The Master of the Tower of the Blind, a huge citadel inhabited by countless telepaths, was killed. Shira Calpurnia, an Arbites officer, tries to pick up the trail of a criminal among the shadow-shrouded winding corridors of the station. She has to deal with the inevitable hostility, lies and intrigues of those around her, which is bad in itself, but the Tower is also filled with half-mad seers who peer into the warp with their mind's eye every day. The situation becomes even more tense, given that the investigation is carried out under the watchful eye of an insecure arbiter-“supervisor”. But worst of all, Calpurnia must cope with what she may not be able to resist - her own weakness and admitted failure.