The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第14章

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　and　Space　Marines　in　the
rained　cavalcade　opened　fire　into　the　air；　chasing　the　planes；　churning　the　sky　with　bright；　criss…crossed　lines。
A　Lightning　swept　by　almost　overhead；　cutting　to　the　left　of　the　Spatian　Gate。　Its　strafing　firepower　explosively　mangled　hundreds　of
people　perilously　close　to　me；　showering　me　and　the　white　stone　of　the　Gate's　side　face　with　cooked　blood。
Hundreds　of　batteries　in　the　procession　were　now　firing　into　the　sky；　the　Hydras　blitzing　the　air。　Even　tanks　were　firing　…　out　of　anger；
I　suppose；　for　they　hadn't　a　hope　in　hell　of　hitting　the　fast…moving　aircraft。
Yet　something　must　have　struck。　A　second　Lightning　tilted　as　it　passed　over　the　Gate；　tiny　explosions　shredding　its　left　wing　and　tail
section。　It　dove　straight　down　into　the　Avenue　itself。　It　hit　what　seemed　to　me　to　be　the　heart　of　the　Warmaster's　section　of　the

Triumph。　The　blast　wake　blew　out　across　the　wide　roadway；　killing　as　many　with　its　concussive　effects　as　with　the　impact　fireball
itself。
The　three　remaining　Lightnings　banked　again　down　over　the　far　end　of　the　Avenue　and　made　for　a　third　pass。　I　was　struck　by　the　way
they　didn't　turn　as　a　pack。　They　flew　individually；　as　if　divorced　from　the　world。　Were　their　pilots　possessed；　insane？　My　mind　span。
Two　of　them　banked　into　each　other　and　almost　hit。　One　didn't　veer；　and　carried　on　up　the　Avenue；　hungry　for　more　carnage。　The
other　was　forced　to　swing　wide；　corrected；　and　turned　over　the　wailing　crowd　mass　to　the　west　of　the　Avenue。
The　third　overshot　and　almost　disappeared。　I　saw　it　loop　faraway；　out　over　the　river　haze；　its　wings　glinting　in　the　sun。　Then　it　too
came　back　for　us。　Like　the　others；　straight　back　heedlessly　into　the　teeth　of　the　firestorms　that　the　tanks；　Hydras　and　infantry　were
throwing　up　at　them。
Several　hundreds　more　died　in　that　final　ran。　Loyal　citizens　whose　exciting　day　out　had　turned　to　horror；　proud　Guardsmen　back　from
the　war；　thinking　only　to　enjoy　this　special　hour　of　praise；　mysterious　Space　Marines；　who　were　there　only　because　they　had　been
invited　to　be　there；　as　an　expression　of　honour；　who　perhaps　greeted　this　death　as　just　an　alternative　to　their　expected　fate。　Imperial
nobles　and　dignitaries　died　in　their　hundreds。　Several　noble　households　never　recovered　from　the　losses　at　the　Triumph　of　Thracian。
The　last　three　Lightnings　fell　in　this　manner。
One；　crossing　the　Spatian　Gate　and　beyond；　was　blown　apart　in　an　air…burst　by　tracking　Hydras　on　the　chaotic　street。
A　second　flew　the　gauntlet　of　anti…air　salvos　without　adjusting　its　height　and　then；　struck　by　one　of　the　guns　almost　as　an　afterthought；
turned　upside　down　in　a　lazy　yaw。　Streaming　smoke；　it　tilted　down　towards　the　ground　but　exploded　against　the　Monument　of　the
Ecclesiarch。
The　third　came　in；　guns　chattering；　and　actually　flew　under　the　arch　of　the　Spatian　Gate。　By　then；　the　Titans　themselves　had　turned　to
engage；　and　my　guts　convulsed　with　the　subsonic　roar　of　their　weapons。　I　could　see　them；　three　kilometres　away；　weapon　mounts
