"Katherine Kurtz - 02 - King's Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

Meraude smiled and laid one hand on her swollen abdomen as her husband followed Kelson out, glancing aside at Jehana wistfully when the door had closed behind them. Jehana looked a bit taken aback, as if she could not quite believe how Kelson had managed his escape.
"He's become quite the young man while you were away, hasn't he?" Meraude said.
Jehana lowered her gaze. "I hardly recognize him," she whispered. "He's so stem and warlike-and grown-up."
"Children do that," Meraude answered gently. "I'm having to face the same realization about Conall. And Rory comes of age in the fall as well-though fourteen-year-olds still have a little time for being boys yet."
"Mine didn't," Jehana murmured.
"True. But Kelson was already a king by the time he turned fourteen. For Rory to face a similar circumstance would require tragedy indeed. No, Rory is my little boy for yet a while longer-and Payne, of course. And soon there'll be the new baby for loving. But I do hope this one will be a girl."
Jehana grimaced. "A girl, to become a pawn one day for a royal marriage?"
"A girl, to marry where her heart dictates, if God wills it," Meraude replied. "With three older brothers to carry on the line, I see little reason to force her into any marriage she would not want. Or perhaps she will prefer marriage with the Church. I gather that would not displease you."
Jehana smiled bitterly, tracing a fingertip through a small spill of ale on the table before her. "Would that my marriage had been with the Church, and saved the passing of the taint I carry within me," she' murmured.
"And what of Kelson, if you had?" Meraude countered. "Aside from the fact that Kelson would not have been Kelson, given another mother, where would he have been without your inheritance and protection when he had to face Charissa?"
"He might have died," Jehana conceded. "But at least he would have been human, his soul unsullied by the Deryni curse I placed upon him by bearing him."
Shaking her head, Meraude pushed herself heavily back from the table. "You won't let go of it, will you? You're Deryni, Jehana. Nothing you can do will change that. But perhaps it doesn't have to be a curse. Surely it's possible some good might come of it."
"I fear you listen far too much to my son," Jehana said sadly. "It is a curse, Meraude. It is a canker that festers within me-and here at my son's court. Nor may I rest until I find a way to exorcise it."

