Shani had indeed seen another truth about the day Eden fell, from her own perspective, in Lady Oksana's Ancient Dream.
She had also mentioned a legion of "Sentinels," which immediately brought Murphy to mind the image derived from the Cup of the World Tree that Knight Varand had given him.
For a moment, Murphy wondered whether the so-called "Sentinels" referred to the astral deities.
But on closer thought, not a single mention of astral deities appeared in all the information about Eden he had gathered so far. Besides, the region where the gods had been in the image from the Cup of the World Tree had already been infected by the power of the Warp.
Taking into account the details in Salokdar and Oksana's memories, the destruction of Eden was very likely the first time the power of the Warp had erupted in the material world.
Before that, the entire world had been progressing according to the Creator's perfect blueprint.
In other words, the astral deities had appeared only after Eden's destruction?
That...
Murphy had only just considered the possibility when his heart stirred. He glanced at Triss, who was still comforting the distraught Shani, then quietly took a few steps back and touched his chest.
The next moment, the strange, murky voice of Mannis the Endless One sounded in Murphy's mind:
"Hmm, where are you, my handsome and powerful human vessel? Why is our mental link so fast and clear this time? I can't even sense the slightest psychic interference."
"I'm in the Creator's Land. As our contract stipulates, I'm trying to find a path to the World's Heart for the great Endless One."
Murphy slipped in a little flattery, then changed the subject and asked:
"You said before that you learned the truth about how they became gods