kutzkattherine.the bishopsheir-第52部分

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tion。　We're　due　back　at　the　council　meeting　very　shortly；　but　why　don't　we　closet　ourselves　with　Alaric　afterward　and　get　to　the　bottom　of　this？　I'll　　be　fascinated　to　see　whether　you　react　the　same　to　him　as　you　do　to　me；　Dhugal　…　though　I　warn　you；　you　could　react　just　as　easily　as　you　did　to　Kelson's　probe。〃
Dhugal　grimaced；　but　he　hobbled　gamely　between　them　as　they　started　back　down　the　nave。
〃Just　warn　me　before　anybody　else　touches　me。　Father。　If　General　Morgan　…　〃
But　he　was　not　given　time　to　plete　the　thought。　As　the　three　of　them　reached　the　narthex；　pulling　up　cloak　hoods　against　the　snow　falling　outside　the　postern　door；　Morgan　himself　came　through　the　narrow　doorway；　acpanied　by　a　worried…looking　Nigel。　Morgan　gave　them　all　a　grim；　distracted　smile　and　sketched　a　bow　to　Kelson　as　he　pulled　a　parchment　packet　from　inside　his　tunic。　Nigel　brushed　snow　from　his　shoulders　and　stamped　his　feet　as　Morgan　handed　the　parchment　to　the　king。
〃This　arrived　within　the　present　hour；　my　prince；〃　Morgan　said；　scanning　the　narthex　as　he　signalled　Nigel　to　pull　the　door　shut　behind　them。　〃I　had　a　little　difficulty　finding　where　you'd　gone。　It's　a　reply　from　Ratharkin；　though　I　fear　it　isn't　the　answer　any　of　us　would　have　wished。〃
The　parchment　was　heavy　with　pendant　seals　and　dark　with　the　meticulous　script　of　someone　who　had　favored　a　broad　nib　to　his　pen。　Kelson　skipped　over　the　first　few　lines；　with　their　expected　formulae　of　titles　and　assumed　titles。　The　crux　of　the　message　was　contained　in　only　a　few　terse　phrases。
。。。　that　We　do　not　intend　to　surrender　ourselves；　and　further；　that　if　you　do　not　immediately　give　indication　of　your　willingness　to　return　our　son　and　daughter。　Bishop　Henry　Istelyn　will　suffer　for　it。　As　earnest　of　our　determination；　We　send　you　his　ring。。。。
The　missive　was　signed　by　Caitrin　and　Sicard；　as　co…rulers　of　Meara；　and　witnessed　by　Prince　Ithel；　Archbishop　Loris；　and　a　host　of　other　bishops；　expected　and　unexpected；　eight　in　all。
〃I　can't　say　I'm　surprised　at　the　demand；〃　Kelson　observed；　scanning　the　script　a　second　time；　〃though　I　am　surprised　at　the　amount　of　support　Loris　managed　to　gather　in　so　short　a　time。　He　must　have　been　laying　his　groundwork　for　several　years　…　all　the　while　he　was　in　prison。　He　almost　got　enough　names　to　set　up　a　counter…synod　like　last　time。　Do　you　think　he　will；　Duncan？〃
〃I　should　think　it　almost　inevitable。　Sire；〃　Duncan　replied；　peering　over　his　shoulder。
〃There's　more　to　it；　I'm　afraid；〃　Morgan　said；　drawing　a　small　wooden　box　out　of　the　front　of　his　tunic。　〃This　was　with　the　letter。　It's　going　to　put　you　in　a　very　unenviable　position。〃
〃I'm　already　in　an　unenviable　position；〃　Kelson　said；　taking　the　box　and　turning　it　to　worry　at　the　clasp；　〃though　I　fail　to　see　what　Caitrin　thinks　she　can　offer　that　would　make　me　trade　Sidana　and　Llewell　for　Istelyn。〃
〃I　suspect　we　have　Loris　to　thank　for　this　little　piece　of　work；〃　Morgan　said　quietly；　as　Kelson　opened　the　box。　〃The　note；　at　least；　is　his。　The　rest；　I　fear；　is　from　Istelyn。　And　more　than　just　his　ring。〃
Kelson's　eyes　widened　and　he　recoiled　so　violently　that　he　nearly　dropped　the　box。
〃Sweet　Jesu！〃　he　gasped；　his　eyes　darting　to　the　others　as　if　to　seek　denial　of　what　his　eyes　saw。　〃Look　what　they've　done！〃
Lying　on　a　curl　of　closely　inscribed　parchment　inside　was　Istelyn's　bishop's　ring；　with　the　cut…off　finger　still　inside。
〃And　Loris　threatens　to　send　ever　more　important　parts　of　our　captive　bishop　until　you　relent；〃　Morgan　said　quietly。



CHAPTER　FOURTEEN
Let　our　strength　be　the　law　of　justice：　for　that　which　is　feeble　is　found　to　be　nothing　worth。
Wisdom　of　Solomon　2：11
〃I　had　begun　to　suspect　Loris　had　no　conscience；　but　I　never　dreamed　even　he　would　be　this　ruthless；〃　Archbishop　Bradene　said　a　short　time　later；　when　the　king　had　presented　his　council　with　Caitrin's　ultimatum　and　Loris'　grisly　postscript。　〃Certainly　I　never　thought　the　Lady　Caitrin　would　be　a　party　to　such　an　act。〃
〃You　underestimate　the　lady's　desire　to　be　queen。　Sire；〃　Ewan　muttered。
