«I trust that you will not object to being Truth-Read during this interview», said the woman to his right. «Coming directly to the point, we are minded to offer you the seat left vacant by the passing of Sief MacAthan». She gestured toward the empty chair between herself and Barrett, before which lay a slender ivory wand of office and one perfect rose, creamy white and emerald green against the more yellowed ivory of the table.

«Ordinarily, we would have secured your agreement to this appointment before seeking your counsel», she went on, «but a certain urgency attends our deliberations, because of the manner of Sief’s passing. Therefore, this trial of your functioning among us. If you should choose not to accept this burden, you will be free to go, though we will require a bound oath not to reveal what you shall have seen and heard here. In the meantime, however, we would value your opinion regarding the circumstances that have left our numbers thus reduced. Incidentally, you know me somewhat, though we have never met. I am Dominy de Laney, Barrett's sister».

He had turned his gaze to her as she spoke, aware of the touch of their minds against his. With a quick glance at Barrett — who had, indeed, mentioned a sister, many years go — Khoren gave a faint nod that was both acknowledgement and assent, already turning his thoughts to what little he knew of the dead man besides a name.

«I — gather that the death of Sief MacAthan was unexpected», he said uncertainly. «Was he killed, or did he die of natural causes?»

«That was our question as well», Michon replied. «The official statement from the court of Donal Haldane of Gwynedd would have it that Sief’s heart failed him shortly after the birth of his son, in the presence of his wife and the king, who could do nothing. On its face, this much is true».

«But there is more», Khoren supplied.

Michon gave a nod. «What could not have been known in Rhemuth is that Sief was present in this chamber no more than a few hours before his death. He seemed in excellent spirits, and had certainly never exhibited any sign of ill health».

Khoren's gaze flicked to Michon. «And you conclude —?»

«We do not believe that a failing heart caused Sief’s death», Michon replied, «or, if it did, its failure was helped along. By magic. At the beckoning of Donal Haldane. Possibly with the connivance of Sief’s wife — who, you may recall, is Jessamy ferch Lewys, the daughter of Lewys ap Norfal. We further wonder whether Jessamy's son may not be Sief’s at all, but Donal's, and that it was this discovery that may have triggered a confrontation between the two men».

Khoren's jaw had dropped farther with each of Michon's disclosures, and his mind was whirling with the implications.

«But — you mentioned magic. Yet Donal Haldane…»

«The Haldane kings are capable of wielding power very like our own», said the woman seated next to Michon, «and without having to go through extensive training in order to access those powers. What they do require is the assistance of a Deryni — or so we have always believed».

«But, who-»

«We suspect that Jessamy may have been responsible», Barrett supplied, «but if she was not, we find this possibly even more alarming, because it would mean that there is another powerful Deryni at the Haldane court who is unknown to us. We aren't sure how the fathering of the child fits into this», he added, less confidently, «or even that we're right about its paternity. But Sief’s body was examined, and signs of magical interference were found. From the king».

The implications of that alone, Khoren found staggering — that Donal Haldane had acquired sufficient power and knowledge to overcome a full Deryni as well trained as Sief must have been.

As to how he had acquired it — that, too, had sobering implications. The possibilities were equally frightening, if in different ways. If Jessamy had helped him, that was one thing; an unknown Deryni was another matter entirely, for it could possibly realign the entire balance of Deryni influence on a larger scale. And it occurred to Khoren to wonder whether Donal Haldane possibly could have done it on his own….

Khoren shook his head, reluctant to believe any of it — though he had no reason to doubt what he was being told. Although, as a prince of Andelon, he had no direct interest in the affairs of Gwynedd, he was well aware that Gwynedd had long been a ground of contention between Deryni and the very much larger human population — legacy of a careless and often irresponsible interregnum in Gwynedd nearly two centuries before, set in place by Deryni invaders from Torenth to the east, which had triggered a vicious backlash against Deryni, once human rule was restored.

For a time, the violence had spilled over into the lands surrounding Gwynedd, so that even the more benevolent of Deryni rulers had been obliged to curtail much of their previous interaction with Gwynedd. Only recently had that begun to ease — though matters for Deryni in Gwynedd remained extremely delicate.

Given this background, and the incontrovertible fact that Sief’s wife appeared to be involved in some sort of relationship with Donal of Gwynedd, Khoren decided that it was Jessamy who was the true key to this present situation. Though it would be useful to know how Donal had acquired access to his powers, the fact remained that he had them, he had used them to kill Sief MacAthan, and Jessamy had been present when he did it.

Most alarming of all was the prospect that the daughter of Lewys ap Norfal might have followed in the footsteps of her father, who had defied the Council's authority, for the Council had been a powerful check on many a would-be tyrant among ambitious Deryni. If Jessamy had, indeed, enabled Donal Haldane to best one of the finest Deryni minds known — for such Sief surely must have been, to be part of the Camberian Council — the implications were serious, indeed. And this was all apart from the possibility that she might have meddled with the succession of the ruling House of Haldane — who were human, but also something more, very like Deryni — by bearing a Haldane by-blow…

Such a child would actually be a double threat, both a Haldane and a grandson of Lewys ap Norfal — and that, too, must be dealt with. He wondered whether it might be possible to steal away the child — for certainly, it would be dangerous in the extreme, to let him remain under his mother's influence, if he was, indeed, Donal Haldane's son. Indeed, if the boy was Donal's son…

«It may be necessary to kill the child», he found himself saying, somewhat to his horror. «If Donal Haldane has fathered a son on the daughter of Lewys ap Norfal, it cannot be allowed to reach maturity».

«Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour».[7]

Khoren’s flat statement only verbalized what the rest of them had been reluctant to voice. Though killing was not unknown to the Camberian Council, either to protect other Deryni or to thwart illicit activities by wayward exemplars of their race, it was usually in the context of defense or judicial execution, even if made to look like death by natural or accidental causes. To take the life of an innocent babe, even a potentially dangerous one, required a ruthlessness that was anathema to any civilized society. Further, it smacked of the policies of pitiless extermination that had characterized the years of Deryni persecution following the Haldane Restoration. Yet to let the child live only added to the possible danger, and made its eventual elimination all the more heart-wrenching for all concerned.

«What if the child is not Donal's?» Dominy murmured, looking as distressed as the rest of them felt. «And even if it is, it might not manifest potentials that would be dangerous. Surely we can afford to delay, until we know for certain».