kutzkattherine.the bishopsheir-第17部分

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e　picked　up　a　three　year　old；　and　carried　him　tenderly　out　of　the　hall　and　up　the　newel　stair　with　the　two　young　men　following　behind；　Dhugal　with　his　arm　linked　in　Kelson's　for　stability。　When　they　had　gotten　the　old　man　to　bed　and　the　gillie　had　gone；　Dhugal　sank　down　in　a　window　seat　and　sighed；　glancing　up　at　Kelson　with　a　tired　grin。
〃Well；　you　certainly　left　your　mark　on　Transha　tonight。　The　clan　will　be　talking　about　you　all　winter　…　and　speaking　well；　too。〃
Kelson　smiled　and　leaned　against　the　window　embrasure；　tossing　his　bonnet　to　the　seat　beside　Dhugal。　The　climb　to　the　laird's　chamber　had　finished　clearing　his　head；　and　now　the　considerations　of　earlier　in　the　evening　came　flooding　back。　To　have　won　the　confidence　of　the　clan　was　a　fine　thing；　and　part　of　what　he　had　set　out　to　acplish；　but　he　still　had　not　learned　all　he　needed　to　know　about　Caulay's　Mearan　kin。　And　if　Ithel　of　Meara　was　plotting。。。
〃I　wonder；　will　they　speak　well　of　me　when　they　remember　that　I'm　part　Deryni？〃　he　mused；　trying　to　decide　how　best　to　approach　what　he　wanted　to　ask。　However　he　phrased　it；　Dhugal　was　going　to　be　either　frightened　or　insulted。
Dhugal　frowned。　〃What　difference　does　it　make？　And　what　makes　you　think　of　it　now？〃
〃It　isn't　all　a　bad　thing；　you　know　…　being　Deryni；〃　Kelson　continued；　testing。　〃You　saw　that　when　I　put　that　trooper　to　sleep　so　you　could　sew　up　his　arm。　It　does　have　its　positive　uses。〃
Dhugal　swallowed　with　an　audible　sound；　suddenly　far　more　sober　than　he　had　been；　not　seconds　before；　all　the　gaiety　gone。
〃Why　do　I　have　the　sudden　feeling　that　something　very　scary　is　about　to　happen。　You're　warning　me；　aren't　you？〃
〃Not　…　exactly。〃　Kelson　glanced　down　at　Dhugal's　upturned　face；　then　over　at　the　sleeping　Caulay。
〃Dhugal；　I've　never　even　been　tempted　to　take　unfair　advantage　of　a　friendship　before；〃　he　said　softly；　〃but　damn　it　…　he　hasn't　told　me　everything　he　knows。〃
〃What　do　you　mean？〃
Kelson　shook　his　head。　〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　to　imply　a　deliberate　deception。　I　think　he　just　doesn't　want　to　get　involved　…　and　one　can　hardly　blame　him。　Sicard　is　still　his　brother；　after　all。　Unfortunately；　Sicard　is　also　the　father　of　a　boy　who　may　just　try　to　take　away　my　throne　…　　and　Caulay　hinted　of　conspiracies　at　dinner；　just　before　he　clammed　up。〃
〃Surely；　you're　not　suggesting　he'd　keep　such　knowledge　from　you；　if　there　really　were　a　danger？〃　Dhugal　asked。
〃I　don't　know；〃　Kelson　replied。　〃I　do　know　that　your　father　has　information　I　may　need　…　and　that　I　have　the　means　to　take　it；　if　I　must；　without　his　knowledge　and　without　hurting　him。〃
〃With　magic；〃　Dhugal　supplied。　His　face　had　stiffened　to　a　taut　mask　as　Kelson　spoke；　and　now　the　honey…amber　eyes　reflected　cold　resentment；　as　well　as　a　little　fear。
〃Kelson；　I　can't　stop　you；〃　he　continued；　after　a　long；　slow　breath。　〃If　that's　what　you're　determined　to　do；　there　isn't　a　thing　I　can　do　to　prevent　it。〃
〃I　know　that。　That's　why　I'm　asking　if　I　may。　He　wouldn't　remember　it；〃　Kelson　added。　〃He　need　never　even　know　I　talked　with　him　tonight。〃
