He looked round at Osma and Heldane.
You don't want the daemonhost, do you, masters?'
'It must be contained and dealt with,' said Osma. 'Leave this business to your superiors, please. You interrupt too much.'
'But the daemonhost? You talk like you want it for yourselves.'
Osma glanced at the long-snouted inquisitor. 'Heldane? Tell this man to go away. He's served his purpose.'
'Go, Fischig!' Heldane snapped, and my former friend descended the stairs and sat down on one of the couches, gazing at Eleena and Medea, who were trying to make Maxilla comfortable.
'The daemonhost!' Heldane rasped. 'Give it to us!'
'And you call me a heretic.
Heldane's psychic slap rocked me back in my seat.
A guard approached Osma. We have searched the infirmary, lord. There is no one there.'
Thank the Emperor, I thought. Kara has freed Aemos.
'Kara?' said Heldane suddenly. 'Who is Kara?'
No one, I willed.
There is a sixth person aboard/ Heldane told Osma. 'Probably now working with the savant/
'Find them!' Osma snapped, and half of his guard unit hurried from the stateroom. 'Bring more squads across from our ship if you have to/
There was jolt, followed by a terrible raking squeal of metal on metal from somewhere outside.
'What was that?' Heldane demanded.
He got up and hurried down the steps towards the entrance to the main bridge. The Essene jolted again.
Osma rose and pointed the tip of Barbarisater at me. 'Move!' he ordered. 'Watch the rest of them/ he told the guard captain.
We followed Heldane onto the bridge. Fischig joined us, along with Maxilla, who was being held upright by a guard.
We were listing badly. On the main screen, we could see a forward view of the waystation.
The Essene had disengaged from its moorings, and was slowly tearing backwards away from the dock. Docking gantries were grinding and buckling against the ship's hull.
'What have you done?' Osma said to me.
This is none of my doing/ I replied.
A series of minor explosions ripped through the control stations on the right hand side of the huge bridge area, showing the marble floor with sparks and machine-part debris.
Another blast rocked the starboard chapel annex that contained the astropathic vault and buckled the hatch. A helm servitor combusted and toppled over, smashing open its sculptural golden casing.
'Sabotage!' said Osma.
Heldane turned on Maxilla. 'Your handiwork!'
'Mine?' said Maxilla. 'Why the hell would I risk damage to my precious ship just to help these criminals? They mean nothing to me!'
'You're lying, you metal freak!' Heldane barked and grabbed Maxilla by the throat, lifting him off the ground. 'Tell us what you've done! Put it right! Get your crew to stabilise the ship!'