When Grimes and Sonya Verrill went down to the wardroom they found that all was in readiness for the seance.  The uncomfortable benches - it was fortunate, thought the Commodore, that the ship was falling free so that the only contact between buttocks and an unyielding surface was that produced by the gentle restriction of the seatbelts - had been arranged in rows, facing a platform on which were a table, three chairs and the harmonium.  Calhoun, contriving to look like a nonconformist minister in spite of his uniform, occupied one of the chairs at the table.  Mayhew, his usual dreaminess replaced by an air of acute embarrassment, sat in the other, Karen Schmidt was seated at the musical instrument.

As soon as the Commodore and Sonya had taken a bench in the front row the engineer, unbuckling his seat belt, got carefully to his feet.  His voice, as he made the initial announcement, was more of a street corner bray than a pulpit bleat.  "Brethren," he said "we are here as humble seekers, gathered in all humility, to beg that our loved ones on the Other Side will shed light on our darkness.  We pray to Them for help - but we must, also, be prepared to help Them.  We must cast out doubt, and replace it by childlike faith.  We must believe."  He went on in a more normal voice, "This, I assure you, is essential.  We must put ourselves in a receptive mood, throwing our minds and our hearts open to the benevolent powers on the other side of the veil..."  Then, the engineer briefly ascendant over the lay preacher, "We must strive to create the right conditions insofar as we are able..."

Meanwhile, one of his, juniors was making his way along the tiers of benches distributing mimeographed sheets.  Grimes looked at his curiously.  It was, he saw, a hymnal.

"Brethren!" cried Calhoun, "we will join in singing the first hymn."

Karen Schmidt was having trouble with the harmonium - the operation of treadles in the absence of a gravitational field requires a certain degree of concentration.  At last, however, she got the thing going and suddenly and shockingly the introductory chords blared out.

Then they were all singing to the wheezing, gasping accompaniment:

"Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,

"Lead Thou me on..."