who had worn fine linen and silk and furs before being deprived of his office！ Two years of the sparse； simple fare of the Fratri Silentii had pared a handspan from an already trim waist and honed the hawk…like features to even sharper definition； but the hunger which gnawed at Loris now had nothing to do with physical appetites。 As he laid one hand flat against the window glass； his eye was caught by the amethyst on his finger … sole reminder left him of his former rank … and he savored the words of the letter next to his heart。
Meara will bow no more to a Deryni king； the missive had said； echoing his own determination。 If this plan meets with your approval； ask shriving of a monk named Jeroboam who shall e within the week to preach； and be guided by his advice。 Until Laas。。。。
Laas。 The very name conjured images of ancient glories。 It had been the capital of an independent Meara a hundred years before the first Haldanes came to Gwynedd。 From Laas； sovereign Mearan princes had ruled as proudly as any Haldane； and over lands by no means less fair。
But Jolyon； the last Mearan prince； had sired only daughter？ by the time he lay dying a century before； and the eldest； Roisian； was only twelve。 To prevent the rending of his lands by avaricious guardians； regents； and suitors； Jolyon willed his coronet and the hand of Roisian to the strongest man he could find： Malcolm Haldane； newly crowned King of Gwynedd； a respected former adversary。
But Jolyon's final act found little favor with Meara's native sons； the prince had read his nobles well。 Before Malcolm could even bed his young bride； dissident Mearan knights abducted both of the queen's sisters and proclaimed the elder； Roisian's twin； Meara's sovereign princess。 Malcolm put down the ensuing rebellion in less than a month； capturing and hanging several of the ringleaders； but he never did locate the stolen princesses … though he encountered their heirs many times in the years which followed。 He moved Meara's territorial capital from Laas to the more central 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