‘Captain, I’ll remember it until the day I pass on into Sigmar’s light. They were still eating her when I got here, and they didn’t scatter at my footsteps like they ought. No, they…’ he swallowed with a click. ‘Some of ’em broke off chewing on Ulswell and started ­scuttling towards me.’

Helena stood for a moment, watching Ilvik’s face to make sure she was not somehow being mocked. There was nothing but horrified sincerity in his haunted expression.

‘Well, they’re gone now,’ she said. ‘But we need to know where they came from and what they were, in case there is some infestation we must be–’

Grange gave a sudden bark of revulsion, causing Helena to jump as he took an involuntary step back. She followed his gaze and her eyes widened as she saw something come squirming out of Ulswell’s hollow rib cage. It was a millipede of some sort, but worm-white and bloated looking, its slimy hide slick with Ulswell’s blood. The thing moved on legs that were splayed and spider-like and beat a busy tattoo against the watchman’s ribs as it scuttled out into the light.

The insect kept coming, impossibly long and large, eliciting cries of horror and a frantic stir of movement from the watchmen. A scribe vomited noisily. Meanwhile, the insect slipped from inside Ulswell’s carcass like some obscene, chitinous rope. Feathery antennae waved as it reared up and turned its thumb-sized head towards the gathered watchmen. For a moment, Helena felt again the revolting caress of insectile legs moving over her sweat-slick skin.

Then came a loud bang that made her jump. The top few inches of the monstrous creature vanished, splattering in a viscous spray across the factory wall, and its body fell back, thrashing and flailing atop the mangled corpse before laying still.

Helena looked down at the smoking pistol in her hand. She hadn’t even been conscious of drawing it. Gulping a breath, she holstered the weapon.

‘Nobody touches these remains,’ she ordered. ‘We won’t be removing them for apothecary’s augury. We will be burning them, right here, right now. You–’ she began, pointing at Ilvik, but before she could continue she heard running footsteps pelting down the alley. Rainwater slapped under booted feet and echoed from the enclosing walls.

Helena and her companions turned to see a watchman running towards them. Helena frowned as she recognised the woman from Fountains Square. The watchman, in turn, pulled up short, no doubt startled by the array of horrified expressions in front of her. After a beat she collected herself and saluted.

‘Captain, you’d better come back to the square quickly, there’s been an incident.’

‘What now?’ barked Helena.

‘The vagrant you were speaking to, captain, Posver…’ the watchman trailed off, her eyes widening as she took in Ulswell’s corpse and the revolting carcass atop it.