〃And　if　you　had　to　use　what　you　learned　against　him？〃　Dhugal　asked。
Kelson　sighed。　〃I　hope　to　God　it　never　es　to　that；〃　he　murmured；　eyes　downcast。　〃You　know　I　would　never　deliberately　do　anything　to　hurt　you　or　your　family。　But　if　information　that　I　gained　had　to　be　used　to　stop　a　war；　to　save　innocent　lives　…　well；　what　would　you　do？〃
Only　after　a　long　pause　did　Dhugal's　answer　e：　halting；　reluctant　…　and　resigned。
〃I　suppose　I　…　would　do　what　I　had　to　do；〃　he　whispered。





CHAPTER　FIVE
They　have　set　up　kings；　but　not　by　me：　they　have　made　princes；　and　I　knew　it　not。
Hosea　8：4
I　would　do　what　1　had　to　do。
Dhugal's　words　put　responsibility　squarely　back　on　Kelson　…　where　it　had　always　rested；　with　the　other　burdens　of　the　Crown；　but　this　particular　responsibility　was　unique　to　a　king　endowed　with　magic。　Kelson　found　himself　wondering　whether　his　father　had　ever　had　to　make　such　a　demand　of　a　friend。　Somehow　he　could　hardly　imagine　Brion　using　his　powers　for　much　of　anything；　even　though　he　knew　his　father　had　slain　the　Marluk　with　magic　and　obviously　had　taken　the　necessary　measures　to　ensure　that　his　legacy　passed　to　Kelson。
But　Haldane　magic　was　not　the　same　as　that　derived　from　being　born　Deryni　…　and　perhaps　that　difference　was　the　source　of　some　of　Kelson's　uneasiness　just　now；　for　he　had　the　limitations　as　well　as　the　benefits　of　both　sorts。　The　Haldane　legacy　came　full…blown　to　each　successive　male　heir　in　the　senior　royal　line；　its　potential　sealed　by　the　previous　king　and　triggered　in　the　heir　by　ritual　whose　essential　elements　apparently　had　altered　little　in　nearly　two　hundred　years。　It　was　of　Deryni　origin；　to　be　sure；　but　it　was　a　somewhat　artificial　construct；　so　far　as　Kelson　had　been　able　to　learn；　crafted　by　the　great　Saint　Camber　for　the　defense　of　Cinhil　Haldane　against　mad　Imre；　to　end　the　Interregnum；　and　perpetuated　in　Cinhil's　descendants　ever　since。
Such　magic　dealt　primarily　with　protection　…　holding　and　keeping　what　was　Haldane。　But　it　was　power　to　be　called　up　without　training　and　without　real　understanding；　a　pendium　of　set　spells　whose　use　and；　indeed；　very　existence　generally　became　apparent　only　when　the　need　arose　…　difficult　to　call　to　mind　of　one's　own　inclination。　A　few　casual　skills　there　were　of　Haldane　origin；　like　Truth…Reading　and　extending　one's　physical　endurance；　duplicating　some　Deryni　functions；　but　the　more　subtle　and　satisfying　uses　of　magic　…　and　the　ones　most　open　to　abuse　…　lay　within　the　province　of　Deryni　only。　Indeed；　most　of　the　magic　readily　accessible　to　Kelson　came　from　his　Deryni　blood；　not　Haldane　sources：　mostly　what　Morgan　and　Duncan　had　been　able　to　teach　him　about　that　aspect　of　his　heritage　…　and　much　of　that　still　lay　in　the　realm　of　theory。
