kutzkattherine.the bishopsheir-第3部分

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〃We　wish；　therefore；　to　reassure　you　that　the　Crown　will　not　interfere　unduly　in　your　election；　my　lords；〃　the　king　was　saying；　〃but　we　enjoin　you　to　consider　well　the　candidates　who　shall　e　under　your　examination　in　the　ing　days。　The　name　of　the　individual　eventually　chosen　matters　little　to　us；　personally；　but　the　peace　of　Meara　matters　a　great　deal。　That　is　why　we　have　spent　this　past　season　progressing　through　our　Mearan　lands。　We　recognize　that　a　bishop's　principal　function　is　to　provide　spiritual　guidance　…　yet　we　would　be　naive　in　the　extreme　if　we　did　not　also　acknowledge　the　temporal　power　wielded　by　the　incumbent　of　any　such　office。　All　of　you　are　well　aware　of　the　weight　your　opinions　carry　in　our　own　secular　deliberations。〃
He　went　on；　but　Morgan　released　the　curtain　with　a　bored　sigh　and　folded　his　arms　along　the　railing；　allowing　his　attention　to　drift　as　he　laid　his　head　on　his　crossed　forearms　and　closed　his　eyes。
They　had　gone　over　all　of　this　before。　Morgan　had　not　been　along　on　the　royal　progress；　having　business　of　his　own　in　Corwyn；　but　he　joined　the　king　as　soon　as　word　arrived　of　old　Carsten's　death。　His　first　night　back　in　the　royal　entourage。　Archbishop　Cardiel　had　briefed　him　on　the　political　ramifications　and　acceptable　successors；　while　Kelson　listened　and　Duncan　occasionally　added　。his　own　observations。　Duncan　was　down　there　now　at　Cardiel's　side；　poised　and　attentive　in　his　clerical　black　…　at　thirty…one；　young　even　to　be　serving　as　a　bishop's　secretary；　much　less　an　incipient　bishop　himself；　though　he　had　shown　sufficient　promise　even　a　full　five　years　ago　to　be　appointed　the　then　…　Prince　Kelson's　chaplain　and　given　the　rank　of　Monsignor。
Not　that　Duncan　would　be　Carsten's　successor　…　　though　many　might　have　feared　that；　had　they　known　of　his　impending　change　of　status。　Fortunately；　most　did　not。　The　bishops　knew；　of　course。　Cardiel　had　determined　to　make　Duncan　his　assistant　even　before　Carsten's　death；　and　had　spearheaded　his　election　as　one　of　the　first　items　of　business　when　the　convocation　convened　a　few　days　earlier。
But　partially　because　Duncan's　secular　status　already　presented　plications　in　the　deliberations　ahead；　and　partially　because　he　wished　to　delay　his　formal　consecration　until　the　following　Easter；　no　public　announcement　had　yet　been　made。　Duncan's　very　presence　at　the　convocation；　ostensibly　as　secretary　for　the　proceedings；　had　been　enough　to　raise　eyebrows　among　the　Mearan　clergy　and　lay　observers　in　attendance。
Nor　did　Mearan　uneasiness　spring　from　the　fact　that　Duncan；　like　Morgan；　was　Deryni　…　though　the　Deryni　question　had　certainly　presented　problems　of　its　own　in　the　beginning；　and　doubtless　would　continue　to　be　a　factor　of　varying　importance。　For　nearly　two　centuries；　no　known　Deryni　had　been　permitted　ordination　to　the　priesthood。　Discovery　that　Duncan　was　Deryni　and　had　been　so　ordained　had　sparked　a　panicked　flurry　of　ecclesiastical　speculation　as　to　how　many　other　Deryni　might　have　served　in　the　clergy　secretly；　to　the　possible　detriment　of　uncountable　human　souls　to　whom　they　might　have　ministered　…　and　how　many　might　be　serving　now？　No　one　knew　how　virulent　the　infection　might　be；　if　Deryni　consorted　unbeknownst　with　decent　Christian　folk。　The　very　thought　had　sent　men　like　Edmund　Loris　into　near…apoplectic　fits　on　more　than　one　occasion。
Fortunately；　cooler　logic　than　Loris'　had　eventually　prevailed。　Under　the　physical　protection　of　a　part…Deryni　king；　both　Duncan　and　Morgan　had　managed　to　convince　a　majority　of　the　ecclesiastical　hierarchy　that　they；　at　least；　did　not　fit　the　image　of　evil　for　so　long　attributed　to　Deryni　…　for　surely　evil　men　would　not　have　put　themselves　so　thoroughly　at　risk　to　save　their　king　and　kingdom　from　another　of　their　race。
