He'd once been the pupil and interrogator of my old, long-dead ally Commodus Voke. Now he was an inquisitor in his own right.
'Eisenhorn. How simply vile to see you again/ said Golesh Constantine Pheppos Heldane.
The guards dragged Medea and me back on board the Essene. I was still dazed. I could hear Fischig begging Heldane to order his men to be more careful with us.
Oh, what a mistake Fischig had made.
As we were bundled through the stations docking gantries, I saw the sleek black shape of an Inquisitorial cruiser now occupying the dock station next to the Essene. Heldane's ship. It had probably lain concealed in the atmosphere of the gas giant until the trap was sprang.
They took us into the main stateroom. Heldane's men, and I guessed there must have been a full detachment, had secured the Essene.
'How many travellers with you?' Heldane snapped at me.
I made no answer.
'How many?' he repeated, following his words with a blade of psi-pain that made me cry out. I needed to concentrate. I needed to rebuild my mental defences.
Feigning injury, I looked around and took stock. Maxilla stood nearby, surrounded by guards, glowering. Eleena was sitting bolt upright and pale on a couch. Medea was sprawled on the floor, just waking up. There was no sign of Aemos or Kara.
'Four!' said Maxilla. These four. The rest are my crew, servitors all of them, slaved into my ship/ He was playing the part of the innocent shipmaster, outraged at the invasion of his vessel, distancing himself from his troublesome passengers. But I knew he was frightened.
You're lying. I can tell/ said Heldane, pacing round Maxilla. Your defences are good, I'll grant you that, ship-master. Don't lie to me/
'I'm not-' Maxilla began and then cried out in pain.
'Don't lie to me!'
'Leave him alone!' Fischig boomed. 'He's just the captain. The ship-master, like you said. He's not part of this/
Heldane looked round at Fischig with a withering stare. You made this happen, chastener. You came to the ordos and begged us to save your dear, heretical master from damnation. Well, that's what I'm doing. So shut your mouth and let me get on with it. Or would you rather I probed the minds of these delicious young ladies?'
'No.'
'Good. Because the ship-master is rather interesting. He's not altogether human, is he? Are you, Tobias Maxilla? Your defences are admirable, but only because your brain isn't entirely organic. You're so much a machine, sir, you hardly deserve the title "man", do you?' 'Look who's talking/ Maxilla said bravely.