The Mistress of Threads - John French Read online

  I opened the lid, and let the light of the candle show me what lay within.

  Nestled in frost, coiled like a larva at the root of a tree in winter, it lay. Smooth edges and hooked plates like polished lacquer, royal purple fading to black. My eyes and the light found limbs, found claws, found the eye closed in a long skull.

  I don’t think I moved. I don’t think I could have moved. It was the purest moment of terror I have ever felt. My instincts screaming but my muscles and thoughts held still, frozen in denial of what was before me.

  Then I heard a noise from the corridor outside, and the sound jolted me into movement. I sealed the crate, extinguished the candle and scrambled to the side of the room and the folds of a rotting tapestry.

  The door opened. They brought no light with them, but they moved in the gloom as though it was daylight. I saw pale grey robes and gilded head crests, like those worn by the senior Cytos Cartel representatives. Two hulking guards came with them, heads hidden by hoods rather than helms. Each carried heavy cannons as though they were made of paper. One of them stopped on the threshold, raised its head, and for an instant I saw a grin of needle teeth.

  It sniffed the air. The others that had come into the chamber froze, each of them perfectly still, eyes shining silver with gathered moonlight. Then, whatever moment had held them passed. They checked the crates were sealed and then withdrew, locking the door behind them.

  I waited a long time in the dark, listening, waiting for a sound, eyes moving between the rows of crates. When I moved, I expected every step to summon a shout or a cry. None came, and when I reached the corridor I ran. I ran up and up, through the manse, until I reached the inhabited wings and the dawn light sliding grey through the windows of the high towers.

  That day the storms in the immaterium cleared and our ship made passage. Osric joined me on the ship, and after we were clear of Mithras orbit I asked him if he knew of the Cytos using our manse on Mithras. I do not know why I did not simply tell him what I had found, but I did not. He said that, yes, he knew they were using some of our unused space and transit bonds to ship small, high value cargos of valuables belonging to the cartel away from the worlds on the edge of the storm front. He smiled at me, and said it was the least we could do given what they had done for us.

  That was three weeks ago. Since then I have made investigation into the Cytos’ use of our House’s holdings, but have found little to give comfort. Worse, there are eyes watching me, some amongst my household. In truth, I don’t know the difference between fears and realities anymore.

  And so, my most beloved Viola, I have written this communique in the old trade cant of our shared lineage and put it into the hands of a messenger that I can trust to bring it safely to you. Please help us. I know that after your brother’s fall from grace, you and he formed an association with parties that have the means to deal with such problems as I face. Please help me.

  Your most loving cousin,

  Cressida Syr Morio

 

 

  Coded order docket

  From: Viola von Castellan

  To: Cassius Qualtren, von Castellan emissary-savant, Geresh, Subsector Battlefleet Base

  Begin primary and secondary searches – Cytos Cartel, all history holdings and movements. I want to know everything about this outfit, Cassius. Go as far back and wide as you can – in particular, planets of origin and current locales of operation. Oh, and there is an above-the-margin likelihood that they are hostile and dangerous to anyone looking at them the wrong way, so be discreet, all right? But be swift, too. You know the drill by now, I’m sure.

  In addition, get me a full trade and operational appraisal on House Morio. Same level of ‘no one should know’ on that, too, old friend. All of this comes under house cypher condition Stygian, with a priority rating of Aleph-75. I will transfer funds for operational expenditure.

  Viola

 

 

  Notary exchanged between Viola von Castellan and Cleander von Castellan undertaken by real time signal on board the ship Dionysia

  Cleander: I have received a letter – more of a screaming plea, actually – from Cressida. All raving under a cloak of formality. I am guessing she sent you the same.

  Viola: She did. It is in hand. Send me the letter. I will need to sift it for other data scraps.

  Cleander: You think there is anything in what she is saying?

  Viola: I don’t know.

  Cleander: Do you know what I would be tempted to do?

  Viola: I think I can guess.

  Cleander: Come on! Tell me you are not tempted to leave her hanging on whatever rope she has found to swing on?

  Viola: I can’t ignore this.

  Cleander: They did not lift a finger to help us. Our mother took Cressida in, educated and set her up, paid off her father’s debts, all of it. But when the time came for them to repay that help, where was she? Where was House Morio?

  Viola: I know, brother. I was there, if you remember.

  Cleander: They didn’t just turn away, Viola! Cressida and that turd Osric gave sacred oaths declaring the severing of all familial bonds to us. It was done in the sight of the Pontiff Maxima on Dominicus Prime. They made a bastard pilgrimage to the most holy place in the sector to publicly wash their hands of us.

  Viola: That may be so, but there are things in Cressida’s letter that have to be looked into. We have a duty to more than our own wounded honour.

  Cleander: True. You think this is something to take to him?

  Viola: I am not sure, but I will need to tell him. I am deploying our personal resources, but if this problem requires more than that I will need his authority to activate other types of asset.

