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Captain Loken of my impressions of what I heard.’
    ‘Be silent, worm,’ snapped Abaddon. ‘I should kill you where you stand for the dishonour you do to Erebus.’
    ‘Ignace was just doing what I asked him to do,’ Loken pointed out.
    ‘You put him up to this, Garviel?’ asked Abaddon. ‘I’m disappointed in you.’
    ‘There’s something not right about this, Ezekyle,’ said Loken. ‘Erebus isn’t telling us everything.’
    Abaddon shook his head. ‘You would take this fool’s word over that of a brother Astartes? Your dalliance with petty wordsmiths has turned your head around, Loken. The commander shall hear of this.’
    ‘I sincerely hope so,’ said Loken, his anger growing at Abaddon’s easy dismissal of his concerns. ‘I will be standing next to you when you tell him.’
    The first captain turned on his heel and made to leave the yurt.
    ‘First Captain Abaddon,’ said Karkasy. ‘Might I ask you a question?’
    ‘No, you may not,’ snarled Abaddon, but Karkasy asked anyway.
    ‘What was the silver coin you gave Erebus when you met him?’

FOUR
    Secrets and hidden things
    Chaos
    Spreading the word
    Audience
    A BADDON FROZE AT Karkasy’s words.
    Loken recognised the signs and quickly moved to stand between the first captain and the remembrancer.
    ‘Ignace, get out of here,’ he shouted, as Abaddon turned and lunged for Karkasy.
    Abaddon roared in anger and Loken grabbed his arms, holding him at bay as Karkasy squealed in terror and bolted from the yurt. Abaddon pushed Loken back, the first captain’s massive strength easily greater than his; Loken tumbled away, but he had achieved his objective in redirecting Abaddon’s wrath.
    ‘You would raise arms against a brother, Loken?’ bellowed Abaddon.
    ‘I just saved you from making a big mistake, Ezekyle,’ replied Loken as he climbed to his feet. He could see that Abaddon’s blood was up and knew that he must tread warily. Aximand had told him of Abaddon’s berserk rages during the desperate extraction of the commander from the Extranus, and his temper was becoming more and more unpredictable.
    ‘A mistake? What are you talking about?’
    ‘Killing Ignace,’ said Loken. ‘Think what would have happened if you’d killed him. The Warmaster would have had your head for that. Imagine the repercussions if an Astartes murdered a remembrancer in cold blood.’
    Abaddon furiously paced the interior of the yurt like a caged animal, but Loken could see that his words had penetrated the red mist of his friend’s anger.
    ‘Damn it, Loken… Damn it,’ hissed Abaddon.
    ‘What was Ignace talking about, Ezekyle? Was it a lodge medal that passed between you and Erebus?’
    Abaddon looked directly at Loken and said, ‘I can’t say.’
    ‘Then it was.’
    ‘I. Can’t. Say.’
    ‘Damn you, Ezekyle. Secrets and hidden things, my brother, I can’t abide them. This is exactly why I can’t return to the warrior lodge. Aximand and Torgaddon have both asked me to, but I won’t, not now. Tell me: is Erebus part of the lodge now? Was he always part of it or did you bring him in on the journey here?’
    ‘You heard Serghar’s words at the meeting. You know I can’t speak of what happens within the circles of the lodge.’
    Loken stepped in close to Abaddon, chest plate to chest plate, and said, ‘You’ll tell me now, Ezekyle. I smell something rank here and I swear if you lie to me I’ll know.’
    ‘You think to bully me, little one?’ laughed Abaddon, but Loken saw the lie in his bluster.
    ‘Yes, Ezekyle, I do. Now tell me.’
    Abaddon’s eyes flickered to the entrance of the yurt.
    ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you, but what I say goes no further.’
    Loken nodded and Abaddon said, ‘We did not bring Erebus into the lodge.’
    ‘No?’ asked Loken, his disbelief plain.
    ‘No,’ repeated Abaddon. ‘It was Erebus who brought us in.’
    E REBUS , BROTHER A STARTES , First Chaplain of the Word Bearers…
    Trusted counsellor of