‘What’s he going to do?’ asked Meryn. ‘You know we’re all fethed.’
‘I don’t like your tone, young man,’ said Zweil, releasing Fazekiel from his embrace. He looked at Merity with a sad smile, and squeezed her hand.
‘Your father will be proud,’ he said. ‘You’ve kept your reserve. Must run in the blood, eh?’
‘I think my courage is about gone,’ Merity said.
‘Courage is transient,’ said Zweil. ‘Like flowers and pain and also soft cheeses. The things that matter are the things that last. Faith. Belief. And hope is surprisingly durable.’
‘I don’t believe in anything,’ muttered Meryn.
‘That would explain a lot about you,’ said Zweil. ‘I myself have belief to spare. I believe we’re getting out. I believe we’ll live.’
‘You mad old bastard,’ said Meryn.
‘Father Zweil may be mad–’ Domor began.
‘It’s been said,’ Zweil agreed with a chuckle. He had stooped down to comfort the eagle, cooing at it and stroking its feathers.
‘But I trust him,’ said Domor. ‘He’s got me this far.’
‘I’d hate to think what sort of shit you were in before, then,’ said Meryn.
‘Are you going to stay here, or are you going to follow us?’ Domor asked.
‘Where to?’ asked Meryn.
The bird shook out its wings, squawked, and took off again.
‘That way,’ said Zweil, pointing to it as it flew off.
‘You’re following the fething bird?’ asked Meryn.
‘We’re going to the light,’ said Zweil. ‘Come on.’ He took Merity by the hand.
Meryn just shook his head in despair.
‘He’s not wrong,’ said Domor. They all looked at him, even Zweil.
‘I’m not?’ he asked.
Domor adjusted his optics.
‘I’m reading light down there. Right where the bird flew. Outside light. Throne, it can smell fresh air.’
‘Are you joking?’ asked Fazekiel.
‘No,’ said Domor. He set off, striding urgently down the hallway. They followed him.
‘See?’ he called back. ‘Do you see this?’
There was light ahead. A pale shaft of light slanting down.
‘It’s the steps!’ Domor yelled. ‘It’s the fething steps.’
They caught up with him. There was no sign of the eagle, but ahead was a broad flight of stone steps. It was, without doubt, the entry steps that connected the undercroft with the upper levels. Thin light shone down from above.
Domor grinned at them, then gave Zweil a hug.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘The Emperor was watching us after all.’
‘A little faith, Shoggy,’ said Zweil, leading Fazekiel up the steps after Domor. ‘I told you, boy. A little faith, I said.’
Merity glanced at Meryn.
‘I hope he wasn’t watching you,’ she said.
‘Movement, sir!’ the Urdeshi trooper called out. ‘More survivors coming up!’
Grae pushed his way to the front of the Urdeshi detachment covering the undercroft door. Domor appeared, leading the others the last of the way.
They looked around, blinking in the light, staring at the armed and armoured soldiers surrounding them. Power was still out in the entire palace, but Grae had set up portable light rigs with battery cells to bathe the doorway area.
‘How many of you?’ asked Grae.
‘Five, sir,’ Domor replied.
‘Tanith?’ Grae asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Trooper Zent?’ Grae said to a subordinate. ‘Get their names then escort them to the medicae area.’
He looked back at Domor’s bedraggled party.
‘Did you see anybody else down there. Anything?’
‘It’s a warp incursion, sir,’ said Fazekiel. ‘Something’s loose.’
‘We are aware of that, commissar,’ replied Grae. ‘Are you Fazekiel? It was your amber alert that got us mobilised in the first place.’
‘What’s happening up here, sir?’ asked Domor.
‘Power’s down,’ said Grae. ‘We think it’s a result of the incursion. Come on, let’s move you clear and get you seen to.’
‘How many others got out?’ asked Merity.
Grae looked at her.
‘Are you Merity Chass?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘That’s a blessing at least,’ said Grae. ‘How did you find your way out?’
‘We stuck together,’ said Meryn. ‘Just saw it through and looked for an exit.’
Merity glared at him. She was too tired to qualify his reply.
‘Good job, captain,’ said Grae. ‘I’m sure the Lord Executor will commend you for seeing his daughter safe.’
‘I asked how many got out,’ Merity said.
‘About thirty so far,’ said Grae. ‘Mainly retinue, badly traumatised. I hear it’s grim down there.’
‘Grim as hell, sir,’ said Meryn.
‘Where is my father?’ asked Merity.
Grae glanced at the doorway.
‘He’s gone in to eradicate the threat,’ he replied. ‘The Beati is with him.’
‘That’s a mistake,’ said Merity. ‘It’s… you have no idea. It’s a horrifying destructive force. You should be closing the area off and purging it. Or sending in a battalion strength of heavy troops.’
‘Our resources are limited,’ said Grae. ‘The palace is defenceless. All systems are down and the Archenemy is striking at the city. As soon as you’re checked out, you’ll be joining the evacuation.’
‘I’d prefer to stay, sir,’ said Merity.
‘Not a choice you get to make,’ said Grae. ‘Even the warmaster is being moved clear.’
They were led up two floors, through palace hallways lit only by emergency lanterns. In the night outside, heavy rain beat against the windows. It was strange not to be able to hear the constant fizzle of the palace void shields.
A prayer chapel had been converted into a medical post. By lamplight, medicae staff were checking all survivors brought in. Most of the survivors were sitting in the chapel pews, silent and huddled, staring and exhausted. Merity saw women from the retinue and a few children. Their clothes were dark with dried bloodstains. Nearby, Beltayn and Trooper Perday stood with Bonin, Yerolemew and Luhan, waiting for news. Domor and Zweil went over to them immediately. Merity saw Domor and Beltayn talking with animated urgency. Bonin, Luhan and the sergeant major moved with the dull, blank stupor of the profoundly combat-shocked.
Urdeshi corpsmen led Merity and Fazekiel aside for examination. Meryn just sat down on a pew, refusing attention.
The corpsman with Merity went to take her carbine away. She shook her head.
‘I want to keep it,’ she said.
She sat patiently on a metal stool while a palace medicae checked her eyes with a light and took her pulse. An eerie calm settled her, the empty void that followed protracted stress. Her hearing became muffled and everything seemed like a dream: the hollow faces of the silent survivors, the low murmur of voices, the clink of medical equipment in chrome trays, the flutter of candles, the wink of light on the gold leaf adorning the old frescoes on the chapel ceiling.
‘Thank you,’ she said quietly.
Fazekiel was sitting on a stool beside her while an orderly took her resting pulse.
‘What?’ she said.
‘You got me out of there,’ said Merity.
‘Not really,’ said Fazekiel. ‘Father Zweil was right. You kept it together.’
‘I just… I didn’t want to die,’ said Merity.
She glanced at Fazekiel. The commissar was letting the orderly remove her coat.
‘You kept it together better than me,’ Fazakiel said. ‘That thing, that noise… it’s haunted me since Low Keen. I can’t explain. Domor and I, Blenner too. We all heard it there and I think it made us–’
‘What?’
‘Vulnerable. More susceptible to fear. I don’t know. I know I’ve never been that scared before. I know I shouldn’t have been that scared. That lost. I–’