  Cleander: You think it will come to that?

  Viola: I don’t know.

 

 

  From: Viola von Castellan

  To: Inquisitor Covenant

  Message delivered by hand by Inquisitorial Courier Venetia

  My Lord,

  I must apprise you of a matter that has come to light. A full packet of the current intelligence available on the matter is appended to this communique. In essence, there is the possibility that the ancient trade house of Morio, and the Cytos Cartel, have come into contact with, have dealings with, or have come under the influence of a malleus or xenos threat of unknown nature. I am proceeding with first stage information and intelligence gathering.

  I must also inform you that the executor of the House Morio is a blood relative of mine and Duke von Castellan’s, and that she is our primary source of direct information.

  At this stage I am using von Castellan assets and resources, both because the credibility of threat is not certain, and the use of those resources is not likely to be noticed. I will though, with your permission, begin to form and assemble operational components to fit all eventualities.

  In faith,

  V.

 

 

  From: Inquisitor Covenant

  To: Viola von Castellan

  Message delivered by hand by Inquisitorial Courier Venetia

  Proceed.

 

 

  From: Viola von Castellan, Seneschal of the von Castellan Rogue Trader Dynasty

  To: Cressida Syr Morio, Executor of the House Morio

  Message delivered by oath-bound messenger

  My Dear Cousin Cressida,

  Your message disturbed me greatly. First let me reassure you that I will do everything in my power to help you. That power may, however, be more limited than you hope. You allude to associations made by my brother after his disgrace, but I must inform you that such rumours bear little relation to the truth, and we are a House with few and dwindling resources. Your fears that I woul
d refuse you aid because of matters left in the past could not be further from the truth. I am, and always will be, the friend that you had in childhood. I will bend all that I can command.

  On that matter, I must admit to being puzzled. Your description of what you found in the Mithras Manse, of Sonnus and the Cytos, is dramatic and distressing, but I am struggling to parse it into clean data. To be direct – are you saying that the Cytos Cartel are using the House Morio’s name and connections to move some form of living creatures between planets? If so, that is no doubt concerning, but the trade in xenos breeds, while frowned on by Imperial authorities, is not a great matter. If you recall, it was the least charge levelled against the von Castellan dynasty during the troubles we encountered. It also seems unlikely that a large cartel would go to the trouble of writing off debts such as those carried by House Morio for the possibility of moving crated creatures about like rare fruits. Take it from me, cousin; the margin simply isn’t there. Might there be a simpler explanation? A simple smuggling operation, or the movement of private goods of a cartel member that might attract thieves? As your mother used to say – ‘why presume grand malice where simple greed will suffice?’

  I also cannot help but ask if the state of sleeplessness and cognitive boredom you say you were in while in the Mithras Manse might not have heightened your imagination and compromised your perception? I know first-hand that the conditioning given to us comes at a price. Sometimes I cannot sleep, and when I dream sometimes it seems that I wake.

  If I can, may I encourage you to take rest where you can? The crisis in your House’s fortunes has passed, and there is no need to create more phantoms than exist.

  Please reply to tell me how you are, and tell me how more I can help you.

  Your most loving cousin,

  Viola von Castellan

 

 

  From: Cressida Syr Morio, Executor of the House Morio

  To: Viola von Castellan, Seneschal of the von Castellan Rogue Trader Dynasty

  Message delivered by oath-bound messenger

  My Dear Cousin Viola,

  I am sorry if my previous letter disturbed you or caused you to worry. You are right, the strain and cognitive drug regime I am using has been causing me to lose full definition between thought and reality. Is it not strange that such things come to us all in time? There is a price in flesh as well as coin for all we do. Please discount the overwrought nature of my last writing. I believe that you can help me, but that the extent of that help might be to act as a reader to my words. I am sure that I have not known a true friend, even one separated by great reaches of space, for too long.

  I am remaining in the Sunlight Manse on Viran for now – it is calmer here, and the storms do not blight the light of the stars as they do on other worlds. Perhaps a little time and a little rest will see my mind clear. I look forward to your reply with love and affection.

  Your most loving cousin,

  Cressida Syr Morio

 

 

  Notary exchanged between Viola von Castellan and Cleander von Castellan undertaken by real time signal on board the ship Dionysia

  Viola: Sevenfold curses from a saint’s lips – it’s real. Whatever Cressida stumbled on, it’s real and the Cytos are watching her closely.

  Cleander: How do you know?

  Viola: The message I sent her. Not that you would know, brother, but our dynasty’s trade cant has a number of deep code phrases for use in messages that you believe might be intercepted. They were used in the old Trade Wars. Simple but effective.

  Cleander: Oh, what ingenuity does generations of greed and paranoia create?

