diminish.
He stumbled on, armed only with the enemy knife now. He was getting weaker as he lost blood. The foot of his wounded leg was hot with blood, yet cool. His knee didn't work properly. More fire came his way, cutting the limbs of trees and bursting ripe fruit-flowers.
A deflecting laser round took him in the small of the back, and dropped him, face down, in the mire. Stunned, he writhed, no breath coming, mud sucking into his nose and mouth.
Something made him pull himself up. Something, some urge.
Eiloni. She stood over him, as pale and as beautiful as she had been at twenty.
'What are you doing down there? What will the boys do for supper? Husband?'
She was gone as quickly as she had appeared, but Mkoll was already on his feet when the first of the Chaos spawn closed in on him. On his feet and seared with passion.
Despite the burn, agonising, on his back, Mkoll took the first down with his hands, breaking his neck and ribs and crushing his skull. Capturing the lasgun, he turned, setting it to full auto and cutting down a wave of Chaos infantry as they pressed in on his heels.
He was still shooting, blindly into the night, his lasgun's power cell almost exhausted and three dozen slain foe about him, when Corbec found him.
Gaunt established a picket perimeter in the sloping forest to guard them as the field medics treated Mkoll. The storm continued to lacerate the sky above and sway the trees with the sheering force of wind and nearly horizontal rain.
Lilith, Gilbear and Gaunt stood by as Trooper Lesp opened his field narthecium and dressed Mkoll's many cuts and las-burns. The scout's head was bandaged and his pierced knee had been strapped.
'He's a tough old dog,' Corbec murmured to Gaunt, sidling up to the commissar.
'He never ceases to impress me,' Gaunt whispered back.
Lilith looked over at them, a question in her face. Gaunt knew what it was: how had this man survived?
'We're wasting time,' Gilbear said abruptly. 'What are we doing?'
Gaunt turned on him, angry, but Lilith stepped between them.
'Major Gilbear. Are you still my bodyguard commander?'
'Yes, lady.'
'No new duties have fallen to you since you were given that task?'
'No, lady.'
Then shut up and leave this to the commissar and myself, if you don't mind.'
Gilbear swung around and made off to check the pickets.
Corbec poked his tongue out at the major's back and made a vulgar noise. Gaunt was about to reprimand him when he saw Lilith was laughing.
'He's a pompous ass,' Lilith said.
'Indeed,' the commissar nodded.
'I meant no disrespect, inquisitor,' Corbec said hurriedly. 'Yes, you did,' Lilith smiled.
'Well, yes, but not really,' Corbec stammered.
'Check the picket, colonel, if you please,' Gaunt said quietly.
'But the major's gone to—'
'And you trust him to do a good job?' Gaunt asked.
'Not on his current form, no,' Corbec grinned, saluting Gaunt and making an over-lavish bow to the inquisitor before hurrying off.
'You'll have to excuse my second-in-command. His style of leadership is casual and spirited.'
'But it works?' asked Lilith.
'Yes, but… yes. Corbec is the soundest officer I've ever worked with. The men love him.'
'I can see why. He has charisma, courage. Just the right amount of healthy disrespect. Colm is a very attractive man.'
Gaunt paused and looked off into the night where Corbec had vanished.
'He is?'
'Oh yes. Trust me on that.' Lilith turned her attention back to Mkoll. 'So, we have your best scout, beaten and shot to hell, come to us out of the maelstrom?'
'Yes.'Gaunt cleared his throat. 'Mkoll's the best I have, all in all. Looks like he's been through fething hell and back.'
'Feth… nice word. Good weight. I'll be using that if you don't mind.'
Gaunt was puzzled. 'Mind? I—'
'What does it mean?'
Gaunt suddenly got a very clear and vivid mental picture of what it literally meant. He and Lilith were acting it out. 'I— I'm not sure…'
