kutzkattherine.the bishopsheir-第2部分
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l Ratharkin the following summer； both for greater ease of administration and to lessen the importance of Laas as a symbol of former Mearan sovereignty； but the ancient city remained； from time to time； a rallying point for cadet lines of the old royal house which waxed with each new generation and as swiftly waned whenever Haldane expeditions swept into the principality to quash the beginnings of revolt … and execute pretenders。 Malcolm and his son Donal were scrupulous about their periodic 〃Mearan housecleaning；〃 as Donal called it； but King Brion had taken such action only once during his reign； shortly after the birth of his own son。 The venture； while necessary； had been so personally distasteful that he had avoided even considering the need for a repeat campaign a generation later。
Now Brion's softness was likely to cost his son a throne。 The current Mearan Pretender had no cause to love King Kelson； for she had lost a husband as well as a child the last time a Haldane flexed his strength in Meara。 It was even rumored in Meara that an impassive Brion had watched the baby prince put to the sword … a lie promulgated by Mearan dissidents； though it was true that the child had died。 Soon afterward； the self…styled Princess Caitrin of Meara； descendant of Queen Roisian's twin； took as husband and consort the ambitious younger brother of one of Gwynedd's earls and disappeared into the mountains to breed rebellion and more pretenders … until Brion's death brought them out of hiding。 It was one of Caitrin's agents who had contacted Loris。
Sighing； Loris pressed his nose against the glass of his prison and watched an autumn squall…line crawl toward the shore from the northwest； well aware that many would regard what he was about to do as treason。 He did not。 It was a means to an end。 If he had learned one thing in more than half a century of service to his faith； it was that the integrity of Holy Mother Church depended upon temporal dealings as well as spiritual ones。 Higher loyalties than those binding him to any temporal lord bound him to his future course； for as bishop as well as priest he was duty…bound to root out evil and corruption。 Inevitably； the source of that corruption lay in the devil's brood called the Deryni。
The Deryni must be eradicated … every last one of them。 The time was past for leniency； for trying to save their souls。 Though Loris' mind recoiled at the thought of raising hand against an anointed king … Kelson； whom he himself had crowned … the thought of not raising hand against a servant of darkness on the throne repelled him even more。
The boy had put on a bold charade； but blood would always run true； in the end。 For the sake of every soul in Gwynedd； the Deryni heresy must be stamped out … and Edmund Loris would use whatever means he must to acplish that end。
CHAPTER ONE
He made him a lord of his house； and ruler of all his substance： to bind his princes at his pleasure。
Psalms 105：21…22
The Bishop of Meara was dead。 In more stable times； that fact might have elicited little more than academic interest on the part of Duke Alaric Morgan； for his duchy of Corwyn lay far on the other side of Gwynedd； well beyond the reach of any Mearan prelate's influence。 Bishops there were whose passing would have meant a personal loss to Morgan； but Carsten of Meara was not one of them。
This is not to say that Morgan had regarded Carsten as an enemy。 On the contrary； even though the old bishop had been of a very different generation； bred in an age when fear of magic had made far greater men rabid in their intolerance of such as Corwyn's Deryni duke； Carsten had never succumbed to the open hostility displayed by some。 When； on the premature accession of Kelson Haldane to the throne of Gwynedd； it had bee increasingly clear that the young king was somehow heir to magical abilities which the Church had e to condemn as heretical over the years … powers that Kelson intended to use for the protection of his kingdom … Carsten had retired quietly to his episcopal holdings in Meara； rather than choose between his fanatically anti…Deryni archbishop and his more moderate brethren who supported the king despite the questionable status of his Deryni soul。 The king's party had eventually prevailed； and the deposed Archbishop Loris languished even now in the secure Abbey of Saint Iveagh； high in the sea cliffs north of Carbury。 Morgan himself thought the sentence far too lenient to balance the harm Loris had done human…Deryni relations by his venom； but it had been the remendation of Loris' successor； the scholarly Bradene of Grecotha； and was actively supported by the majority of Gwynedd's other bishops。
No such majority prevailed in the consistory Morgan now watched in the chamber below； assembled in Culdi to elect old Carsten's successor。 The unexpected vacancy in the See of Meara had touched off old； old controversies regarding its tenure。 Mearan separatists had been agitating for a Mearan…born prelate for as long as Morgan could remember； and had been agitating in vain through the reigns of at least three Haldane kings。 This was the first time that young Kelson had had to face the ongoing argument； but with the king less than a fortnight past his seventeenth birthday； it was not likely to be the last。 Even now； he was addressing the assembled bishops in the chamber below； outlining the factors he wished them to consider in weighing the many candidates。
Suppressing a cough； Morgan shifted forward on the hard stone seat in the listening gallery and eased aside the heavy curtain to peer down。 He could see only Kelson's back from this angle； stiff and formal in a long scarlet court robe； but Conall； Prince Nigel's eldest son and second in line to the throne after his father； was visible in profile to Kelson's right； looking very bored。 The bishops themselves seemed attentive enough； but many of those watching from the tiered benches along the walls wore stormy faces。 Morgan could identify several of the principal aspirants to the vacant Mearan See。
〃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 o