Now　his　meager　experience　with　the　two　of　them　must　be　melded　with　the　impersonal　knowledge　at　his　beck　and　call　from　Haldane　sources；　and　techniques　chosen　to　fit　the　very　personal　situation　here　before　him。　Several　times　in　the　past　two　years　he　had　watched　Morgan　do　this　kind　of　thing　…　and　had　done　it　himself　under　Morgan's　guidance　once　or　twice　…　but　this　was　different：　himself；　alone；　questioning　someone　he　cared　about　…　not　some　hostile　prisoner；　from　whom　the　truth　must　be　dragged　by　force。　With　Caulay's　natural　discretion　already　lowered　by　the　wine。　Kelson　was　not　too　concerned　about　the　actual　。procedure；　but　he　was　concerned　about　alienating　Dhugal。　The　friends　he　could　trust；　who　were　not　afraid　of　him；　were　few　and　precious。
〃If　it　should　e　to　that；　then　I　suppose　I'll　have　to　do　what　I　have　to　do；〃　he　finally　whispered；　meeting　Dhugal's　eyes　miserably。　〃That's　one　of　the　more　unpleasant　parts　of　being　king。　In　the　meantime；　I'm　afraid　this　is　something　I　have　to　do。〃　He　paused　a　beat。　〃You　don't　have　to　watch　if　you　don't　want　to。　You　can　leave；　or　I　could　…　put　you　to　sleep；　blur　the　memory。　Neither　of　you　has　to　remember。〃
Dhugal's　jaw　tightened　visibly；　the　sun…amber　eyes　scared　and　a　little　desperate。
〃If　that's　what　you　want；　I'll　…　bow　to　your　wishes；　of　course；　but　…　dammit；　Kelson；　I　won't　let　myself　be　afraid　of　you！　God　knows；　I　don't　understand　what　you've　bee；　and　if　you'd　rather　I　didn't　watch；　I　…　I'll　let　you　put　me　to　sleep　or　whatever　you　feel　you　have　to　do。　I　don't　want　to　leave；　though。〃
The　courage　and　blind　trust　blazing　in　Dhugal's　face　as　he　looked　up　precluded　all　further　discussion。　Kelson's　grateful　〃Stay；　then；〃　was　more　mouthed　than　said；　but　Dhugal　understood。　His　shaky　smile　and　Kelson's　quick；　answering　grin　were　all　the　further　ment　necessary。　Together　they　moved　back　into　the　room　where　Caulay　slept。　Kelson　no　longer　worried。
The　old　man　snored　on　obliviously　as　Kelson　sat　down　on　the　right　side　of　the　bed　and　drew　a　few　deep　breaths　to　pose　himself；　centering　as　Morgan　had　taught　him。　He　did　not　touch　Caulay；　for　he　did　not　wish　to　alarm　Dhugal　in　these　early　stages。　Dhugal；　initially　skittish；　claimed　a　stool　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　bed　and　settled　down　to　watch；　but　gradually　even　he　responded　to　the　calm　and　stillness　radiating　from　the　king。　Like　Kelson；　his　breathing　soon　slowed　to　a　shallow；　even　cadence；　nimble　surgeon's　fingers　intertwined　passively　in　the　lap　of　his　kilt；　thumbs　brushing　tip　to　tip。
Reassured；　Kelson　shifted　attention　from　his　own　slow　breathing　to　that　of　Caulay；　gently　spreading　his　right　hand　across　the　old　man's　forehead　and　letting　his　thumb　and　little　finger　rest　lightly　on　the　closed　eyelids　for　a　few　seconds。　He　could　sense　the　blur　of　the　alcohol　as　he　sent　his　consciousness　cautiously　into　Caulay's；　but　he　quickly　bypassed　that　to　make　the　necessary　connections　for　what　must　be　done；　closing　his　eyes　as　he　felt　his　way　through　wine…drugged　dreams。
〃Listen　only　to　me；　Caulay；〃　he　whispered。
Dhugal's　tiny　start　of　surprise　caused　Kelson　to　glance　up　momentarily；　and　instinctively　he　sent　a　tendril　of　reassurance　in　the　other's　direction。　He　did　not　think　Dhugal　sensed　it　on　any　conscious　level；　but　the　young　border　lord　seemed　to　relax　again　almost　immediately；　releasing　a　guarded　sigh　as　he　leaned　forward　to　gaze　at　his　father's　placid　face。
〃Stay　deep　asleep　and　hear　only　my