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FINALDUTY
DavidGuymer
Calebdreamed,andhisdreamsweredark.Thenightwaslitbyexplosions,bytheglareofbothsides’flares.Shells
screamedfromthesky.Artillerybelchedsmokeandnoise.Muckandshrapnelpatteredacrossthewire-tornhellofno-man’s-land.Calebtriedtomove,buthisarmsandlegsweresnaredinrazorwire.Grimemaskedthecolourofhisfatiguesand,thoughhestrainedtomakeouttheinsigniaonhisshoulder,itblurredevenashestaredatit.Athumpingheadannouncedaconcussionandhegroaned,callingouttothementhatranby.Theywereunhurried,kittedoutinghostlygreyfatigues,andfloatedfromcorpsetocorpselikeharvestersofthedeadmen’ssouls.Itwouldbearichharvestindeedwhenthetrenchlinebuckled.Perhapsitalreadyhad.Thiswasadream,andCalebknewthathedreamed.Thefigurespaidhimnomindandforthathewasgrateful.Therewas
somethingfearfulaboutthesemen,thewaytheywalkedthroughthehailofgritwithsuchdetachment.Thelargestamongstthemsawhimstir,thenpausedinhisministrationsandcameforhim.Inpearl-whitearmour,hestrodethroughthefogofthedream.Calebtriedtoslitherfreeofthewiretangle,butcouldn’tmovehislegs.Hishandsranthroughthemuckinsearchofhislasgun,butitwasn’tthere.Ofcourse,hethought,heartpounding.Thiswasadream,andCaleb’sdreamswerealwaysdark.Toosoon,thecolossusofamanwasstandingoverhim,examiningCaleb’s
bodywithaghoulishinterest.Heleantin,fingersashardasboneunpeelingthegrimethatcakedCaleb’scollartoexhumehisdogtags.‘LieutenantCaleb,areyouwithme?’ThevoicehadacalmauthoritythatCalebyearnedtosurrenderto.Perhapsit
wasjustahangoverfromthedream,buthecouldnotliestill,notyet.‘Ican’tfeelmylegs,’Calebwhispered,throatdryandspeechpainful.‘Nevermindthem,’thevoicesoothed.
Calebblinked,eyesmisty.Hewaslyingdown,anditsoundedlikeitwasraining.Theairwasdrythough,thesignaturewarmthofelectricalheaters,andhecouldhearvoicesallaround.Theodourofpowerfulcountersepticsoverpoweredeventhestenchofhisfatigues.‘Mymen,’saidCaleb,recoveringameasureofurgencyalongwiththe
fragmentsofhismemory.He’dbeenleadingacompanyacrossno-man’s-land,alastdesperatepushfortheenemytrenchacrossaminefieldthathadn’tbeenonthebriefingcharts.‘HolyTerra,mylegs.’‘Nevermindthem,’thevoicerepeated.‘Drinksomething.’Aplastekcupappearedathislips,aforcehecouldnotresisttiltingbackhis
headuntilhewashelplessbuttodrink.Itsmelledlikerecyc,butittastedlikespringwater.Hedrankalittlemorebeforethecupwaspulledawayandstrong,hardhandsshapedhimintoasittingposition.Calebswallowedasurgeofgiddinessandblinkedtoclearthefogthatlingeredaroundhiseyes.Hewasonabedinwhatlookedlikeanemergencyshelter.Lumenstrips
dangledandswayedfromthecorrugatedroofing.Theprefabrockretewallswerepastedwithhygieneedictsandlinedwithlockedcabinetsthatrattledwithdistantexplosions.Orderliesinblue-greyscrubswalkedbetweenthetrolley-beds.Uponthemlaymenintheuniversalfatiguesofbloodandgrime.Theymoaned,criedout,wept,andwhisperedtothefigmentsofanartheciumsleep.Calebrecognizednoneofthem,buttheirswerethecriesofthedyingfromhisdream.Andthepatterofmuckandshrapneloverno-man’s-land,thesoundthathehadjustmistakenforrain,hardenedintothedownpourofsmallarmsroundsuponanironroof.Everythirtysecondsorso,somethingmoresubstantivedetonatednearby,causingeverythinginthesheltertoshake,thewheelsofCaleb’strolley-bedskittingfromsidetoside.Thegiantgrippedthesiderailofhisbed,holdingiteffortlesslysteady.Forthe