pumping　and　flashing；　high　above　the　crowd。
Excekis　Gaude；　one　of　the　Warlord　Titans；　caught　it　dead　on；　and　killed　it　in　the　air；　but　not　cleanly　enough。　The　tumbling　Lightning；
ablaze　from　end　to　end；　hit　the　immense　Warlord　Titan　square　on　and　decapitated　the　colossus　as　it　exploded。
I　was　lost。　I　was　stupefied。　I　was　speechless。
I　felt　as　if　I　should　fall　to　my　knees　amid　the　tumult　and　beg　the　God…Emperor　of　Mankind　for　salvation。
But　my　part　in　this　was　only　just　beginning。
Pellucid　blue　flame；　like　a　searing　wall　of　acid；　suddenly　washed　through　the　churning　mob　behind　the　Gate。　Men；　women；　soldiers；
civilians；　were　caught　in　it　and　shuddered；　melting；　resolving　into　skeletons　that　turned　to　dust　and　blew　away。
I　felt　the　pain　in　my　sinuses；　the　throb　in　my　spine。　I　knew　what　it　was。
Psyker…evil。　Raw　Chaos；　loosed　on　this　world。
The　prisoners　were　loose。
The　warriors　did　not　matter。　A　vast　pitched　battle　was　already　raging　across　the　Avenue　behind　Spatian's　broken　Gate。　The　Thracian
Guard；　the　Aurora　Marines　and　the　arbites　were　striving　to　contain　the　outbreak　of　enemy　prisoners；　many　of　whom　had　taken　the
opportunity　to　break　free　and　grab　weapons。　A　ferocious；　point…blank　war　had　seized　the　great　approach。
But　what　concerned　me　were　the　psykers。　The　captured　heretics。　The　thirty…three。　They　had　broken　free。
I　drew　my　power　sword　and　my　boltgun；　plunging　into　the　milling　bodies；　crunching　over　the　calcified　bones　of　those　slaughtered　by
the　psychic　wave。
An　inhuman　thing；　a　Chaos　prisoner；　leapt　at　me；　and　I　struck　its　head　off　with　my　blade。　I　leapt　over　a　dead　Marine；　who　was　leaking
blood　onto　the　rockcrete　from　splits　in　his　imperator　armour；　and　pushed　through　the　howling　civilians。
Four　Thracian　Guardsmen　were　directly　ahead　of　me；　using　the　charred　corpse　of　a　fallen　aurochothere　for　cover　as　they　blasted　into
the　press。
I　was　a　few　steps　away　from　them　when　the　gigantic　dead　animal　reanimated；　a　psychic　puppet；　killing　them　all。
My　weapons　were　useless。　I　focussed　my　mind　and　blew　the　thing　apart　with　a　concussive　mental　wave。
An　Aurora　Marine　flew　through　the　air　over　me；　ten　metres　up；　his　legs　missing。
I　ran　on；　scything　my　blade　at　the　escaped　prisoners　who　menaced　me。
The　road　was　covered　with　the　dead。　Humans；　on　fire　from　head　to　foot；　stumbled　past　me　and　collapsed　on　their　faces。
The　Trojan　tractor　team　was　on　fire；　its　massive　trailer　slewed　around。　Three　of　the　enemy　pyskers　lay　dead　on　the　payload　space；　and
four　void　shields　remained　intact；　their　occupants　frantic　within。
But　the　others…
Upwards　of　twenty…five　alpha…level　enemy　psykers　had　escaped。
I　saw　the　first；　a　stumbling；　emaciated　wretch　of　a　man；　near　the　end　of　the　trailer。　Corposant　flickered　around　his　head　and　he　was
trying　to　eat　a　screaming　astropath　novitiate。
My　boltgun　stopped　his　daemonic　work。
I　dropped　to　my　knees；　gasping　and　crying　as　the　second　found　me。　She　was　a　stringy　female；　clad　in　a　gauzy　white　veil；　her
fingernails　like　talons。
She　cowered　behind　the　end　of　the　trailer；　sobbing　and　lashing　out　at　me　with　her　foul　power。　She　had　no　eyes。
