kutzkattherine.the bishopsheir-第34部分

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〃I　…　don't　want　to　offend　you。　Excellency；　but　most　clergy　aren't　altogether　tolerant　of　…　ah　…　magic。　Please　forget　I　said　anything。〃
〃Ah；　then　his　magic　frightens　you。〃
〃I　…　I'd　rather　not　talk　about　it；〃　Dhugal　whispered；　feeling　trapped。
Istelyn　cocked　his　head；　then　glanced　back　at　the　closed　door　before　leaning　closer　to　Dhugal。
〃Why　not？〃　he　asked。　〃You　spoke　of　the　king　with　affection　and　familiarity；　as　if　you　were　his　friend。　Do　you　think　there's　something　wrong　with　his　…　ah　…　let's　call　them　'talents；'　if　you　don't　like　the　term　'magic；'　shall　we？〃
〃It　isn't　that；〃　Dhugal　murmured。
〃Is　it　that　you　aren't　sure　of　me；　then？〃　Istelyn　persisted。　〃You've　already　trusted　me　with　your　life。〃
〃That　trust　is　mine　to　give；　Kelson's　isn't。〃
〃I　can　appreciate　that。〃
The　bishop's　eyes　did　not　leave　Dhugal's　as　he　sipped　at　his　wine　…　which　made　Dhugal　increasingly　anxious　…　　but　after　a　few　seconds　the　man　sighed　and　gave　a　tiny　smile；　raising　his　cup　in　resigned　salute。
〃I　don't　blame　you　for　trying　to　shield　the　king；　son；　but　why　don't　you　let　me　tell　you　how　I　feel　about　him？　I　can't　prove　that　I'm　telling　the　truth；　but　you're　smart　enough　to　judge　for　yourself。　I　wasn't　present　at　Dhassa　when　Loris　and　the　rebel　bishops　split　off　from　the　Curia；　but　I　sided　with　the　king　as　soon　as　I　learned　of　it。　I　was　with　his　army　at　Dol　Shaia。　It　was　I　who　had　to　bring　him　the　news　that　Loris　had　exmunicated　him　and　placed　the　kingdom　under　Interdict。〃
He　sighed　again；　then　went　on。　〃Now　I've　put　myself　on　the　line　again　where　His　Majesty　is　concerned。　Loris　wants　me　to　help　him　consecrate　Judhael　of　Meara　a　bishop。　I've　refused；　and　he'll　probably　kill　me　for　it。　I　swear　by　all　I　hold　sacred　that　I'm　not　lying；　Dhugal。　I　don't　care　that　the　king's　Deryni　…　not　the　way　Loris　does；　at　any　rate。　It　seems　to　me　that　Kelson's　done　only　good　with　his　powers。　Or　are　you　going　to　try　to　tell　me　differently？〃
〃Of　course　not。〃
Dhugal　looked　away　into　the　flickering　flames　and　made　himself　take　another　swallow　of　the　drugged　wine；　even　though　he　knew　it　would　make　him　only　more　vulnerable　to　the　bishop's　questioning。　He　believed　Istelyn。　And　even　if　the　bishop　were　no　better　than　the　others　ensconced　here　at　Ratharkin；　it　could　do　little　further　harm　to　Kelson's　already　checquered　reputation　for　Dhugal　to　report　that　he　had　seen　the　king　put　an　injured　man　to　sleep　with　magic。　Far　worse　had　been　alleged　in　the　past　two　years；　and　by　far　more　important　people　than　a　fifteen…year…old　border　lord。
〃About　a　fortnight　ago。　Kelson　rode　out　from　Culdi　to　pay　a　surprise　visit　on　one　of　his　local　barons；〃　Dhugal　said　carefully。　〃It　was　Brice　of　Trurill。　Trurill　borders　on　Transha　lands；　so　I　was　riding　with　a　Trurill　patrol。〃　He　grimaced。　〃That's　another　story。　Those　same　men；　including　the　baron　himself；　were　the　escort　that　met　Loris　when　he　landed　on　the　coast　near　my　father's　castle；　hardly　a　week　later。　They're　probably　still　here　in　Rhatharkin。〃
〃Brice　of　Trurill　supports　Loris？〃
Istelyn　sounded　genuinely　surprised　and　shocked；　which　reassured　Dhugal。
〃Aye。　It　was　Brice　himself　who　captured　me。　He　had　the　audacity　to　hold　a　blade　to　my　throat。〃
At　Istelyn's　low　whistle　under　his　breath；　Dhugal　took　another　pull　at　his　wine；　making　a　face　at　the　increasingly　bitter　taste　as　he　got　closer　to　the　bottom。　He　could　feel　himself　being　more　and　more　detached　as　the　drug　gently　entered　his　system。
〃Anyway；　when　the　king　met　us　a　fortnight　ago；　we　were　in　the　middle　of　routing　a　band　of　brigands　who'd　been　stealing　sheep。〃　He　paused　to　yawn。　〃Afterward；　it　was　my　job　to　patch　up　the　wounded。　One　of　our　lads　was　in　a　pretty　bad　way。　Kelson　…　put　him　to　sleep　so　I　could　work　on　him。　It　was　like　a　miracle。〃
Istelyn's　eyes　had　grown　as　round　as　the　moon　at　full。
〃Did　he　heal　him；　then？
〃No。　He　only　laid　his　hand　on　his　forehead　and　made　him　go　to　sleep。　He　says　that　General　Morgan　and　Father　Duncan　can　heal　sometimes；　though。〃　Dhugal　forced　himself　to　look　Istelyn　in　the　eyes。　〃That　can't　be　wrong　either；　can　it。　Excellency？〃