Exorcism of a far different sort than Jehana had in mind was underway in another part of the castle, performed by a man who bore the very taint Jehana feared. Murmuring ritual words of purification. Bishop Duncan McLain slowly paced the circumference of the tiny Saint Camber chapel adjoining his study, methodically sprinkling the chamber with water from a silver aspergillum. Incense already hung lightly on the air. From the doorway leading back into the study, Dhugal watched and made the responses, eyes following his father's every move with reverence and respect. They had finished nearly all the other preparations necessary before the rest arrived. The censing and asperging of the chapel was the final touch, done as much to center and steady the two participants as to cleanse a room long sanctified by its sacred use.
"Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor."
"Amen."
"Pax huic domui."
"El omnibus habitantibus in ea."
Peace be to this house...
And to all who dwell in it...
When they had done, and Duncan had put aside that paraphernalia of his office, father and son returned to the study, Duncan drawing into place the curtain that normally covered the door. Dhugal lingered a moment, eyeing the curtain with still-awed speculation as Duncan took a seat at the round table set before the room's fireplace. One candle burned at the center of that table, giving the only illumination save for the firelight. After a moment, Dhugal came and joined his father, though he still continued to glance at the curtained doorway from time to time.
"The chapel retains quite an impression of power, doesn't it?" Duncan said, smiling at Dhugal's startled glance in his direction. "I'm not surprised you'd notice. Saint Camber does seem to make his influence felt. And if you'd had the experiences Alaric and I have had, the difference between this chapel and most others would be even more apparent. Our good Deryni saint can be a very powerful intercessor."
Dhugal shifted a little uneasily. "Do you-really think he intervenes in earthly affairs? Does any saint?"
"Well, it's difficult ever to be certain, of course," Duncan replied. "Alaric and I know that a few of the things we'd ascribed to Saint Camber right after Kelson was crowned seem to have been done by-" He lowered his eyes. "By someone else," he finished. "I'm sorry, but I'm not permitted to say whom, even to you. It was a former member of the Camberian Council, but they've asked that we never mention names."
"I don't mean to pry," Dhugal protested.
Duncan smiled. "I know you don't, son. In any case, some of the things we'd ascribed to Camber weren't done by anyone we know of-so maybe he did intervene. Whenever I spend any time in that chapel, I begin to believe he did."
Dhugal glanced at the curtain again, then back at Duncan. "Kelson told me that's where you and Morgan did the ritual that invested him with power. Is that why we're doing Nigel's there?"
"In part," Duncan admitted. "However, it's also appropriate that we invoke Camber's special patronage, since it's said he was the first to give Deryni magic to any Haldane, more than two hundred years ago. And until his name is vindicated, as I'm certain it will be, one day, this may well be the only chapel in Gwynedd that's consecrated to him."
"Oh." Dhugal thought about that for a moment. Then: "Did-Kelson's father also receive his power in there?"
"I don't think so. Alaric had to do with that one-not I- several years before Kelson was born. He was even younger than you. As I understand it-"
A knock at the door cut off further retelling of that story, and Duncan rose to admit Morgan and Richenda.
"If Kelson weren't my king, I'd be tempted to box his royal ears for making me sit in for him at table tonight," Morgan said, as he and Richenda shed their hooded cloaks in the warm room. "Do you have any idea how boring it was, having to play at being the gracious host while I knew you and Dhugal were already here, making preparations? And why is it so hot in here?"
"Because," said Richenda, loosening the throat of his tunic, "the windows are closed and you've let yourself get in a dither." She glanced at Duncan. "I suspect it will be warmer still in the chapel, with as many bodies as we're going to have generating heat. Is there any ventilation in there?"
Duncan smiled and shook his head as he seated her at the table.
"Very little, I'm afraid. We'll just have to cope as best we can."
A second knock at the door heralded the arrival of Arilan, immediately bringing a greater degree of formality to the gathering. He glanced half disapprovingly at Dhugal as he swept past all of them to inspect the preparations in the chapel, calling Duncan to join him for several minutes.
When the two bishops rejoined the others now waiting expectantly around the table, Arilan automatically assumed the role of senior, gesturing briskly for them to be seated as he took his seat. He did not seem to notice that Morgan and Richenda had neatly interposed themselves to either side of him, thus shielding him from close proximity to either Duncan or Dhugal. Later on, Arilan would be too busy to notice any hint of the true relationship between father and son, but for now, it had been agreed that they would take no chances.
"Naturally, it will be Kelson's part to direct matters when we actually begin," Arilan said quietly. "However, until he and our-ah-subject actually arrive, I believe a period of meditation would not be amiss for any of us. A great deal of this will be new to young Dhugal, so I suggest we join hands around the table before we begin centering. The physical link will help to balance out the disparities in our levels of experience."
An expected hint of condescension was in his tone, but even Dhugal sensed Arilan meant well. Without demur they joined hands and obeyed, gazing through the candleflame for focus at first, then gradually dropping, one by one, into deeper rapport; breathing more slowly, eyes closing, even Dhugal easing at last into calm, floating receptivity, passive yet alert, waiting for king and kin. ...

And in the castle, the king led their intended subject into a darkened apartment that had been his own as prince. It was Dhugal's now. The door was not locked, but even if it had been, that would not have stopped a Deryni of any training whatsoever.
Drawing Nigel into the gloom and closing the door behind him. Kelson paused just a moment to conjure handfire. The faintly crimson ball of light cupped in his left palm revealed a tight-jawed and apprehensive-looking Nigel, now that there was no need to maintain the facade of casual competence he had worn all through supper. Concerned, Kelson motioned Nigel farther into the room, away from the door, pausing before the darkened fireplace to turn and glance at his father's brother with apparent casualness of his own, though his next words came of a far from casual concern for the response he would receive.
"You don't want to back out, do you? Because even if you did, at this late date, I couldn't let you."
Nigel managed a shaky grin and a chuckle. "Kelson, I outweigh you by half. What would you do? Knock me out and carry me to-where is it that we're going, by the way?"
"You'll see," Kelson replied. "And I'm sure you know that I hadn't in mind to use any physical force."
"I hadn't thought you would." Nigel took a deep breath. "I am nervous, though. You don't begrudge me that, do you?"
Kelson moved a step closer, relieved, and shook his head. "Of course not. I can ease a little of that for the time being, though, if you'd like."
"Do it, then," Nigel whispered. "But I want to be back in complete control before it's time for-the other."
"You can depend on it," Kelson said, raising his right hand to touch Nigel's forehead as he locked the grey eyes with his own. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath...."