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The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第58章

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subsector's trader markets had crashed。 Trade was bad。 What a year。 Saint Drache was martyred on Korynth。 Billions starved in the
Beznos famine。'
'I have access to history texts; Pontius;' I said dryly
'I was on Quenthus VIII; buying fighters for my pit…games。 They're a good breed; the Quenthi; long in the hams and quite belligerent。 I
was; perhaps; twenty…five。 I forget exactly。 I was in my prime; beautiful。'
There was a long silence while he considered this reflection。 Light…sparks pulsed along his wires。
'One of the pit…marshals at the amphitheatre I was visiting advised me to see a fighter who had been bought in from the very edges of
the Ultima Segmentum。 A great; tanned fellow from a feral world called Borea。 His name was Aaa; which meant; in his tongue;
〃sword…cuts…meat…for…women…prizes〃。 Isn't that lovely? If I had ever sired a son; a human one; I mean; I would have called him Aaa。
Aaa Glaw。 Quite a ring to it; eh?'
'I'm still on the verge of leaving; Glaw。'
The voice from the casket chuckled。 'This Aaa was a piece of work。 His teeth were filed into points and his fingertips had been bound
and treated with traditional unguents since his birth so that they had grown into claws。 Claws; Eisenhorn! Fused; calcified hooks of
keratin and callouses。 I once saw him rip through chainmail with them。 Anyway; he was a true find。 They kept him shackled
permanently。 The pit…marshal told me that he'd torn a fellow prisoner's arm off during transit; and scalped a careless stadium guard。
With his teeth。'
'Charming。'
'I bought him; of course。 I think he liked me。 He had no real language; naturally; and his table manners! He slept in his own soil and
rutted like a canine。'
'No wonder he liked you。'
The frost crackled around the casket。 'Cruel boy。 I am a cultured man。 Ha。 I was a cultured man。 Now I am an erudite and dangerous
box。 But don't forget my learning and upbringing; Eisenhorn。 You'd be amazed how easy it is for a well…raised and schooled son of the
Imperium to slide across that line I mentioned。'
'Go on。 I'm sure you had a point to make。'
'Aaa served me well。 I won several fortunes on his pit…fights。 I won't pretend we ever became friends… one doesn't become friends
with a favourite carnodon now; does one? And one certainly never makes friends with a commodity。 But we built an understanding
over the years。 I would visit him in his cell; unguarded; and he never touched me。 He would halt out old myths of his home world;
Borea。 Vicious tales of barbary and murder。 But I'm getting ahead of myself。 The moment; the moment was there on Quenthus; in the