  Viola: ‘Presume grand malice’ – means that you must presume that enemies are close and may intercept messages. ‘Sometimes I cannot sleep, and when I dream sometimes it seems that I wake’ – that is an old proof of safety phrase that demands a response. Cressida used the phrase ‘great reaches of space’ in her reply, meaning that she was certain that there were enemies close to her. There is more, too, but you get the idea.

  Cleander: Fascinating. What are you going to do?

  Viola: I will get another means of communication in place. One that’s less reliant on archaic code phrasing.

  Cleander: I still think it would be fitting to just leave her to whatever judgement fate has finally decided to dump on her head.

  Viola: Doesn’t fate do that to us all in the end?

 

 

  Mission tasking

  From: Viola von Castellan

  To: Lemaitre Corvae, von Castellan Household Truth Thief

  Location:

  Viran, Sunlight Manse of House Morio

  Parameter:

  Infiltrate manse and pass cypher signal transmitter to individual identified as Cressida Syr Morio (target details attached). Target must be 100% identified and pass-off with transmitter must be clean and unobserved. Covert hostiles likely to be active throughout target locale. Once the objective is complete, withdraw and set up concealed signal relay post 100 km from target location. All relayed transmissions encrypted: Stygian, Aleph-75.

  Restriction: 0 fatalities.

 

 

  Mission report

  From: Lemaitre Corvae, von Castellan Household Truth Thief

  To: Viola von Castellan

  Mission complete. All parameters maintained. Transmission device, concealed as a signet ring, passed to target. Encrypted transmission relay with target, in place and functioning.

 

 

  Encrypted relay message delivered in binary code

  From: Viola von Castellan

  To: Cressida Syr Morio

  What did we call the beast master on the estates from Xarxis Plethis?

 

 

  Encrypted relay message delivered in binary code

  From: Cressida Syr Morio

  To: Viola von Castellan

  The lord of rats and teeth.

 

 

  Encrypted relay message delivered in binary code

  From: Viola von Castellan

  To: Cressida Syr Morio

  Apologies, I had to be certain that it was you. I cannot risk a drawn out conversation by this method, Cressida, but wheels are in motion. This matter is going to be difficult to resolve and is going to require more of you. A lot more. Above all, I need direct information that only you can supply. First, I need to know about the Cytos in your immediate presence. People you suspect, assets and personnel, all of it – any and everything. Second, I need you to gather all records of your House’s activities and trade since the accord brokered with the Cytos. Also, any and all Cytos-related records of any kind that you can access. This transmission device can spindle and send it all in a single blurt. Once that is done, the next steps can proceed.

 

 

  Header note to report delivered to the rogue trader vessel Dionysia by Household messenger

  From: Cassius Qualtren, von Castellan emissary-savant, Geresh, Subsector Battlefleet Base

  To: Viola von Castellan

  Most honoured and etcetera, Viola,

  Well you do like to bring me all the worst and most delicious puzzles, don’t you? The full report and info-packets are included in the data cylinders accompanying this note. In summary, the Cytos are a complex beast. On one hand they have an excellent reputation in all their dealings – they are highly efficient, never break a contract or a bond, never play the political or status games that other trade operations do. They pay on time and in full. Always. I don’t know about you, but that alone makes me suspicious. They also make large donations to the coffers of the Ecclesiarchy both at a sector
and local level.

  It’s past this point that everything gets a little murkier. They are called a cartel, but I can find no sign of division within their organisation – quite the reverse, in fact. They are exceptionally homogenous – all members of the cartel have a high degree of uniformity in approach and act with a consistency and cohesion that would make the high prefects of the Administratum green with envy. They act as one and without deviation or fracturing. In an Imperium where three people in a single room will find a way to form factions rather than unite, this uniformity is more than a little unusual.

  Much of that uniformity might be attributed to the Cytos’ religious nature. It’s not that uncommon for an organisation to be bound by adherence to a particular branch of the Imperial creed. But in the case of the Cytos it goes further. Their branch of faith is called the Ascent of Plenty, and proclaims the Emperor as the incarnation of all truth and plenty and unity. As far as I could trace its origin, the Ascent of Plenty sprung up amongst docking clans in the Asoro void colonies, but from there I can trace no recorded path of how it developed. I could also find no one outside of the Cytos Cartel who follows the Ascent of Plenty – the cartel is the creed and the creed is the cartel.

  As far as I can tell, the Cytos, like the Ascent of Plenty, began in the Asoro void – the two are intertwined so tightly that it’s almost pointless to see them as separate. A minor trade house called Esren and a cargo brokerage called the Volumani seem to have formed the nucleus of the early enterprise. As they grew others have been added: a noble house from Kias, a wealth-arbiter organisation from Dust Scorn, a produce combine from Geo-1. The interesting thing is that the individual identities of all of these parts have vanished completely. There are a few heraldic devices, some names on ancient compacts, but any sense of individual identity is gone, replaced by the culture and faith of the cartel. That would not bode well for House Morio maintaining autonomy in the long term.