But　while　Morgan　could　quickly　return　to　a　status　not　unlike　that　which　he　had　enjoyed　before　the　death　of　Brion　…　known　and　sometimes　feared　for　what　he　was；　but　nonetheless　grudgingly　respected；　if　only　for　the　threat　of　what　he　might　do　if　provoked　…　Duncan's　situation　required　more　delicate　handling。　Once　he　and　Morgan　had　made　peace　with　the　bishops；　the　Deryni　priest　had　spent　many　agonizing　weeks　reconciling　his　own　conscience　on　the　matter　of　having　accepted　ordination　to　the　priesthood　when　he　knew　it　was　forbidden　to　Deryni。　He　had　resumed　his　priestly　function　only　after　Kelson's　victory　at　Llyndruth　Meadows。
In　Duncan's　favor；　at　least；　was　the　fact　that　few　outside　the　confines　of　consistory　and　court　definitely　knew　he　was　Deryni；　and　whatever　rumor　and　innuendo　might　be　whispered　beyond　that　circle　of　intimates；　scrupulous　avoidance　of　any　public　display　of　magic　had　enabled　Duncan　not　to　confirm　anything。　He　was　not　known　to　be　Deryni　by　most；　he　was　only　known　to　consort　with　them　…　Morgan　and　the　king；　in　particular。　Arilan；　now　the　Bishop　of　Dhassa；　was　Deryni　too；　but　among　the　bishops　only　Cardiel　knew　that　…　as　did　a　meager　handful　outside　the　episcopal　ranks　…　for　neither　Arilan　nor　Duncan　had　had　to　reveal　their　powers　against　Wencit　at　the　Llyndruth　Meadows　confrontation　two　years　before。　Morgan　did　not　fully　trust　Arilan；　but　he　was　sure　he　and　Cardiel　were　largely　responsible　for　Duncan's　cautious　acceptance　among　the　clergy。　Certainly；　Duncan　could　not　have　been　elected　bishop　without　their　support。
What　gave　the　Mearans　cause　to　distrust　Duncan；　then；　had　almost　entirely　to　do　with　Duncan's　secular　status；　for　following　his　father's　death　without　other　heir；　Duncan　had　assumed　the　ducal　and　county　titles　of　Cassan　and　Kierney　…　titles　which　had　once　belonged　to　Old　Meara。　To　Mearan　separatists；　working　to　establish　a　powerbase　for　a　Mearan　restoration；　a　Cassani　duke　loyal　to　the　crown　of　Gwynedd　was　merely　a　political　annoyance　across　the　northern　border；　to　be　worked　around　and　watched；　as　Duncan's　father　had　been　watched　for　years；　but　if　that　duke　was　also　a　high…ranking　priest；　and　Meara's　only　bishopric　fell　suddenly　vacant；　matters　instantly　became　more　plicated。　A　Cassani　royalist　duke　who　also　became　Bishop　of　Meara　would　wield　both　spiritual　and　temporal　authority　over　two　vast　areas。
Indeed；　Duncan's　election　to　any　bishopric　would　be　viewed　with　suspicion　in　Meara；　for　even　if　he　himself　had　no　aspirations　in　that　direction；　his　politically　motivated　wishes　could　carry　great　weight　in　the　selection　of　the　man　who　was　chosen　to　occupy　the　Mearan　See。　Monsignor　The　Duke　of　Cassan　represented　a　threat；　then；　for　all　that　he　seemed　to　be　an　innocuous…looking　priest…secretary　seated　quietly　beside　the　Archbishop　of　Rhemuth。
Smothering　another　cough；　Morgan　glanced　down　at　the　consistory　chamber　again　…　Kelson　was　winding　up　his　speech　…　then　allowed　his　gaze　to　drift　lazily　over　his　own　form；　reflecting　on　the　effort　which　had　gone　into　making　his　image　less　threatening　in　the　past　two　years。　Gone　was　the　somber　black　attire　which　a　younger；　more　arrogant　Morgan　had　affected　in　those　days　as　Brion's　shadow　and　confidant。　Cardiel　had　told　him　quite　frankly　that　such　affectations　only　tended　to　reinforce　the　sinister　notions　most　people　still　entertained　about　Deryni。
〃Why　dress　as　the　Adversary？〃　Cardiel　demanded。　〃You've　shown　amply　by　your　actions　that　you're　a　servant　of　Light；　not　Darkness。　Why；　with　your　pale　hair　and　fair　features；　you　could　have　e　off　my　chapel　ceiling：　one　of　the　Lord's　messengers　…　maybe　even　blessed　Michael　himself！〃
And　Lord　Rathold；　his　wardrober　at　Coroth；　had　badgered　him　no　less　mercilessly　about　his　ducal　image。
〃You　must　think　of　your　people。　Your　Grace！〃　Rathold　had　said　stubbornly。　〃You　dress　like　a　mon　soldier；　when　you　have　your　way。　No　one　wishes　to　think　he　serves　an　impoverished　master　…　or　to　have　others　think　it！　'Tis　a　matter　of　pride！〃
And　so；　unless　there　was　a　need　for　stealth；　the　sable　leathers　had　been　put　aside　and　replaced　with　color：　a　deep　burgundy　cloak　at　first；　as　a　self…conscious　concession　to　his　rank　as　King's　Champion　…　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　adopt　the　crimson　Kelson　favored　…　but　worn　over　muted；　conservative　grey；　with　little　embellishment。　Deep　blues　followed；　and　eventually　greens　and　golds　and　even　particolors　…　the　rich　jewel…tones　rather　than　bright　shades。　Eventually；　he　even　learn