〃No；〃　Istelyn　whispered。　〃No；　son；　I　don't　see　how　it　could　be。〃
The　bishop　seemed　troubled　by　his　question；　however；　and　soon　rose　to　seek　the　fort　of　prayer。　Kneeling　at　a　prie…dieu　set　in　one　of　the　window　embrasures；　he　signed　himself；　then　bowed　his　head　in　his　hands　and　was　still。　Dhugal　stared　after　him　for　several　minutes；　forming　a　prayer　in　his　own　mind　that　Istelyn　was　what　he　appeared；　but　when　he　caught　himself　starting　to　nod　off；　he　drained　the　last　of　his　wine　and　lowered　himself　gingerly　to　his　pallet　once　more；　grimacing　at　the　bitterness　of　the　dregs。
It　was　being　harder　and　harder　to　concentrate　with　the　full　dose　of　the　sedative　in　him；　but　as　he　settled　himself　under　the　sleeping　furs；　he　tried　to　think　of　ways　to　better　his　situation　when　he　awoke。　He　wondered　vaguely　whether　Kelson　knew　yet　of　his　capture。
Not　that　there　was　much　hope　Kelson　could　do　anything　about　it。　The　fate　of　one　man　balanced　ill　against　that　of　an　entire　realm。　But　perhaps　Dhugal　could　find　a　way　to　help　himself；　once　he　had　regained　some　of　his　strength。
That　they　regarded　him　as　a　valuable　hostage　was　apparent；　not　only　from　the　fact　that　they　had　taken　him　in　the　first　place　but　from　his　continued　treatment　since　arriving　in　Ratharkin。　Had　his　usefulness　ended　once　they　were　safely　out　of　Transha；　they　would　have　cut　his　throat　long　ago。　He　also　recalled　some　reference　to　wanting　his　support　when　they　reunited　Transha　with　old　？？？？？　…　an　unthinkable　defection　for　one　loyal　to　the　king　…　but　perhaps　that　meant　that　no　one　was　aware　of　his　renewed　friendship　with　Kelson。　Nor　was　anyone　likely　to　connect　the　young　Master　of　Transha　with　the　then　second　son　of　Transha's　chief　who　had　served　at　King　Brion's　court　as　a　page。
Also　in　DhugaFs　favor　was　his　boyish　appearance。　Given　anything　approaching　luck；　he　thought　he　might　play　on　that　to　convince　them　that　he　was　as　naive　and　pliable　as　he　looked　…　a　mistake　even　Istelyn　had　made　at　first。　It　was　a　dangerous　game；　but　if　he　could　play　it　well；　he　might　mislead　them　enough　to　lower　their　guard。　Then　he　could　escape　to　warn　Kelson。
He　was　thinking　of　ways　that　might　be　acplished　as　he　finally　abandoned　himself　to　sleep。　Unexpectedly；　he　dreamed　not　of　Kelson　but　of　his　father；　and　a　lone　MacArdry　piper　skirling　a　lament　atop　a　snow…covered　hill。


CHAPTER　NINE
But　thou；　mastering　thy　power；　Judgest　with　equity；　and　orderest　us　with　
great　favor：　for　thou　mayest　use　power　when　thou　wilt。
Wisdom　of　Solomon　12：18
Ciard　O　Ruane；　the　advance　messenger　from　Clan　MacArdry；　arrived　in　Rhemuth　late　the　following　afternoon；　stunning　the　court　with　his　doubly　woeful　news。
〃The　young　laird　does　n？？　know　about　his　father；　m'lord；〃　the　man　concluded；　nodding　exhausted　thanks　to　a　young　page　who　handed　him　a　full　tankard。　〃That's　assuming　he's　still　alive　himself；　of　course。〃
The　intimation　that　Dhugal　might　not　be　alive　was　like　a　blow　to　Kelson。　Before　that　instant；　he　had　not　allowed　himself　even　to　consider　the　possibility。　Shuttering　down　the　shadow　of　fear　that　flickered　at　the　back　of　his　eyes；　the　king　glanced　to　Morgan　and　Duncan　for　reassurance；　his　fingers　tightening　viselike　on　the　arms　of　his　throne。
〃He　has　to　be　alive；〃　he　murmured；　almost　to　himself。　〃I　know　he　is！　Ciard；　you're　sure　it　was　Trurill's　men　who　took　him？〃
The　gillie　gave　a　deprecating　flourish　with　one　hand　as　he　took　a　long　pull　at　his　ale。　If　his　own　son　had　been　taken；　he　could　not　have　been　more　devastated。
〃We　hae　ridden　wi'　those　men　all　summer；　sair。　D'ye　think　I　would　n？？　recognize　them？　It　were　the　Laird　Brice　himself　wha'　had　my　young　master　o'er　his　saddlebow。〃
〃And　this　prisoner　that's　ing　is　a　priest？〃
〃Aye；　m'lord。　And　an　impertinent　an'　close…mouthed　rascal　he　is；　too。　But　Caball　has　warned　him　he'll　sing　for　ye！〃
〃And　I'll　wager　I　can　tell　you　at　least　one　of　the　things　he'll　sing；〃　Morgan　murmured　so　that　only　Kelson　could　hear；　as　laughter　tinged　with　menace　rippled　through　the　chamber。
〃What's　that？〃
〃That　Loris　was　one　of　the　men　Trurill　was　escorting。　Remember；　Jodrell　told　us　he'd　land　on　the　coast。〃
〃That　isn't　funny；　Morgan　…