Cardiel　nodded　grimly。　〃His　Grace　is　right。　Sire。　Nor　should　we　forget　how　persuasive　Loris　can　be　when　it　suits　him。　God　knows　he　nearly　fooled　many　of　us；　two　years　ago。　And　he's　certainly　fooled　the　other　bishops　who've　joined　him　this　time；　in　Ratharkin。〃
〃Just　now；　my　concern　is　with　the　bishop　who　didn't　join　him；〃　Kelson　said；　〃and　whose　finger　lies　in　that　box。〃
His　curt　gesture　between　himself　and　Morgan；　where　the　box　weighted　a　er　of　the　offensive　letter；　renewed　the　anger　which　had　flared　in　every　heart　at　his　first　reporting　of　the　outrage。
〃Unfortunately；　I　fear　this　is　only　a　taste　of　what　Loris　has　in　store　for　Istelyn；〃　Kelson　went　on　after　a　studied　pause。　〃Be　that　as　it　may；　I　cannot　agree　to　the　Mearan　terms。　Nor　may　I　sacrifice　my　kingdom　for　the　sake　of　one　man；　however　precious　he　may　be　to　all　of　us。　As　my　council；　you　must　know　that　at　the　outset。〃
They　were　not　his　full　council；　for　several　important　members　had　not　yet　arrived　from　their　outland　holdings　to　keep　the　pulsory　Christmas　Court　with　the　king；　but　they　represented　some　of　Gwynedd's　finest　minds。　Kelson　knew　some　of　those　minds　in　quite　a　literal　sense；　but　without　making　unwarranted　use　of　his　powers；　he　could　only　guess　about　the　others。
Morgan　was　no　mystery；　of　course　…　at　least　in　his　feelings　on　this　matter。　Seated　as　usual　at　the　king's　right　hand；　he　was　as　close　as　a　touch；　whether　of　hand　or　of　mind。　Morgan　had　spent　his　outrage　on　his　first　inspection　of　the　letter　and　the　box；　so　that　now　only　cool　purpose　remained　…　that　his　old　adversary　should　not　have　the　ultimate　victory。
Duncan　occupied　the　next　chair；　where　once　his　father　and　brother　had　sat　as　Duke　of　Cassan　and　Earl　of　Kierney；　and　after　him　came　Ewan；　senior　of　Gwynedd's　three　nonroyal　dukes。　Kelson　sensed　an　uneasiness　in　Duncan　which　was　as　much　an　aftereffect　of　their　interplay　with　Dhugal　as　a　concern　about　Istelyn；　but　Ewan　required　no　Deryni　reading　at　all；　he　would　say　what　he　thought；　when　he　thought　it；　as　he　always　had。
Beyond　Ewan　sat　Bishops　Arilan　and　Hugh　de　Berry　…　　the　Deryni　Arilan；　whom　Kelson　could　not　have　read　even　if　he　dared　to　try；　and　the　earnest　and　faithful　Hugh；　touchingly　human。　Arilan　had　resigned　a　council　seat　on　taking　up　the　See　of　Dhassa；　but　Hugh　had　never　been　a　member。　Hugh　had　been　secretary　to　Loris'　deceased　colleague；　Patrick　Corrigan；　however；　which　meant　he　knew　Loris　as　well　as　any　man　present。
Dhugal　knew　Loris；　too　…　not　as　intimately；　but　certainly　more　recently　…　and　he　was　acquainted　with　the　Mearan　royal　family　as　well；　which　none　of　the　rest　of　them　were。　He　was　not　an　official　member　of　the　council　either；　though　Kelson　planned　to　remedy　that　once　Dhugal　had　been　formally　confirmed　as　Earl　of　Transha。　Now　that　they　had　been　reunited；　the　king　wanted　his　foster　brother　at　his　side　…　especially　in　light　of　Dhugal's　unexpected　but　intriguing　shields。　The　recent　probing　of　those　shields；　as　well　as　Dhugal's　on…going　disfort　from　his　aggravated　injuries；　had　left　the　young　border　lord　a　little　shaky；　but　he　was　at　Kelson's　side　now；　perched　self…consciously　on　a　stool　between　Kelson　and　Archbishop　Bradene。
Archbishop　Cardiel　sat　next　to　Bradene；　and　Jodrell　and　Saer　de　Traheme　beyond　them；　all　four　new　to　the　council　since　Kelson's　accession。　Nigel　occupied　the　chair　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　table；　as　heir　presumptive；　with　Conall　as　an　unofficial　observer　at　his　right。
〃No　one　questions　your　position。　Sire；〃　Bradene　said　quietly；　when　a　few　of　the　others　began　to　fidget　at　the　lengthy　silence。　〃Least　of　all　would　Istelyn　question　it。　According　to　what　young　Dhugal　has　told　us；　Istelyn　is　totally　resigned　to　the　consequences　of　his　loyalty。〃　He　sighed。　〃I　fear　we　can　do　nothing　save　to　offer　up　our　prayers　for　his　deliverance。〃
〃Prayers　will　not　deliver　him　from　the　agony　Loris　intends　for　him；〃　Arilan　murmured　under　his　breath。　〃If　I　could　give　him　the　coup　and　save　him　Loris'　spite；　I　would。〃
Arilan's　open　espousal　of　an　act　the　Church　forbade　as　murder　startled　Bradene　and　Hugh；　each　only　recently　emerged　from　the　relative　shelter　of　cloister　or　academia。　But　the　coup　de　grace　was　an　ackno