Funny, isn't it? You know, human street gangs always seem to leave people with the impression that they're savage, crude, and ignorant. Honestly, even most members of the Devout Society give that impression, don't they? The Hammer Gang included, you'd have no trouble classifying them as a Lower Hive gang.
But for another group, the members of the Syndicate, those standards seemed to be completely different.
Unlike most Hive City gangs, who dressed in rags and were decked out in clumsy, shoddy implants and weapons, the Crime Syndicate's members were all impeccably dressed. Honestly, it was hard to believe that these "civilized people" in suits, with neat hair and handsome faces, were also members of a Hive City gang.
They didn't look like Lower Hive people at all. They wore fine clothes and carried all kinds of finely crafted weapons, some of them practically works of art. They looked like a little gang privately organized by a group of idle young nobles.
This manner of standing out among the many violent gangs of the hive had a great deal to do with their leader, Philus von Jankristol.
A mouthful? Exactly. It was a typical Imperial noble's name. Yes, you heard right: Philus was an Imperial noble. Though that didn't mean much, since he was a bastard. People always said he was the son of old Jankristol and one of his mistresses.
But no one knew the truth. Old Jankristol was dead, along with his legitimate son—oh, and his daughter, his wife, and so on. All right, to be precise, the entire family was dead.
No one knew how that accidental fire had started, and no one wanted to know. Even in the Upper Hive, a place where curiosity ran to absurd extremes, few people discussed or investigated how the Jankristol family had been wiped out. No one even mentioned the surname.
People usually called him "King of Revelry" Philus, for a simple reason: Philus owned more clubs and nightclubs than anyone else in the Upper Hive, and the best ones at that. People loved him for it, and Philus knew exactly how to deal with the Upper Hive's powerful and wealthy.
He was also extremely popular with women. Plenty of young ladies and socialites were fond of the handsome blond. I can say that for certain, because right now, in one of the club's private rooms, our dear Mr. Philus was surrounded by women.
Two beautiful women leaned against him, one on either side. They were both stunning—undeniably beautiful by ordinary standards, with a decidedly sultry air about them.
They rested against Philus's chest, laughing softly in pleasant voices or whispering to him. Philus had an arm around each of their shoulders, but his attention seemed to be nowhere near these two scantily clad women, who could make most men's hearts race.
Blond Philus was thinking about a problem—a problem that had suddenly come up. To be precise, it hadn't come up suddenly at all. It had been there for two months, but he hadn't expected that man to come looking for him tonight.
"Mr. Philus, Mr. Vito has arrived," someone said outside the door. Philus raised his eyes and nodded slightly. "Show him in."
The automatic door opened, and the reflective, iridescent glass slid aside. A man walked into the horseshoe-shaped private room, accompanied by a woman Philus knew well.
Philus nodded in greeting. "Hello, Miss Silver Snake. I didn't expect you to come visit with Mr. Vito."
Silver Snake smiled and took Vito's arm. "What can I say? Life is full of surprises, Mr. Philus."
"It certainly is, Miss Silver Snake. Especially you, Mr. Vito. I never thought we'd meet like this, here and now."
Philus raised a hand slightly. "As you can see, this isn't an ideal place for a formal meeting. If you'd given me advance notice, I'd have prepared somewhere more comfortable to receive you."
Vito smiled and shrugged. He looked around and nodded approvingly. "I think it's pretty good. Silver Snake and I like it, at least. Besides, it's a perfect place to discuss something informal."
Philus looked at Vito's bright smile, then nodded slightly and patted the two women on the shoulders. "Ladies, we'll talk later. For now, give this gentleman and me a little space."
The two sultry women said nothing. They stood and left the secluded room, their high heels clicking against the floor. Philus looked at Silver Snake, then at Vito. His meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Vito smiled and nodded slightly to Silver Snake. "Would you mind waiting outside, darling?"
"Of course. Have fun. I'll go find myself something to drink."
Philus smiled, perfectly courteous and polite. "Kri, please look after Miss Silver Snake."
"Yes, Mr. Philus," said the guard captain outside, gesturing for her to follow him.
Silver Snake let go of Vito's arm and waved as she turned to leave. The automatic door closed behind her, and the private room fell silent. All the noise and commotion was shut out.
Philus leaned back on the horseshoe-shaped sofa and gestured for Vito to sit. Vito settled naturally into the seat on his left, as comfortably as if he were in his own club.
"You didn't bring a weapon, Mr. Vito? I hear you're an excellent shot." Philus pointed at Vito's belt. Sure enough, there was nothing hanging from it, which was unusual for Vito.
Vito smiled and shrugged. "I'm on a date tonight. It's not very appropriate to bring a gun when you're out with a lady, don't you think, Mr. Philus?"
