Part 2 (1/2)

The soldier raised his eyes to meet the Avenging Son's gaze. He had to tilt his head back a long way. *You saw something?'

*Yes, my lord, indeed so,' the man replied. *A great figure in black. Made of blackness, as it seemed. It stepped out of the shadows and was solid. It was wrapped in iron, my lord.'

*In iron?'

*In metal. It was armoured, even the face. Not a visor, a mask.'

*How big?' asked Euten.

*As big...' the soldier began. He paused. *As big as him, my lady.'

He gestured down the hallway. t.i.tus Prayto had just come into view, escorted by four Ultramarines battle-brothers.

As large as a s.p.a.ce Marine of the Legiones Astartes. A giant, then.

*Another sighting, my lord?' Prayto asked.

*Can you scan the area?' asked Guilliman.

*I have done so, but I will again,' Prayto replied. *There is no psychic trace here. The pa.s.sive monitors would have triggered long before I arrived.'

*But you hear the music, t.i.tus?'

*I do, my lord.'

Guilliman reached out his hand. Prayto, without hesitation, drew his boltgun and slapped it into his primarch's waiting palm. Guilliman checked its readiness quickly and turned towards the gallery door. The weapon was a little too small for his hand. It looked like a pistol.

*My lord,' Badorum began. *Should we not go in before you anda'

*As you were, commander,' said Prayto. He did not need to read his master's mind to be sure of the determination of his intent.

Guilliman entered the green twilight of the hydroponics gallery. Inside, it was warm and humid. The lights were on some night-cycle pattern. He could hear the gurgle of the water feeding the tanks, and the soft drip of the sluices. There was a pungent scent of gra.s.s and leaf mulch.

The phantom music was louder inside, and its echo more profound and inexplicable.

Prayto followed Guilliman. He had drawn his combat sword. Badorum followed him, his plasma gun braced at his shoulder in a sweeping aim.

*I don'ta' Badorum began.

The shadows parted in front of them and a figure loomed where no figure had been. It seemed to grow out of the darkness as if it had come on stage through some invisible curtain.

*In the name of Terra,' Guilliman breathed.

The figure was no apparition. It was real and solid. More particularly, he recognised it: the iron mask, the unmaintained Mark III plate, the insignia of the IV Legion Astartes. Guilliman knew too well the shuffling, crippled gait that spoke of chronic and unhealing illness. It was worse than when last he had observed it.

*Warsmith Dantioch,' he said.

*My honoured lord,' Barabas Dantioch of the Iron Warriors replied.

*How can you be here, Dantioch? No s.h.i.+ps have arrived in weeks! How can you be here without us knowing of your arrival?'

Guilliman paused suddenly. Dantioch's greeting had been accompanied by a distinct echo.

*When last I heard,' said Guilliman, *you were half a segmentum away, in the Eastern Fringes, on Sotha.'

*Yes, my Lord Guilliman,' replied Dantioch, *and I still am.'

2.

Pharos

*And the decree was, ”let light be”

And so it was, and it was good.'

a Proscribed *Creation Myth', proto-Catheric

teachings [pre-Unification]

Dantioch, warsmith of the Iron Warriors, stood in the cold chamber high on the summit of Mount Pharos, and held Guilliman's gaze.

It was extraordinary. There was no lag or delay. The image and sound of Ultramar's lord was an entirely realised presence. It was as though they were sharing the room, except that no echo accompanied Guilliman's voice, and no fume of breath came from his lips, suggesting that the room he actually occupied was smaller and warmer.

*Forgive me, my lord,' said Dantioch. He reached out an ironclad hand and pressed his fingertips against Guilliman's sternum. There was a slight resistance as Dantioch's fingers slipped into Guilliman's form, causing a slight, spreading ripple of light to s.h.i.+mmer his image for a moment.

Dantioch withdrew his hand.

*I'm sorry,' he said. *You seemed so real.'

*You are on Sotha?' Guilliman asked. *We are communicating at this distance?'

Dantioch nodded.

*I am in a chamber known as Primary Location Alpha, near the top of the Pharos structure. We test-started the system three weeks ago, local, and the system has been running for two weeks. Since then I have been attempting to establish communication.'

Guilliman shook his head, marvelling.