“You returned yesterday.”
“I did. From Guvnar-6.”
“And the heretics are suppressed?”
“They are. Lord Kaieles will have briefed you as well, I take it.”
“Will he….?” said the Emperor, and trailed off. I sensed a mistake. A rogue temple,
worshipping an ancient heathen deity, defying the Concordance, had grown up on the sixth
planet of the Guvnar system. Stygius had commanded me to slay the chief prophet of this false
god. I had slashed his heart out in the midst of his false worship, and the Order of the Green
Skull had burned the place down soon after. As Religious Vicar, it should have been Lord
Kaieles’ responsibility to attend to this, and to make report to the Emperor. But that did not mean
he had. No doubt Kaieles resented my involvement. The Vicars often do.
“Is this a matter meriting my attention, Majesty?”
“Not for the moment. Treasons are always rife, always just ready to strike.”
“Of course, Majesty.”
“There is a matter I do wish you to attend to. A very serious matter. Much more serious
than you can know…” I felt his voice around me in the dark, wrapping me like a blanket of
vibration. “What is this matter?” I said.
“I do not wish to speak of it. It is beneath me. Lord Gebron will brief you. But know that
you have my complete faith, Cuthnos. You may do whatever you must. You are the bearer of my
will. Is that clear?”
My heart rose. To be sure, the Emperor’s Justice has always been the plenipotentiary of
Stygius’ authority, able to act with impunity even from the Vicars. But to have the Emperor