Philus smiled faintly and leaned back against the sofa. "Now, tell me, Mr. Vito. Is there something about your date here that I need to know?"
"A warning. A timely warning."
Vito smiled and rested an arm along the back of the sofa. Philus raised an eyebrow. "A warning? I can't think of anything I've had to worry about lately, Mr. Vito."
"That's right. There wasn't anything to worry about before tonight. But I have some news for you, Mr. Philus."
"The Crimson Essence factory was raided and destroyed."
Philus's expression twitched for an instant. Surprise gave way to composure almost immediately—within a few milliseconds. An ordinary person would hardly have noticed, but Vito wasn't one.
"I'm surprised. Even more surprised that you're telling me." Faced with Philus's question, Vito only smiled. "Because my dear colleagues think you were behind the attack."
"But I wasn't."
"I know you weren't. But how am I supposed to convince my fanatical colleagues?"
Vito spread his hands and leaned back on the sofa with a weary air. "You see, they're a bunch of stupid lunatics and stubborn fools. They think that with Mal Hammer eliminated, you're next, so you and Mal teamed up to make a last stand."
"Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?" Vito smiled, but Philus snorted and let out a long sigh as he leaned back against the sofa. "I know Mosley's missing. I also know he was either kidnapped or killed. Now it looks like he was kidnapped, and that somehow, through some means, the factory's location got out."
"And your colleagues think Mal handed the Missionary over to me, then I handed him over to the Adeptus Arbites—the only Upper Hive power capable of making that man talk, or at least forcing him to."
Vito snapped his fingers and smiled. He was impressed that Philus understood everything without needing an explanation. "You're a smart man, Mr. Philus. Very smart."
The Syndicate boss gave a cold laugh. His fingers tapped the back of the sofa with the steady rhythm of a pendulum. "It's not hard to understand. It's logical, even if it isn't true."
"Then what do you recommend, Mr. Vito Constantine? As one of the Devout Society's leading figures, what do you propose?"
Philus watched Vito from the corner of his eye. He saw the hunter's smile. Black-haired, black-eyed Vito crossed his legs and rested one hand on his knee, like a chess player who was about to win.
"Fight back, Mr. Philus. Fight back." Vito smiled. "I intend to give you and Mal a chance—a chance to settle everything once and for all."
Philus looked a little confused, then nodded slightly for Vito to continue. The latter smiled and waved a hand. "You see, soon the leaders of the Devout Society will meet with me. Then, at the right time and place, they'll welcome me into the family. It'll be a grand religious feast, and everyone will be there."
"The preacher, the leader, the faithful, and...the patriarch." Vito's mouth curled into a sneer. He looked like a hunter who had lined up a shot right between his prey's eyes, his finger on the trigger and the mechanism clicking under pressure.
Philus frowned. "You want us to attack them together? Kill all the Devout Society's leading figures? Mr. Vito, that doesn't fit your position at all. You're one of the Devout Society's leading figures, yet you want to use our strength to kill most of your colleagues."
"Of course, I understand what you're doing. Using someone else to eliminate your rivals is a sensible move. But I don't think you—or whatever allies you have—could smoothly take over the Devout Society after all its leaders were dead. It would spark a full-scale civil war, one even bloodier than the current war in the Lower Hive."
Philus raised a hand and ticked off the consequences. "I even suspect it would grow so large that the Adeptus Arbites would intervene directly. Then everything Mal and I had built would go up in smoke. The Lord Arbiter doesn't take bribes. He cares only about Imperial law and order. I'm sure you know that."
"Even if the Adeptus Arbites didn't intervene, we'd suffer heavy losses in the chaos of a civil war. Mal is no longer able to fight, and I don't have the strength to deal with the Devout Society's countless, fanatical followers. It would be a holy war."
"Yes, I know that."
"Then why do you want us to help you start this civil war? Risk everything we have?"
Vito smiled, wearing an expression that seemed completely out of place. "Because you'll deal with the problems down here for the Imperium. The Arbites, me, and others have different business to attend to. As long as you handle things properly amid the chaos, I don't think the Imperium will mind you keeping your little kingdom."
"Of course, I'll continue to help you and take care of any problems." Vito's smile made Philus frown at once. Suspicion and wariness filled his handsome face. He watched Vito in silence for a moment, then met his eyes and spoke.
"Who are you, really, Mr. Vito?"
"You see, Mr. Philus, you're a smart man. You've seen the wider world and understand the bigger picture, so there's no need for riddles between two clever men. Besides, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
Vito's smile vanished. In an instant, the authority of an Inquisitor rose around him. He lifted his chin slightly, like a lord surveying all he ruled—a lord sworn to the great Emperor.
"I, Vito Constantine, am an Inquisitor of the Inquisition, personally chosen by the Emperor Himself."
