'Back off!'
Glaw waved his men back and retreated. Mandragore backed out slowly, a growling hiss rising from his throat.
'Grab the crate!' I told Fischig. He slung his stubber over his shoulder and did as he was told.
We edged out into the smoky daylight. Fischig and I were side by side, and I held the grenade over the crate he was carrying. Bequin cowered behind us.
In the yard, Glaw was ordering his men back. There were forty or more troops; guards, naval troopers, supervisors. I saw Dazzo, Malahite and the rogue captain Estram among them. Mandragore did not back off as far as the others. He stayed to the right of us, his shimmering cloak drifting in the breeze, his armour gleaming. The growl continued to purr in his throat.
'Midas/ I said into my link, 'set down, hatch open.'
'Understood,' he replied. 'Be advised there are three navy interceptors inbound. Arrival in three.'
The gun-cutter swung in over the yard, casting a wide shadow, its thrusters lifting clouds of ash. As it came in to rest on its bulky hydraulic landing skids, the cargo ramp under the cockpit whined and lowered.
Slowly, we moved around until the cutter and the ramp were behind us. The assembled enemy watched us intently, weapons raised.
'A stand-off, inquisitor/ said Glaw.
'Get your men to lower their weapons. Even the ones I can't see. Don't even consider dropping me. Midas… train the wing cannons on myself and the chastener. If anything happens to us, open fire.'
'Confirm/
The powerful cannons in the wing mounts traversed to target us.
'Shoot us and the crate is vaporised/
'Weapons down!' Glaw yelled, and the troops obeyed.
'Now call off those interceptors. Order them right back to their carrier/
'I-'
'Now!'
Glaw looked round at Estrum, who started to speak into a vox link.
The interceptors have aborted their run/ Midas told me. 'They're turning back/
Very good/1 told Glaw.
What now?' he asked.
What now indeed? We had the upper hand for a moment: they didn't dare shoot or rush us, and Bequin was blocking Dazzo and any other psyker they had.
'An answer or two/1 suggested.
'Eisenhom!' Fischig hissed.
'An answer?' laughed Glaw. Some of his men laughed too, and Mandragore rumbled a snigger. I noticed Dazzo and Malahite were both unamused.
'This material is archaeoxenon, from an old saruthi site/ I said, lifting one of the ancient, unsymmetrical tablets from the crate in Fischig's grasp with my free hand. 'It clearly has value to you, because it must have value to the saruthi. You're recovering it for them in return for what?'
'I'm not about to tell you anything/ Glaw said. 'I'm not even going to confirm your suppositions/
I shrugged. 'It was worth trying/
'My question remains/ said Glaw. 'What now?'
4Ve leave/ I told him. 'Unmolested/
'So leave/ he said, with a mild, dismissive hand gesture. 'Put down the crate and leave/
This crate is the only thing that's stopping you from obliterating us. It comes with us, as insurance/
'No!' Dazzo cried, pushing forward. 'Unacceptable! We would lose it forever!' He looked at Glaw. This man is our blood foe. We could never recover the artefacts. Even if we agreed to safe passage, he would not honour a deal and leave them for our recovery/
'Of course not/ I said. 'Just as you would not honour any deal struck with me. It is a sad but true fact that no commitment or agreement of honour can be made between us. Which is why this crate comes with me. We have no other surety/
4Ve're not here to offer you surety, flesh-blister/ Mandragore said sonorously. 'Only death. Or if you're unlucky, pain and death/
'You should keep him out of the negotiations,' I told Glaw with a sideways nod at Mandragore. 'We are leaving with the crate, because you will destroy us otherwise.'
'No/ said Glaw. He stepped forward, pulling a lasgun from his coat. You are tripping on your own smooth logic, inquisitor. If we are to lose those artefacts for ever, I'd rather it was here, with your deaths as consolation. If you try to leave with the crate, we will fire anyway and damn the consequences. Set them down and I will give you ten heartbeats to leave.'