firsttime,Calebgotaproperlook.Atonce,hisheartswelledasiftochokehimandhetriedtorise,butcouldn’t.Itwasn’tjusthislegsfailinghimthistime.Itwashisarms,hisneck,evenhischestfeltfeeble.Hecouldn’tbreathe.Heshouldbestandingtoattention,orprostrateupontheground,notlyinguponhisbedtobetendedbyoneofthegodlyAdeptusAstartes.‘Peace,lieutenant,’saidtheSpaceMarine,hispalehelmprojectingasoothing
timbre.‘IndeathistheEmperor’sloveequallyshared.’‘Doyou…Doyoumean…AmI…?’‘Youareinpain,brother.Please,drinksomemore.’TheSpaceMarineinserted
thecupbetweenCaleb’slips.Helplessasaninfantinagod-warrior’sarms,
Calebcompliedanddrank.WhenhehadacceptedwhattheSpaceMarinedeemedsufficient,thewarrioragainstoodback.Acrossawideninggulfofconfusion,Calebtriedtopindownanything
familiarfromtheSpaceMarine’swargear.Hispowerarmourwasassmoothasivoryandbedeckedwithpuritysealsanddevotionalscrolls.TheshoulderpadboreaheraldrythatCalebdidnotrecognise.Itwasaredcross,butwitheacharmsplitdownthemiddle,morelikefourarrowheadstargetingthecentre.‘WhereamI?’Calebmanaged.‘TherewereSpaceMarinesbattlinginmy
sector,buttheywerepulledout.I’venotseenyourChapterbefore.Idon’t–’Heclutchedhistempleasastabbingpainshotthroughit.Hefeltsick.Almostimmediatelyafterwards,hisarmwentslackandhisheadfloppedbacktothehardpillow.Histhoughtsweremuddy.‘I…Idon’trecall.’‘IamRaphel,oftheHospitallers.ItismyswornhonourtotendtheEmperor’s
fallen.’Calebtriedtomumblesomething,butcouldn’t.Hislipswerenumbanditwas
spreading.Deepinhismindtherewasafearthatdemandedtobeheardbutitfoundnooutletinhim.Thesoundsfromoutsidehadintensified.Itsoundedlikehand-to-handfighting,butCalebwasawareofitinthedimwayofadrowsychildfrombeneathhisbedclothes.Calmly,theorderliesmovedbetweenthewounded.Onebyone,theypowered
downlifesupportgeneratorsandwithdrewIVlines.AlowhumthatCalebhadn’tevenregisteredfadedbackuntilallthatwasleftwasthemutedrumbleofwar.Themurmursofthedyingfellquiet.Therewerenomoretears.‘DefendtheEmperor’spilgrimstothelast,’intonedtheHospitallerasthe
orderliessetasidethetrappingsofthemedicaeforthetoolsofwar.Onemanwashandingoutlasgunsandanotherpowerpacks.Themenslammedthecellsintotheirweapons,dialledthechargetomaximumandflickedfromfull-autotosingle-shotastheyfannedoutthroughtheshelter.Eachmantookabed.Caleb’sshoutforcedadribbleofairbetweenhisslacklips.Theorderliestook
aimatthewoundedmenandfired,aburninghead-shotbetweentheeyes.Calebgaveamoan,experiencingaperverselyanaestheticdreadastheHospitallerdriftedfromhisbedside,drewaboltpistol,anddepositedaplastekcupuponthetraytablebyhisheadrest.Theremainingliquidhadcharredtheclearsidesasmokygrey.‘DreamtheEmperor’sdream,brother.NomanoftheImperiumneedfallby
theheretic’shand.NotwherethereisaHospitallertohonourhisfinalduty.’
ABOUTTHEAUTHORDAVIDGUYMERisnostrangertotheworldsofWarhammer,with
excitingstoriesinGotrekandFelix:TheAnthologyandHammerandBolter,andmuchmoreontheway.Heisafreelancewriterand
occasionalscientistbasedintheEastRiding.Whennotwriting,Davidcanbefoundexorcisinghisdisappointmentatthegamingtableand
preparingfortheascensionofthechildrenoftheHornedRat.
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