'Any battle at Beta-Garmon will be bloody, there is no doubt of that,' said Dorn. 'The casualty figures I have projected are high, but they are bearable, and they will give us more time to fortify Terra. Guilliman will come from the galactic south-east, and trap Horus either at Beta-Garmon, or if he breaks through, against the wall of iron I have cast about this world.'

Russ set down his goblet. 'You are forgetting something.'

'What am I forgetting, Leman?' said Dorn.

'We are assuming that Horus intends to strike with his full might at Terra. Why should he do so? If I were Horus, I would set the Iron Warriors to guard my back. The warp, though passable, is in turmoil. Horus still has a strategic advantage in travel speed. You can be assured he will not waste it He need only delay Guilliman for a short time, not confront him head on, and he will be able to bring overwhelming force against Beta-Garmon, then Terra, destroying our armies piece by piece.'

'It is plausible, probable even, but I doubt the Warmaster anticipated the destruction of Davin,' said Dorn. 'Reinforcements arrive from all over the Imperium every day, and now the storm abates they come more quickly. We have access to the astrotelepathic network again, and so we exert greater control over loyalist factions. At Beta-Garmon, and at Terra, Horus will face far larger armies than he expected. He will know this, he will rush, and he will make errors. This is the race, to see who will be ready soonest.'

'To rely on armies one does not have yet is to rely on the wind,' said Jaghatai. 'You never know which way it will blow.'

'Aye, that is why he will run for Terra as quickly as he can,' said Russ. 'We do not have time to reinforce either system sufficiently.'

'I think I already said that.' He poured more wine from a tall ewer and drank it down in one.

'That is why we need to whittle him down while we can, Russ. I suggest you make for Acanto Myphos, where you will find large concentrations of the Alpha Legion. I am sure you would welcome the chance to tackle them again. Surely you would wish to have your vengeance upon them?'

'I would,' said Russ. 'They would never pay weregild, would they?' He smiled. 'So they must die.'

'I know you too well to take that as an agreement,' said Dorn.

'It is not,' admitted Russ. 'Do you know what I think?'

'You are going to tell me,' said Dorn wearily.

Russ leaned forwards and gripped his knees. The Khan watched their exchange with interest.

'It will not work.'

'This is the best course of action. Divide. Hold. Reinforce, pin him between our armies here and Guilliman's Thirteenth,' insisted Dorn.