amphitheatre; under the spring sun。 The pit…marshal showed me Aaa; and tempted me to purchase him。 Aaa looked at me; and I think
he saw a kindred soul… which is probably why we bonded once he was mine。 In his simple; broken speech; he implored me to buy
him; telling me graphically what sport I would have of him。 And to seal the deal; he offered me his tore。'
'His tore?'
'That's right。 The slaves were allowed to keep certain familiar items provided they weren't potential weapons。 Aaa wore a golden tore
around his neck; the mark of his tribe。 It was the most valuable thing he possessed。 Actually; it was the only thing he possessed。 But
no matter… he offered it to me in return for me becoming his master。 I took it; and; as I said; I bought him。'
'And that was the line?' I sat back; unimpressed。
'Wait; wait… later; later that same day; I examined the tore。 It was inlaid with astonishing technology。 Borea might have been a beastworld
by then; but millennia back; it had clearly been an advanced outpost of mankind。 It had fallen into a feral dark age because
Chaos had touched it; and that tore was a relic of the decline。 Its forbidden; forgotten technology focussed the stuff of the Darkness
into the wearer's mind。 No wonder Borea; where every adult male wore one; was a savage waste。 I was intrigued。 I put the tore on。'
'You put it on?'
'I was young and reckless; what can I say? I put it on。 Within a few hours; the tendrils of the warp had suffused my receptive mind。
And do you know what?'
'What?'
'It was wonderful! Liberating! I was alive to the real universe at last! I had crossed the line; and it was bliss。 Suddenly I saw
everything as it actually was; not as the Ministorum and the rot…hearted Emperor wanted to see it。 Engulfing eternity! The fragility of
the human race! The glories of the warp! The fleeting treasure of flesh! The incomparable sweetness of death! All of it!'
'And you ceased to be Pontius Glaw; the seventh son of a respectable Imperial House; and became Pontius Glaw; the sadistic idolator
and abomination?'
'A boy's got to have a hobby。'
'Thank you for sharing this with me; Pontius。 It has been revealing。'
'I'm just getting started。
'Goodbye。'
'Eisenhorn! Eisenhorn; wait! Please! I—'
The cell hatches clanged shut after me。
I WAITED TWO days before I returned to see him。 He was sullen and moody this time。
I entered the cell and set down the tray I was carrying。
'Don't expect me to talk to you;' he said。
'Why?'
'I opened my soul to you the other day and you… walked out。'
'I'm back now。'
'Yes; you are。 Closer to that line yet?'
'You tell me。' I leaned over and poured myself a large glass of amasec from the decanter on the tray。 I rocked the glass a few times and
then took a deep sip。
'Amasec。'
'Yes。'
'Vintage?'
'Fifty year old Gathalamor vintage; aged in burwood barrels。'
'Is it… good?'
'No。'
'No?'
'It is perfect。'
The casket sighed。
'You were saying。 About that line?' I asked。
'I… I was saying I was most annoyed with you;' Pontius returned; stubbornly。
'Oh。' I casually slid a lho…stick from the paste…board tub I had backhanded from Tasaera Ungish's stateroom。 I lit it and took a deep
drag; exhaling the smoke towards the infernal casket。 Nayl had injected me with powerful anti…intoxicants and counter…opiate drugs
just half an hour earlier; but I sat back and openly seemed to relish the smoke。
'Is that a lho…stick?'
'Yes; Pontius。'
'Hmmm…'
'You were saying?'
'Is it good?'
'You were saying?'
'I… I've told you of my slip。 My crossing of the line。 What else do you want of me?'
'The rest。 You think I've crossed the line too; don't you?'
'Yes。 It's in your bearing。 You seem like a man who has understood the wider significance of the warp。'

'Why is that?'
'I told you it happens to all inquisitors sooner or later。 I can imagine you as a young man; stiff and puritanical; in the scholam。 It must
have seemed so simple to you back then。 The light and the dark。'
'Not so obvious these days。'
'Of course not。 Because the warp is in everything。 It is there even in the most ordered things you do。 Life would be brittle and
flavourless without it。'
'Like your life is now?' I suggested; and took another sip。
'Damn you!'
'According to you; I'm already damned。'
'Everyone is damned。 Mankind is damned。 The whole human species。 Chaos and death are the only real truths of reality。 To believe
otherwise is ignorance。 And the Inquisition… so proud and dutiful and full of its own importance; so certain that it is fighting against
Chaos… is the most ignorant thing of all。 Your daily work brings you closer and closer to the warp; increases your understanding of
orderless powers。 Gradually; without noticing it; even the most puritanical and rod…stiff inquisitor becomes seduced。'
'I don't agree。'
Pontius's mood seemed to have brightened now we were engaged in debate again。 'The first step is the knoust
understand the basic traits of Chaos in order to fight it。 In a few years; he knows more about the warp than most untutored cultists。
Then the second step: the moment he breaks the rales and allows some aspect of Chaos to survive or remain so that he can study it and
learn from it。 I wouldn't even bother trying to deny that one; Eisenhorn。 'I'm right here; aren't I?'
'You are。 But understanding is essential。 Even a puritan will tell you that! Without it; the Inquisition's struggle is hopeless。'
'Don't get me started on that;' he chuckled。 Then paused。 'Describe the taste of that amasec in your mouth。 The quality; the scent。'
'Why?'
'It is three hundred years since I have tasted anything。 Smelt anything
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