　redress　that　balance。　My　money　would　be　on　the　Ecclesiarchy；　though
it's　fair　to　say　I'm　biased。　However；　history　has　shown　the　Church　to　be　chronically　intolerant　of　losing　power　to　the　military　or　the
state。　I　said　as　much。
'There　are　many　other　elements；'　Aemos　chuckled；　accepting　a　refill　of　dessert　wine。　'The　Faurlitz　line　is　weak　and　lacks　both　support
in　the　Adeptus　Terra　and　a　ready　ear　at　the　Senatorum　Imperialis　and　the　courts　of　the　Golden　Throne。　Two　powerful　families；　the　De
Vensii　and　the　Fulvatorae；　are　seeking　to　make　gains　against　the　Faurlitz；　and　would　take　this　as　an　open　show　of　defiance。　Then
there's　the　House　of　Eirswald；　who　see　their　own　famous　son；　Lord　Militant　Strefon；　as　the　only　viable　replacement　for　Hiju。　And　the
Augustyn　dynasty；　let's　not　forget；　who　were　ousted　from　power　when　High　Lord　of　Terra　Giann　Augustyn　died　in　office　forty　years
ago。　They've　been　trying　to　get　back　in　with　feverish　determination　these　last　few　years；　pushing　their　candidate；　Lord　Commander
Cosimo；　with　almost　unseemly　impudence。　If　Nayl's　right　and　the　Bestowment　makes　Honorius　a　certainty　as　Hiju's　successor；　he'd
become　a　direct　competitor　with　Cosimo　for　the　High　Lord's　vacant　position。'
Down　the　table；　Bequin　yawned　and　caught　my　eye。
'Cosimo's　never　going　to　make　it；'　Psullus　put　in　candidly。　'His　house　is　far　too　unpopular　with　the　Adeptus　Mechanicus；　and　without
their　consent；　however　tacit；　no　one　ever　makes　it　to　High　Lord　rank。　Besides；　the　Ministorum　would　block　it。　Giann　Augustyn　made
no　friends　there　with　his　reforms。　They　say　it　was　a　Callidus　of　the　Officio　Assassinorum；　under　orders　from　the　Ecclesiarcy；　that　took
old　Giann　off；　not　a　stroke　at　all。'
'Careful　what　you　say；　old　friend；　or　they'll　be　sending　one　after　you；'　Ravenor　said。　Psullus　held　up　his　bony　hands　in　a　dismissive
gesture　as　laughter　rippled　around　the　table。
'It　is；　still；　most　perturbatory；'　Aemos　said。　'This　Bestowment　could　lead　to　a　House　　all　the　obvious　opponents；
Lord　Helican　and　the　Warmaster　could　find　themselves　tasked　by　Imperial　families　who　are　thus　far　neutral。　There　are　many　who　are
quite　comfortable　with　their　situation；　and　who　would　strike　with　astonishing　ruthlessness　simply　to　avoid　being　drawn　into　an　open
bloody　clash。'
There　was　silence　for　a　moment。
'Psullus；'　said　Ravenor　quickly；　changing　the　subject　with　a　diplomat's　deftness；　'I　have　a　number　of　works　for　you　that　I　collected　on
Lethe；　including　a　palimpsest　of　the　Analecta　Phaenomena…'
Psullus　engaged　the　young　interrogator　eagerly。　Aemos；　von　Baigg　and　Nayl　continued　to　debate　the　Imperial　intrigue。　Bequin　and
Surskova　made　their　goodnights　and　withdrew。　I　took　my　crystal　balloon　of　amasec　to　the　glass　wall　and　looked　out　into　the　oceanic
depths。　Kircher　joined　me　after　a　moment。　He　smoothed　the　front　of　his　navy　blue　jacket　and　put　on　his　black　gloves　before　speaking。
'We　had　intruders　last　month；'　he　said　quietly。
I　looked　round　at　him。　'When？'
'Three　times；　in　fact；'　he　said；　'though　I　didn't　realise　that　until　the　third　occasion。　During　night　cycle　about　six　weeks　ago；　I　had　what
seemed　to　be　a　persistent　fault　on　the　alarms　covering　the　seawall　vents。　There　was　no　further　sign；　and　the　servitors　replaced　that
section　of　the　system。　Then　again；　a　week　later；　on　the　service　entrance　to　the　food　stores；　and　the　outer　doors　of　the　Distaff　annex；
both　on　the　same　night。　I　suspected　a　system　corruption；　and　planned　an　overhaul　of　the　entire　alarm　net。　The　following　week；　I　found
the　security　code　on　the　outer　locks　of　the　main　door　had　been　defaulted　to　zero。　Someone　had　been　in　and　left　again。　I　scoured　the
building　and　found　vox…thieves　buried　in　the　walls　of　six　rooms；　including　your　inner　chambers；　and　discreet　farcoders　wired　into
three　communication　junction　nodes；　spliced　to　vox　and　pict　lines。　Someone　had　also　tried；　and　failed；　to　force　their　way　into　your
void…vault；　but　they　didn't　know　the　shield　codes。'
'And　there　were　no　traces？'
'No　prints；　no　microspores；　no　follicles。　I　washed　the　air　itself　through　the　particle　scrubber。　The　in…house　pict　recorders　show
nothing…　except　a　beautifully　disguised　time…jump　of　thirty…four　seconds。　The　astropaths　sensed　nothing。　In　one　place；　the　intruder
must　have　walked　across　four　metres　of　under…floor　pressure　pads　without　setting　them　off。　In　retrospect；　I　realised　the　two　prior
incidents；　far　from　being　system　faults；　were　experimental　tests　to　probe；　gauge　and　estimate　our　security　net。　Trial　runs　before　the
actual　intrusion。　For　that；　they　used　a　code　scrambler　on　the　main　doors。　If　they'd　actually　been　able　to　crack　it；　they　could　have　reset
the　code　and　I'd　never　have　known　they'd　been　in。'
'You've　double…checked　everything？　No　more　bugs　to　be　found？'
He　shook　his　head。　'Lord；　I　can　only　apologise　for—'
I　held　tip　a　hand。　'No　need；　Kircher。　You've　done　your　job。　Show　me　what　they　left。'
KIRCHER　UNROLLED　A　red　felt　cloth　across　the　top　of　a　table　in　the　quiet　of　the　inner　library。　He　was　nervous；　and　beads　of　sweat　were
trickling　down　from　his　crest…like　shock　of　white　hair。
I　hadn't　wanted　to　alarm　anyone；　so　I　had　asked　only　Ravenor　and　Aemos　to　join　us。　The　room　smelled　of　teak　from　the　shelves；　must
from　the　books；　and　ozone　from　the　suspension　fields　sustaining　especially　frail　manuscripts。
The　felt　was　laid　out。　On　it　lay　nine　tiny　devices；　six　vox…thieves　and　three　farcoders；　each　one　set　in　a　pearl　of　solid　plastic。
'Once　I'd　stripped　them　out；　I　sealed　them　in　inert　gel　to　make　sure　they　were　dead。　None　were　booby　trapped。'
Gideon　Ravenor　stepped　in　and　picked　up　one　of　the　sealed　vox…thieves；　holding　it　up　to　the　light。
'Imperial；'　he　said。　'Unmarked；　but　Imperial。　Very　high　grade　and　advanced。'
'I　thought　so　too；'　said　Kircher。
'Military？　Secular？'　I　asked。
Ravenor　shrugged。　'We　could　source　them　to　likely　manufacturers；　but　they　likely　supply　all　arms　of　the　Imperium。'

Aemos's　augmetic　optics　clicked　and　turned　as　he