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comm-link."
    "He claimed that
     the
     world
     had
     been
     cut
     off
     by
     warp
     storms
     and
     Orkish
     raids.
     He
     apologised
     for
     the
     non-payment
     of tribute
     and
     offered
     immediate
     reparations.
     He
     suggested
     that
     Inquisitor
     Van
     Dam,
     who
     was
     in
     charge
     of
     the
     punitive expedition, descend
     and
     accept
     his obeisance.
    "We
     were
     naturally suspicious,
     but
     Van
     Dam
     suggested
     that
     any
     chance
     to
     take a
     world
     back
     into
     the Imperial
     fold without
     the
     expense
     of
     military
     action should
     at
     least
     be
     investigated.
     He requested
     that
     the
     Dark
     Angels
     provide
     an honour
     guard.
     We set
     our location
     and
     teleported
     down into the
     Governor's reception
     hall.
    "Thranx
     was
     a
     world encased
     in
     steel.
     Its
     natives
     never
     saw
     the
     sky.
     The
     Governor's
     hall
     was
     so
     vast. though,
     that clouds
     formed under
     its ceiling and
     rain fell on the
     trees
     that surrounded
     the
     Ruler's Pavilion.
    'It was a sight
     to stir the
     blood.
     Long
     ranks
     of
     guardsmen
     flanked
     the
     curving
     metal
     road
     that
     led
     to
     the
     pavilion.
     The pavilion
     itself
     floated
     on
     suspensors
     above
     an
     artificial
     lake.
     The
     governor
     sat
     an
     a throne
     carved
     from a single industrially
     cultured
     pearl. flanked by two
     beautiful
     blind
     maidens
     who
     were
     his
     court
     telepaths.
     He
     bade
     us
     welcome and
     showed
     us
     the
     tribute.
    "It
     was brought
     from
     vaults
     by
     specially
     bred
     slaves,
     grey-skinned
     eunuchs
     with
     muscles
     like
     an
     Ogryn's.
     Even
     so, they
     could
     barely
     carry
     the
     chests.
     They
     paraded past
     us
     in
     a seemingly endless procession,
     carrying
     industrial diamonds,
     gold-inlaid bolters, suits
     of armoured ceramite and
     jade.
    "All
     the
     time
     the
     governor,
     Huac,
     kept
     up
     an endless,
     amiable
     chatter.
     We
     watched,
     dazzled
     and
     beguiled
     by
     his smooth
     voice and
     affable manner. As
     the
     long
     day
     wore
     on,
     we
     began
     to
     accept
     that
     there
     was
     no
     need
     to
     fight,
     that we should
     simply take the
     tribute
     and
     go home.
    "Our minds were pleasantly
     befuddled,
     and
     we were prepared
     to agree to
     anything
     our
     gracious
     host
     suggested
     when the
     great
     cryogenic
     coffins were brought
     forth. Huac claimed they
     carried his greatest
     treasures.
     It is a
     measure
     of
     how under
     his sway
     we were that
     we almost took than.
     without
     thinking.
    "It
     was
     Two
     Heads
     Talking
     who
     said
     no.
     He
     stood
     there,
     for
     a
     moment,
     like
     a
     man
     bemused,
     and
     then
     he
     began
     to chant.
     It was as
     if cobwebs
     had
     been
     lifted from our eyes
     and
     we saw the
     snare
     that
     had
     been
     so subtly
     set
     for us.
    "The
     spell
     of
     the Magus,
     for such was
     Huac,
     was
     lifted,
     and
     we
     saw
     to
     our
     horror
     that
     we
     had
     almost
     taken
     two Genestealer coffins back to
     our
     fleet.
     All
     that
     afternoon,
     as
     our
     minds
     had
     been
     lulled
     by
     the
     long,
     slow
     march,
     Huac had
     been
     inserting
     subtle,
     mystical tendrils
     into our minds.
    "Still
    , so
     near to being
     enthralled
     were we that
     we almost protested
     when Two Heads
     Talking riddled Huac and
     his
     two apprentices
     with bolter fire. Only the
     Living Dreadnought
     Hawk Talon joined in the
     firing.
     We
     reacted
     slowly
     when
     he warned us
     to defend
     ourselves.
     Huac's
     guardsmen
     almost had
     us.

     
    "But we were Marines.
     No sooner
     had
     they opened