'We were more fortunate on this occasion. The Omnissiah was smiling upon our endeavours. Unlike on Fornax, we were not in the path of the dissipating warp energy-wave and so our systems were not knocked out by the blast. Our void shields remained at full strength and our surveyors remained one hundred per cent operational,' Strake explained. 'As a result, we were able to monitor what happened to the energy wave as it travelled out into space.'

'And what did happen? What did you discover?'

Strake had been studying the screen set into the lacquered mahogany top of his command pulpit when Gdolkin had entered the bridge. The Ajax's captain turned back to it now and was joined by the Iron-Father. The pict-display showed a projection of the edge of the roiling Eye of Terror, located to the galactic north-west. The detail was hard to pick out on such a small projection.

'What are you trying to show me, captain?' Gdolkin asked.

'Here, let me enlarge it for you.'

'Pulpit display to main screen,' Strake ordered. There was the electronic chirruping of a servitor and the clicking chant of a tech-adept, and then the image on the main view screen blipped out and was replaced a second later with the projection Strake had been studying.

Now that it was projected on a screen ten by five metres it was much clearer to Gdolkin and the other Iron Hands what they were being shown. Within the systems bordering the Eye the smudge of a crimson-clouded nebula could be seen. Such a thing was not uncommon around the warp-real space interface of the Ocularis Terribus.

'And this is...?'

'It is a spatial anomaly which according to the Imperial catalogue has been designated "Warpstorm Araken".'

‘As in Magos Thule's Araken artefact?'

'Precisely'

'So what does this have to do wim the events on Herod?' Gdolkin asked, his interest piqued.

Well, as you can see, this system lies a mere seven light years from the anomaly.’ Strake said, drawing up the name 'Herod' on the screen so that all present might clearly see what he already knew. 'After the destruction of the Araken artefact, the energy wave travelled out into the void, in the direction of the anomaly. Only a matter of hours after the destruction of the Bei'bul Stone, our augur-arrays detected a two hundredfold increase in activity within the warpstorm.'

Two hundred-fold?' Gdolkin said in astonishment.

'Indeed. The Araken Anomaly has also increased in size by a factor of three. Whereas before it was approximately two light years across it has now tripled in size and is now six light years across. Not only that, but it is becoming less dense.'

'So it would appear that the destruction of the Bei'bul Stone had a direct effect on this warpstorm.' Gdolkin said, straggling to hide his disbelief.

'I believe so.'

'And could the annihilation of Thule's alleged artefact on Fornax Orbis Majoris have had an equal effect on the warpstorm?'