'You? You, were wrong?' Gdolkin's astonishment was further compounded hearing the tech-priest, who was always so certain of himself and so ready to put anybody else in their place, admit that he had made a mistake.

The magos shot the Iron-Father a glare of loathing.

'My servants and 1 have been carrying out our own studies of the warpstorm anomaly and the consequences of the enemy's actions upon it.’ he said, making no response to the Iron-Father's comments. 'Captain Strake, if 1 could suggest that we retire to your strategium, I might expound... more fully on the matter.’

Six attended the meeting in Iron-Captain Strake's strategium chamber, off from the strike cruiser's bridge: Iron-Father Gdolkin, Brother-Librarian Melchor, at Gdolkin's behest, Magos Thule, attended by the twin adepts, and the hovering, cyborg commander of the Ajax himself. Thule's servo-skull was also present, but merely as an observer to the proceedings. The chamber was subtly lit and spartanly decorated. Other than a desk and a wall pict-viewer the only other item of note in Strake's ready room was a small glowcandle-lit shrine to the trinity of the Emperor, primarch and Omnissiah in one gloomy corner. Resting on the altar shelf, held in the grip of a bronze-cast gauntlet hand was a gleaming bolt pistol, its body and barrel inscribed with ensorcelled carvings depicting the triumph of Ferrus Mantis over the great silver wyrm Asirnoth.

'Well, magos.’ Strake said. 'We await your exposition.’

'Very good, captain. If I might make use of your pict-viewer?'

Gdolkin had never known the magos show such respect for another Iron Hand, whom he had obviously regarded as being beneath him before. After all, the Iron-Father's whole relief force and the Ajax had been put at his disposal by the great clan council on Medusa.

'Please.’ Strake said, making a sweeping expansive gesture with one hand.

Thule approached the pict-viewer control console built into the captain's desk. As the magos stretched his hand out towards it, Gdolkin saw wire filaments emerge from the tips of the tech-priest's fingers and link up with connector sockets. The image the Iron-Father had seen displayed on the bridge view screen faded into crisp resolution here too.

'This, as I believe you already know.’ the tech-priest said, 'is the Araken Anomaly. Ever since the last of the artefacts - the Bei'bul Stone - was destroyed on Herod, this warpstorm has begun to dissipate.’

‘This we already know.’ Gdolkin pointed out.

'But of course you do, Iron-Father, and I expect you have also discovered that a star system lies at its heart.’

Gdolkin did nothing to confirm or deny this. 'You said the last of the artefacts. That suggests to me that there were more than just those on the two worlds of Fornax Orbis Majoris and Herod.’ Gdolkin suggested.

'You are correct once again, Iron-Father.’ Thule rather begaidgingly admitted. There were three in total.’

'So where was the first?'

'A planet called Hekla.’ Thule said.