‘And we don’t know what it is?’ said Daur.
‘And we don’t know what it is,’ said Gaunt. ‘But like an enemy under cover of darkness, we don’t need to know where he is. We just need to prepare.’
‘This is the thinking of high command?’ asked Laksheema.
‘This is my thinking,’ said Gaunt. ‘That’s enough.’
Laksheema was about to speak when there was a knock at the door.
‘Ignore it,’ said Gaunt.
The knock came again. Both Daur and Hark were in the process of rising, but Gaunt shoved back his chair and strode to the doorway.
Sancto and the other bodymen stood in the hallway outside. Nearby stood Beltayn and Merity and the members of Laksheema’s entourage, waiting where they had been told to wait, along with the tactician Biota and several Officio Tacticae officials Gaunt didn’t know. Behind them stood two officers from the command echelon, their braid denoting them as members of Van Voytz’s staff.
‘My lord–’ Sancto began.
‘Not now,’ snapped Gaunt, and slammed the door in his face.
He walked back to his seat slowly.
‘What are the eagle stones?’ he asked.
‘We don’t know,’ said Laksheema. ‘They are currently subject to detailed analysis.’
‘Where are the eagle stones?’ asked Gaunt, sitting down and straightening his chair.
‘Secure,’ said Laksheema.
‘Where?’
‘That’s classified.’
‘But they are of strategic significance?’
‘My lord,’ said Laksheema, ‘they could be lumps of broken brick, but if the enemy considers them significant, we must too. Even if they are sacred objects of no intrinsic value or power, they may still provoke the Archenemy into action and response, to our disadvantage.’
She paused.
‘We believe, however,’ she said, ‘that they are malign.’
‘Malign?’
‘My inquiry into their nature and purpose revealed a connection to your Major Kolea, which is why I had him detained for interview. Major Kolea has revealed, reluctantly, that he knows more about the stones and adjacent matters than he has admitted to you, or to anyone.’
Gaunt looked over at Kolea. Kolea was still staring at the floor. Gaunt saw the muscles of his jaw clench.
‘A malign influence,’ said Laksheema, ‘one that has been exerting its power over your man there, and by extension your entire regiment, since you first obtained the objects. By the reckoning of world-time, Lord Executor, that’s ten years. Some of the precarious events of your odyssey home may be connected to it. Your warp-translation accident… the curious sparing of your vessel by the Archenemy battlecruiser, which surely failed to annihilate a clearly identified enemy because it knew something valuable was aboard… even the replenishment drop to Aigor 991, a mission Major Kolea was personally involved with.’
‘So,’ said Gaunt, ‘you wish to arraign the Lord Executor for heretical contamination?’
‘My lord,’ said Laksheema, ‘you and your regiment have a worrying record of straying outside the safety of approved behaviour. I might cite your mission to Gereon in 774, and the suspicions that followed your return from that mission, that you had spent too long in the tainted environment of a Chaos-held world.’
‘Cite all you like,’ said Gaunt. ‘Those matters are closed. We have been determined as loyal and true. I was reinstated, and my regiment returned to me, despite the naysayers.’
‘Dirt and rumours cling to a man,’ she replied, ‘even one of your rank.’
‘Perhaps you should discuss this with Warmaster Macaroth,’ said Gaunt. ‘He appointed me to this station. He has faith in me.’
‘Your unorthodox reputation goes back a long way, lord,’ said Laksheema. Her haunting non-smile ignited. ‘Your unusual career path of colonel and commissar. Reports from 765 and thereabouts – I have Inquisitor Abfequarn’s files at my disposal – suspicions that, for a considerable period, you sheltered in your regiment, and close to you, a suspected psyker. An unregistered boy. Also, the business of a Major Soric–’
‘A boy? You mean Brin Milo,’ said Gaunt. ‘I haven’t seen him in years. He left my company on Herodor, and joined the personal retinue of the Beati. I think that’s a fairly glowing reference for his good standing. Or do you intend to interview the Saint when you’re done with the warmaster?’
‘I do not,’ said Laksheema.
Gaunt sat back. He watched her. She betrayed nothing.
He got up.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Stay here please, all of you. I want to talk with Major Kolea. In private.’
‘We… wait here?’ asked Laksheema.
‘I’m sure we can entertain ourselves, ma’am,’ said Hark.
Gaunt led Kolea out of the room. Biota and the other officials were still waiting expectantly outside the ward room. More had joined them, carrying data-slates and reports.
Gaunt could see questions and requests about to explode at him from all sides.
‘Not now,’ he growled.
‘My lord,’ said Sancto. The Scion stiffened as Gaunt turned to look at him.
‘Sancto?’
‘I appreciate this is not the time,’ Sancto said quietly, ‘but there are matters that demand your attention. Many matters. I hesitate to detain you, but–’
Gaunt raised a hand and Sancto shut up.
‘Quickly,’ Gaunt said to the rest of them.
Beltayn shrugged. ‘Oh, just stuff. It can wait, sir,’ he said.
‘You requested my presence, lord,’ said Biota. ‘To form a tactical cabinet and–’
‘I did,’ said Gaunt. ‘I wanted you specifically, Biota.’
‘I’m honoured, sir,’ said Biota. ‘It will be a pleasure to serve. May I introduce–’
He had started to turn to the Tacticae officials with him.
‘No,’ said Gaunt. ‘Not now. Just get to work. Choose effective people you can trust. Triage the data for me. Deal with the stuff that doesn’t need my personal attention. My adjutant Beltayn has been doing your job single-handedly for the last four days, so use him. He can bring you up to speed.’
‘My lord,’ said one of the officers from Van Voytz’s echelon. ‘The lord general wishes you to know that the Beati is inbound to the palace and will be arriving shortly. He thought–’
Gaunt’s hand came up again. He looked at Biota.
‘Things like that, Biota. I’m delegating. Get everything in order. I will, of course, greet the Beati as soon as she’s here.’
‘Of course, sir,’ replied Biota. ‘And, uhm, if there are matters that do require your personal attention…?’
Gaunt sighed, and looked at the faces around him. He pointed to a figure at the back of the group.
‘Along with Beltayn, add her to your cabinet,’ he said. ‘Merity Chass, of House Chass. Well-versed in administrative duties, and entirely familiar with the immediate business of my regiment.’
‘Her?’ said one of the officials, bewildered.
‘Sir,’ said Biota, looking pained, ‘this is entirely unconventional. The personal cabinet of a Lord Executor can’t be thrown together as a makeshift–’
‘We’re improvising today, Antonid,’ said Gaunt. ‘This is just expediency to keep things from leaving the rails. We can refine it all later. For now, get on with it.’
He looked at Merity.
‘Are you all right with this?’ he asked.
‘I will be delighted to have something practical to do, sir,’ she said.