‘You don’t pretend the situations are identical.’

‘Identical, no. Comparable, yes.’

‘Because of the necrosphere? Because there are huge daemonic constructs in both cases?’

‘Other than size, the nature of the objects is quite different,’ Guilliman pointed out.

‘The principle stands,’ said the Lion. ‘We have seen it twice already. We cannot destroy the objects themselves, but on the correct target, the devastation we unleash must be total.’

‘I disagree,’ Sanguinius said. ‘You think we should have destroyed Pyrrhan rather than assault the manufactorum?’

‘With hindsight, yes.’

‘No,’ said Sanguinius. ‘No.’ He leaned his fists on the tacticarium table. He stared at the hololithic representation of the Delphos, willing it to reveal its secrets to him. ‘If we had done that, we would still be trapped on the other side of that gate, or vaporised by its defences.’

‘You sound very sure,’ said Guilliman. He was being unusually reserved, holding back his own tactical views. For the time being, he seemed to be limiting his role to that of the doubter.

What troubles you, brother? Sanguinius wondered. It is something that runs deep, I think.

‘I am sure,’ he said to Guilliman. He felt the muscle memory of the sword blow that had carried him through fate and destroyed the manufactorum. He had severed the ties of destiny and darkness. ‘What I experienced in the forge…’ He thought about what he could say, even to his brothers. ‘We did not triumph through brute force. We have been confronting the symbols. Our successful attacks have been symbolic too. They have been the only ones possible, and targeted at the heart of what opposed us. This war has taken us far beyond the realm of the rational. And think about why we are here at all. Why do you think destroying Davin will defeat the Ruinstorm? Because this is where Horus fell, and this is where the war began. The logic is symbolic. Very well, then. We must follow the symbolism to its end. We must stand on the spot where Horus fell.’

‘I accept your argument about Pyrrhan,’ said the Lion. ‘The nature of what happened in the manufactorum escapes me.’ He was clearly displeased by the mystery. ‘That it played a critical role is clear, though. But there was an enemy on Pyrrhan. This planet is deserted.’

‘I wonder if Horus was as confident in his assumptions when he came here.’

The Lion glared. ‘I am not Horus.’