Drusher wiggled the tip of his finger in his ear. His head felt blocked and oddly pressurised.

+Main room.+

‘What was that?’ asked Drusher.

‘We’re going to the main room,’ said Betancore.

Eisenhorn was waiting for them. He was sitting in a high-backed chair, and he looked as if he were enduring some silent torment. Drusher felt that Eisenhorn was not so much sitting in the chair, as the chair was preventing him from falling into the centre of the world. His breathing was laboured.

Audla Jaff was lighting candles to draw back the gloom in the great hall. It was still cold, and the chill seemed to radiate from the inquisitor. Outside, a storm had begun to grumble.

‘Have a seat, magos,’ Eisenhorn said.

Drusher sat down facing Eisenhorn. Voriet and Betancore withdrew to sit on a bench at the back of the hall. Jaff lit the last of the candles and joined them. There was no one else around.

‘I have psykana abilities, magos,’ said Eisenhorn. ‘Do you know what that means?’

‘I suppose so. I’ve never met someone who–’

‘You probably have. We don’t tend to advertise our talents. Mine are considerable. You had an encounter today. When you left the site without permission–’

‘I’m sorry about that–’ Drusher began.

Eisenhorn raised a hand to hush him.

‘I have no interest in rebuking you, magos. To be honest, I am exhausted. I don’t have the time or patience to bring you into line. If you wish for a rebuke, say so, and I will leave it to Voriet and Nayl.’

‘By all means do continue,’ said Drusher.

‘Your encounter today was with a psykana echo. An unanticipated side effect of work I was doing in the cold store.’

‘A psykana echo, sir?’

‘You referred to it as a ghost,’ said Eisenhorn. ‘That is a surprisingly accurate term.’

‘It was a ghost?’

‘Yes.’

‘I… well…’ Drusher hesitated. ‘That’s very curious. I don’t know what to think about that. I may cry a little bit.’

‘Don’t,’ said Eisenhorn.

‘Do my best,’ mumbled Drusher.

‘Magos, your assessment of the bodies was interesting to me. It confirmed things that I had thought of, ideas I had begun to form. It was remarkably incisive. It revealed secrets that I have not shared.’

‘Thank you. Did it?’

‘The Inquisition is interested in this case for precisely the reasons you suggested,’ said Eisenhorn. ‘Marshal Macks circulated the facial reconstructs on all networks. One came to my attention. A person I knew. That’s what brought me here.’

‘You knew one of the victims?’