I　am　not　alpha…class。　My　brain　was　broiling　and　bubbling。
A　Thracian　guardsman　ran　at　her　from　the　left；　and　instinctively；　she　turned　her　attention　to　him。　His　head　popped　like　a　blister。
I　shot　her　through　the　heart　and　knocked　her　flat　on　her　back。　Her　limbs　continued　to　thrash　for　over　a　minute。

Electrical　discharge　spat　out　at　me　from　nearby　in　the　crowd。　People；　screaming　and　burning；　tumbled　frantically　back　from　a　male
psyker　who　was　striding；　head　down；　towards　the　hives。　He　was　a　dwarf；　with　stunted　limbs　and　an　enlarged　cranium。　Ball　lightning
crackled　around　his　pudgy　fingers。
I　stabbed　at　him　with　my　mind；　just　to　get　his　attention　and　then　exploded　his　face　with　a　pin…point　bolt。
Emperor　save　me；　he　kept　coming。　I　had　blown　the　front　off　his　skull；　but　he　kept　coming。　Blind；　his　features　a　gory　mess。　He
stumbled　across　the　ground　towards　me；　his　still…active　mind　boring　into　mine。
I　fired　again；　almost　panicking　myself；　and　blew　off　one　of　his　arms。　Still　he　came　on。　My　jacket；　hair　and　eyelashes　caught　fire。　My
brain　was　about　to　explode　out　of　my　skull。
A　Space　Marine　in　the　colours　of　the　Aurora　Chapter　came　at　him　from　behind　and　shredded　him　into　pulp　with　his　boltgun。
'Inquisitor？'　the　Marine　asked　me；　his　voice　distorted　by　his　helmet　mic。　'Are　you　all　right？'
He　helped　me　up。
'What　insanity　is　this？'　he　rasped。
'You　have　a　vox…channel；　Marine？　Alert　Lord　Orsini！'
'Already　done；　inquisitor；'　he　crackled。
Behind　us；　the　tractors　exploded　en　masse；　flinging　fire　and　debris　high　into　the　air。
A　scalded　child　ran　past　us；　shrieking。
The　Marine　grabbed　the　child　in　his　massive　arms。
'This　way；　this　way；　out　of　danger…'
'No；'　I　said　slowly。　'Don't…　don't…'
His　visored　face　swung　up　at　me　in　confusion；　the　child　cradled　in　his　arms。
'Don't　what？'　he　asked。
'Look　at　the　brand！　The　mark　there！'　I　yelled；　pointing　to　the　Malleus　rune　burned　into　the　child's　ankle。　The　hammer　of　witches。　The
brand…mark　of　the　psyker。
The　Chaos　child　looked　up　at　me　and　grinned。
'What　mark？'　asked　the　Marine。　'What　mark　are　you　talking　about？'
'I…I…'
I　tried　to　fight　it；　please　know　that。　I　tried　to　repel　the　unholy　power　of　the　child's　mind　as　it　groped　into　my　head。　But　this　thing；　this
''child''；　was　far　beyond　my　powers　to　contain。
Kill　him；　it　said。
My　hand　was　shaking；　resisting；　as　I　swung　the　boltgun　around　and　shot　the　Marine　through　the　head。　A　searing　white　agony　flooded
my　horrified　being。
Now　kill　yourself；　it　suggested；　chortling。
I　put　the　smoking　muzzle　of　the　boltgun　against　my　own　temple；　my　vision　filled　with　the　giggling　face　of　the　child；　perched　on　the
knee　of　the　collapsed；　headless　Marine。
That's　it…　go　on…
My　finger　tightened　on　the　trigger。
'No…　n…no…'
Yes；　you　stupid　fool…　yes…
Blood　streamed　out　of　my　nose。　I　wanted　to　fall　to　my　knees；　but　the　monster　wouldn't　let　me。　It　wanted　me　to　do　one　thing；　and　one
thing　only。　It　implored　me；　ripping　my　consciousness　apart。
It　was　strident　and　it　was　undeniable。
I　pulled　the　trigger。

SEVEN
VOKE；　AND　SPECULATIONS。
ESARHADDON。
THROUGH　THE　VOID。