As ever Justina felt the tug of attraction and loyalty and devotion. She had felt it ever since she had known her first caress from the master.

The chamber in the mirror was no longer her room. She could see dark red walls carved with all manner of erotic statuary which writhed with a slow stony life of its own. A naked girl and boy crouched at the vision's feet and looked up with adoring eyes before gazing out at Justina with jealous resentment. Beyond them, she could see a huge arched window, and through it the monstrously bizarre landscape of the daemon worlds. Huge chunks of the surface broke off from the surface, formed into great spheres and drifted up into the sky. Sometimes they became obscenely writhing suggestive shapes.

'What is it, slave?' asked the vision. 'What do you desire of me?'

'I have news, Great Harbinger of Slaanesh. I have news, Lord Shaha Gaathon,' said Justina, allowing some of her adoration to show in her voice. She was proud that she did not sound too worshipful.

'Speak then, for I have other business to attend to.' The daemon stroked the head of the youth. Justina could see that his nails were long and sharp - like bird's claws.

'Darke has been approached by the eldar,' said Justina, and was pleased by the smile that played across her master's face. 'They have given him a dreamstone.'

Sudden anger swirled across the daemon's features. 'They must not be allowed to interfere, slave. The eve of my return approaches and my vessel must be prepared. We must have that man. He will be a vessel of rare power.'

Justina nodded, although fear suddenly filled her. Shaha Gaathon could be inventive in his punishments, and some of them contained not the slightest hint of pleasure. 'Darke suspects nothing master. He has given the dreamstone to me, to sell for money.'

Warm laughter echoed from within the mirror. 'How foolish mortals are,' he said. 'To give away the one thing that might protect him.'

'They promised him more, master.'

The laughter stopped as if cut off with a knife. 'Is it possible they have some inkling of our plans?' he asked. 'It would not be the first time their accursed seers have interfered in the Great Masque.'

'I do not know, master,' said Justina, her unease deepening.

'Of course, you do not, slave,' said Shaha Gaathon, in a tone so filled with affection that Justina knew that she would soon be rewarded. They are the most subtle and devious of mortals, and their seers more than most have some insight into their roles in the Masque. 'What are they offering him this bounty for?'

'They wish to be taken to Belial IV, great master.'

'What?' The daemon's voice was like thunder. Intense rage boiled in his expression. The mere mention of Belial IV had disturbed him greatly. Behind him lightning lashed the ever changing landscape visible through the window arch. 'Are you certain?'

'That is what Janus Darke said, great master.'

'They must be seeking to interfere in the Ascension. Why else would they go there, now, after all these millennia?'

Justina was not entirely certain she followed what the master was saying.