The word "Inquisitor" plunged the already quiet room into utter silence. Philus, who had remained calm and composed, changed expression completely. He stared at Vito in shock, hardly able to believe it.
"You don't need to believe me, Mr. Philus. The Golden Throne and the Emperor need neither your belief nor your trust. What you need to know is that I was sent to resolve the heresy and rebellion on Victoria, and the Devout Society is my target."
Vito's voice grew louder, as if the Emperor Himself were speaking—powerful and majestic. "They worship false gods, preach heresy, and spread blasphemy. They intend to sever Victoria from the light of the holy Astronomican and give it to the Imperium's great enemy in the void."
"So! I've come here in the Emperor's name to eradicate heretics and traitors. I don't need the Devout Society alive. I need them dead."
"And you and Mr. Mal—I should execute you both under Imperial law. Believe me, I can do it. I can purge every single noble on this planet. But now, Mr. Philus, in the name of His Holy Majesty, I'm giving you a chance. Help me, help the Inquisition, and you can keep all your wealth and power."
"Otherwise, a much greater force will arrive here before long. And when it does, you won't be given any more chances to earn forgiveness."
Vito finished speaking, but the crushing pressure still hung over the room. Philus stared at him in silence for a long time, thinking, doubting, struggling with his decision. He had seen plenty of fools who boasted and lied. He had been born, raised, and risen to power in the Hive City. He knew how to tell when someone was lying.
That skill had saved his life many times. Philus had made a habit of watching people's eyes. No matter when or where, he could tell from their eyes whether they were telling the truth. He was very good at it.
And now, this man was telling the truth.
After a long silence, the Syndicate's leader gave a slight nod.
"I'll help you, Inquisitor—sorry, I mean, Your Lordship. I'll serve the Golden Throne."
"A wise choice, sir."
Vito stood and held out a hand, a smile returning to his face. Philus stood too and clasped it. "We'll remember your contribution, Mr. Philus. And we'll make sure that you and Mr. Mal receive your fair share of compensation from the Devout Society's spoils."
"As the Emperor wills."
"As He wills."
Silver Snake sat on a high stool, swirling her glass as she examined its contents with interest. "So? Is it better than what you have?"
"No. Clearly, the idiots here think the only thing that matters in wine is that the more expensive it is, the better it must be."
Silver Snake handed her glass to Vito. Leaning against the bar, Vito took it and drained it without a word. He paused, looking thoughtful, then raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly. "You're right. They should hire you as a consultant."
Olivia rested her chin on her hand and smiled, gazing at Vito. "Well? Did you convince the handsome young man?"
Vito laughed too and set his glass down on the table as if sealing a deal. "We had a good talk. He's in. And now..."
The Inquisitor smiled and held out his arm. "Shall we go back and have something good to drink?"
Olivia smiled and took his arm, hopping down from the stool. They exchanged a look, then walked toward the club's entrance together.
"Thanks for your hospitality, Captain." As he left the club, Vito politely nodded to the guard captain. The latter nodded back. He hadn't disturbed them, and he had made sure no one else could.
The Syndicate's strong, towering guards stood to one side of the club entrance, keeping the crowd of people trying to get in at bay. The burly men formed a wall, making sure the curious young nobles couldn't peek at the pair of unusual guests that evening. Thanks to them, Vito and Miss Olivia were able to leave without trouble.
They walked along the deserted street. At the far end of the club's street, a car was parked—a black, iridescent limousine. Its body was smooth as a mirror, gathering and refracting countless beams of light like a sparkling crystal gliding through the night. Only its headlights revealed that it was a car.
A man stood beside it, by the raised folding door. When Vito saw him, he smiled. "Looks like you've had a pretty good night, Marshall."
"Looks that way, Vito. And you too, Miss Silver Snake. I hope your evening went well." Marshall wore a black leather jacket, and the Lasgun on his belt was clearly visible in the light inside the car. Evidently, he hadn't gone on a date tonight either.
"It went very well, Marshall. How about you, my dear friend?"
Vito walked over, and Marshall nodded slightly. "The Lord Arbiter wants to see you. Tonight."
"Ah, it's going to be a busy night. What about you, darling? Mind if I extend our date a little longer?" Vito looked at Silver Snake with a smile. She returned it sweetly and shrugged. "I don't mind."
Vito gave her a teasing smile, then turned to Marshall. He smiled and climbed into the car with Olivia. The folding door closed behind them, and Marshall glanced around the dark street before getting in as well.
He took the driver's seat and started the engine. Vito leaned forward slightly from the back seat, wearing a teasing grin as he looked out at the night beyond the window. "Sorry to keep you working late, enforcer."
Marshall smiled wryly and took the wheel. "You too, Inquisitor."
He stepped on the accelerator, and the black car sped away, vanishing into the hazy night of the Upper Hive.
Before you continue