Eversham had departed, to fetch other arrivals, he claimed, and Uriel and Pasanius had been left in the company of Leto Barbaden and Verena Kain.

Kain had wordlessly taken up position with the soldiers at the walls and Barbaden regarded them coolly for several moments before rising from his chair and depositing his glass on the table next to it.

'I am Leto Barbaden, Imperial Commander of Salinas,' he said. 'Now who are you?'

'I am Captain Uriel Ventris and this is Sergeant Pasanius Lysane,' said Uriel.

'The man does not speak for himself?' asked Barbaden. 'Has he lost the power of speech?'

'I can speak well enough,' said Pasanius.

'Then do so,' suggested Barbaden. 'Never let others speak for you, sergeant.'

Uriel was surprised, and not a little angered, at the governor's tone, for, like Kain, the governor displayed none of the awe or reverence that usually accompanied the presence of warriors of the Adeptus Astartes. In fact, his bearing and body language suggested downright hostility.

'You said you are a captain, Uriel Ventris,' continued Barbaden, perching on the edge of the table, 'a captain of which Chapter?'

'We are proud warriors of the Ultramarines,' said Uriel, 'the Fourth Company: the Defenders of Ultramar.'

'Please furnish me with a concise answer when I ask a question, captain. I do so detest loquaciousness,' said Barbaden.

Anger touched Uriel, but he felt Pasanius willing him to remain calm, and he fought down his rising temper. 'As you wish, governor.'

'Excellent,' smiled Barbaden. 'Salinas is a simple world and I should like to keep it like that. I keep things simple because, as systems become complex, they have more chance of going wrong. You understand?'

Believing Barbaden's question was rhetorical, Uriel said nothing.

'Also, when I ask a question, captain, I expect an answer. I do not waste my breath asking questions to which I already know the answer.'

'Yes,' hissed Uriel, 'I understand.'

'Good,' continued Barbaden, apparently oblivious to Uriel's growing anger. 'Salinas is a world not without its problems, true, but none are of sufficient magnitude to trouble me unduly. However, when two warriors of the Astartes suddenly appear on my planet without so much as a breath of notice, it strikes me as a complexity that could dangerously destabilise the workings of my world.'

'I assure you, Governor Barbaden, that is the last thing we wish to do,' said Uriel. 'All we want to do is return to Macragge.'

Barbaden nodded. 'I see, and this would be your home world?'

'Yes.'

'As I mentioned earlier, Captain Ventris, I dislike complexities. They add random variables to life that I detest. In all things, predictable outcomes are those upon which we rely to facilitate our passage through life. Known facts and predictable elements are the bedrock upon which all things are built and if we upset that, well, chaos ensues.'

'Of course, governor—' began Uriel.

'I have not finished speaking,' snapped Barbaden. 'It strikes me that your presence here is just such a random variable and that it would be better if I were simply to be rid of you.'

Barbaden snapped his fingers and the soldiers around the edges of the room suddenly lifted their rifles to their shoulders and aimed them at Uriel and Pasanius.

Uriel couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. Was this man simply going to gun them down? He quickly calculated the number and type of weapons pointed at him and the odds of their survival. Even the legendary physique of a Space Marine would not survive a well-aimed volley from these soldiers.

'You arrive on my world, unannounced and without permission,' hissed Barbaden. 'You trespass upon forbidden ground and you expect me to treat you as honoured guests? What manner of fool do you take me for?'

'Governor Barbaden,' said Uriel, 'I swear on the honour of my Chapter that we are servants of the Emperor. If you will allow me, I will explain how we came to be on your world.'

'Explanations are excuses,' said Barbaden. 'I'll have the truth from you. Now.'

Uriel saw anger in Barbaden's eyes, but saw that it travelled no further through his body.

The governor's anger was perfectly controlled, icy and supported by his internal logic, which made it all the more dangerous, as it was not fettered by other emotions.

With a gesture, Barbaden could destroy them without regret and Uriel found himself wondering at the irony of having survived everything the Eye of Terror could throw at them, only to be killed by a fellow servant of the Emperor.

'Of course,' said Uriel, his voice hardening at this boorish treatment. 'I will tell you the truth of our arrival, and perhaps then we can come to some arrangement whereby we can leave.'

'That remains to be seen,' said Barbaden, 'but I will consider it upon hearing your story.'

Uriel nodded, unwilling to offer anything approaching thanks to Barbaden. 'I warn you that this is a fantastical tale, governor. Some of it you may find hard to believe, but I swear on my honour that it is all true.'

Before Uriel could say more, there was a knock on the door and Barbaden said, 'Enter!'

The door opened and Eversham re-entered the room, leading three others behind him.

Two of the new arrivals were men, the other a woman. One man was tall and ruggedly handsome, his skin as dark as the heavy, black body armour he wore. Uriel decided he must be some sort of local law enforcement.

The second man was grossly fat, to the point of obesity: a corpulent mass of flesh clad head to foot in lavishly ornamented robes of scarlet and silver. Uriel took him for a senior member of the Ecclesiarchy, a cardinal perhaps. The man mopped his glistening brow with a sodden handkerchief and Uriel could smell the rankness of his gushing pores.

The third member of the new arrivals was a spare, tired-looking woman with pensive features and a nervous disposition. Uriel could smell her fear, even over the cardinal's odour.

None of the three could hide their surprise at the sight of them.

'Astartes,' breathed the obese man.

'Ah, Daron, Shavo,' said Barbaden, 'so glad you could join us. We have guests, and they claim to have a most fantastical tale.'

SEVEN

Introductions were made perfunctorily: Daron Nisato, chief enforcer of the city of Barbadus; Shavo Togandis, Cardinal of Barbadus and Pontifex Maximus of Salinas; and lastly, Mesira Bardhyl, former sanctioned psyker of the Achaman Falcatas and private citizen. Uriel could not miss the contempt for all three written across Verena Kain's face.

Leto Barbaden retrieved his snifter and sat back down. He occupied the room's only chair and everyone else was forced to stand as he reclined and crossed his legs.

Barbaden waved the snifter towards Uriel and said, 'You may begin your tale, captain.'

Uriel swallowed his anger and simply nodded.

He began with the Fourth Company's mission to Tarsis Ultra and the battles against the tyranids, a race of extra-galactic predators who sought to devour all life on the world. Uriel's voice soared with pride as he told of the many battles fought before the walls of Erebus City and the courage of the Imperial Guard regiments tasked with its defence.

As he described the desperate fighting to save Tarsis Ultra, Uriel could feel the vicarious pride that the soldiers of the Falcatas felt in the achievements of their brother Guardsmen.

The Great Devourer's hordes were defeated on Tarsis Ultra, but the cost had been high.

Many of Uriel's warriors had died, and the Masters of the Ultramarines had not looked favourably on his cavalier methods of command. No sooner had the survivors of the Fourth Company returned to Macragge than Uriel and Pasanius had been charged with breaking faith with the Codex Astartes, the mighty tome that guided the Ultramarines in all things and which had been penned by their Primarch in ages past.