As he waited for a plodding cargo-servitor to pass, Lucian wondered who Luneberg's allies might be, and on what part he had expected Lucian to fulfill in the venture. Lucian cast his mind over the archives he could recall of this region, but he could not think of a single xenos race that might have entered into such an arrangement. Indeed, he knew of no xenos this side of the Damocles Gulf that had anything like the level of technology exhibited by the orbital's weaponry: a previously untracked eldar crafrworld, perhaps? He would be surprised in the extreme if a man such as Luneberg had extracted anything out of the enigmatic and unfathomable race, for they were notoriously self-interested and only dealt with others if they were likely to benefit most from the arrangement. Perhaps, thought Lucian, there were other races out there, in the dense and barely charted regions beyond the gulf.
Looking up from his thoughts, Lucian realised that he had reached his destination: the chamber of Master Karisan. He extended his hand to knock on the frame, but withdrew it as the door was pulled open from within, and he was greeted by a musty, incense-laden scent.
'My master, please enter' said a voice from within the dimly lit chamber.
Lucian stepped through, into the domain of the flotilla's astropath. The man was ancient, having served a long series of vessels for many decades. He was long past his prime, in Lucian's opinion, and he rarely called upon his services unless it was vital. He had resolved to seek a replacement when he was able, but the guild had thus far been unwilling to retire Master Karisan. Lucian suspected that they wanted the ancient telepath out of way, and it would take a substantial disbursement to change their minds. It was just one more unwelcome reminder of the failing power of the dynasty.
The chamber was wide and low, taking the form of a blister upon the Oceanid's underbelly. One entire wall was a mighty viewing port, beyond which the vessel's underside and the blackness of starry space were visible. The room was cramped, but not for want of available space. Instead, every surface was crammed with what Lucian took for junk. Long-burned candles, crumpled parchment, dry, dead things and other unidentifiable rubbish littered the place. Master Karisan appeared entirely at home in this environment, for his own appearance was equally dishevelled. A halo of wispy unkempt grey hair framed his craggy face, from which his empty eye sockets stared blankly, his eyes having been burned away by the rite of Soul Binding. He wore a soiled robe of what was, once, lustrous dark green velvet. The telepath bowed as Lucian entered.
'You have need of my services, my master?
'I do, Master Karisan' although I wish I didn't, thought Lucian.
'Quite so. said Karisan. 'Please, be seated.
It took Lucian a moment to determine exactly where Karisan expected him to sit, before the telepath indicated a soiled cushion in the centre of the rubbish-strewn floor. He sat, disturbing something living as he did so, which scuttled off into a dark corner.
'Rats' said Karisan. 'They are ever attracted to the lower decks'
Lucian suppressed the thought that the vermin were also attracted to chambers full of stinking rubbish.
'Master Karisan, I need you to attempt to reach the Rosetta or the Fairlight. I fear they may be-
'Adrift? Karisan cut in.
Irritation flared in Lucian at the man's interruption.
'Or delayed, displaced. You know what might occur within the warp, Master Karisan'
The other man let out a high-pitched giggle, 'Oh yes my lord, well do I know what awaits within the Sea of Souls. Well do I know' The telepath reached up and clutched a dried fetish from where it dangled on a leather thong. He sniffed it, and rubbed it along his cheek with a delicacy that Lucian found quite disturbing to witness.
'I am asking you, Master Karisan, to do what you can to contact them. Are you able to do so?
'Able? Yes my master, I am able' The telepath cast about him to clear a space on the floor, and then drew his legs up under him into a crossed-legged pose. 'Willing, you might say yes? The object of our search might yet be beyond our reach, traversing, as you say, the empyrean. Never mind, for even there, they will be known to us'
Lucian had witnessed several rites of astropathic communication in his time. No two had ever been the same, but he knew better than to interrupt the man, and so settled back to await the result.
Master Karisan began to mutter under his breath, the words just about audible, but entirely unintelligible to Lucian. The man's breathing deepened, and he appeared to enter the opening phase of some form of trance. The muttering became more guttural, and Karisan's head rolled back. At the same moment, the temperature in the chamber dropped sharply, a creeping sensation passing over Lucian's scalp. The shadows in the gloomy chamber drew in, and Lucian felt the unmistakable notion that something hostile lurked within them, looking out, straight at him.
'They cannot hurt you, master' muttered Karisan, Lucian forcing himself to keep his eyes on the other man, and not to fall to the instinct to look behind himself.
The temperature fell still further, a thin skein of ice creeping across the viewing port, obscuring the view of space beyond. Karisan groaned, opening his mouth a number of times, as if attempting, but unable to speak.
Then he burst out, 'They are there! The telepath's head rolled back to its normal position, and he looked straight at Lucian through empty eye sockets. 'They are not where you feared my master, or at least, your son is not'
'Explain'
The warp is calm now, but it was wracked as we crossed it. The Rosetta is certainly not within the empyrean, of that I am certain, although I cannot speak so surely of the Fairlight. I sense that the Rosetta is nearer, in real space, in the here and now. I shall seek her out.
Karisan sank into his trance once more, much quicker this time. He muttered what sounded to Lucian like nothing more than nonsense. The temperature dropped still further, and Lucian caught the fleeting scent of something sharp and acidic.
'Voices! Karisan called, a childlike, wondrous expression appearing on his wizened old face. 'Many voices… my brothers. The ether is alive with them!
'Alive with what, Master Karisan? Explain!
Karisan leant forward and took Lucian's elbows in his gnarled old hands, shaking him. 'Alive with the Song of the Ever-Choir, my master. It's quite beautiful. I have not heard it sung so eloquently in many years, and never at all this far out on the Rim'
Lucian fought to keep control of his rising temper. Karisan was rapidly becoming a liability, that much was clear. He had been for some time in fact. Lucian took a deep breath nonetheless, determined that he would not lose control, not yet at least, not until he was in a position to negotiate with the guild for a replacement astropath.
'Karisan' now Lucian leaned forwards, trying as hard as he could to engage the man in meaningful conversation. 'Karisan, listen to me. I need to know what, by Saint Catherine's holy arse, you are going on-
'Astropathic messages my master! The ether is alive with them. They are so-
'From whom, Karisan? asked Lucian, a dreadful idea already forming in his mind. 'From whom?