ome as he felt for the pulse in Dhugal's wrist。 〃I'm sure he'll be all right in a few minutes。 Do you think the archbishop would mind if you raided his sacramental wine for a wee dram？〃
〃Ach； o'course not； Yer Grace。 Twill be just th' thing。 Wait ye here。〃
As the old man shuffled across the room； fumbling with a ring of keys hanging at his waist； Morgan leaned closer to Dhugal's ear。 The boy's breathing was shallow； his head leaned against the side of the press； eyes closed。
〃Dhugal； sit still and don't be surprised at anything you see；〃 he whispered； touching a forefinger to his lips for silence as the boy opened his eyes。 〃I think Brother Jerome is going to take a little nap。〃
Morgan could sense Dhugal's startled question through the fog of his distress； but he put it out of mind as he crossed to where Jerome was trying to match a key to the lock on the wine cabinet。
〃I know I hae th' key here somewhere；〃 Jerome was muttering。
〃Why don't you try that one？〃 Morgan said； deftly slipping one arm around the stooped shoulders as if to point one out； before he pressed his other hand over the old man's forehead and eyes。
〃Never mind； old friend。 Just go to sleep and forget all this；〃 he whispered。 〃That's right。。。〃
The old man was no challenge at all。 As he started to buckle at the knees； already deep asleep； Morgan shifted control and steadied him enough to walk him carefully back to the seat in the oriel window。 Soft snoring followed Morgan as he returned to the dazed and awestruck Dhugal。
〃Don't touch me；〃 Dhugal whispered； going rigid as Morgan took his hand and pulled him to his feet。 〃Please。 What did you do to that old man？ Where are we going？〃
〃I didn't hurt Brother Jerome； and I'm not going to hurt you；〃 Morgan said； only tightening his grip on Dhugal's wrist。 〃e stand here with me。 If you don't cooperate； it will only be more difficult for both of us。〃
〃No。 Please！〃
Shaking his head sympathetically； for there was no time to explain； Morgan half…dragged the reluctant Dhugal to the center of the room where the floor tiles marked out a squared cross just large enough for two people to stand side by side。 As he spun Dhugal away from him； clamping his hands on the boy's shoulders； Dhugal tried again to pull away。
〃If you can let yourself relax； this will be a great deal easier；〃 Morgan murmured； slipping one arm'around the boy's neck from behind for a choke hold if he did not stop struggling。 〃One way or another； I'm going to take you through something called a Transfer Portal。 It's a Deryni way of getting somewhere in a hurry。〃
〃It's … magic？〃 Dhugal gasped； panic flaring around him with an almost physical resistance。
Morgan sensed him drawing breath to cry out。 The last thing they needed was to attract more attention。 Biting back his annoyance； for it was hardly Dhugal's fault he was frightened； he tightened his arm across the boy's throat and clapped his other hand over the gasping mouth reaching out with his mind for the controls that would bring unconsciousness。 Dhugal only struggled harder； his fear and his now wildly pulsing shields making psychic control all but impossible unless Morgan wanted to risk really hurting him。 He nearly had to wrestle Dhugal to the floor before he could feel the choke hold starting to take its toll。
〃I'm sorry son；〃 he murmured； as he felt the dark start to swoop down on the boy's mind and Dhugal ceased his squirming。 〃But I told you； one way or the other； you're going。 I don't have time for niceties。 That's right；〃 he finished； as Dhugal slumped in his arms。
He could feel the Portal tingling beneath his feet as he straightened once again； shifting both arms to a firm hold around Dhugal's chest。 Drawing a deep breath and closing his eyes； he visualized his destination and opened his mind to the energies binding the two locations； reaching out to shift their balance。 Abruptly he was standing elsewhere in close darkness； Dhugal a dead weight in his arms。
Cautiously he felt along one er of the parment for the stud that would let them out； conjuring handfire with an impatient gesture when he could not readily locate the stud by touch alone。 By the greenish light； he found the stud at last … he had been searching the wrong er initially。 When he pushed it； the adjacent wall pivoted away from him with a soft hush of still air stirred； also pushing back a heavy tapestry that ordinarily concealed the door's outline。
The room beyond was deserted； softly lit by daylight filtering through the amber glass mullions of the window to their right。 A fireplace dominated the〃 left…hand wall； with a thick carpet covering the stone floor before it。 There Morgan laid the unconscious Dhugal； making a pillow of his cloak to cushion the boy's head。 A few soft…spoken words closed the door to the Portal chamber and brought flame to torches set in wall cressets。 As an afterthought； as Morgan knelt down beside the boy； he quenched the handfire hovering at his shoulder； no sense having that frighten Dhugal when he came to。
And there was certainly enough to frighten him without that。 Even in unconsciousness； the reaction triggered in the cathedral continued to pulse around Dhugal's tight…locked shields。 An added plication was the constant ache of his injuries； only aggravated by Morgan's less than gentle handling … but for that； at least； Morgan might have a solution。
〃Let's just see if I can heal around those shields；〃 he muttered to himself； quickly unlacing the thongs closing Dhugal's tunic front and the shirt beneath。
A wide bandage bound the bruised chest； but if Morgan took the time to remove it； Dhugal might regain consciousness before he was finished。 No matter。 He could work around it。 Laying his palms on Dhugal's chest above and below the turns of greyish linen； hands rising and falling with Dhugal's shallow breathing； he slid his fingertips as far under the bandage from either side as he could； already reaching out with his mind to read the damage as he closed his eyes and let out a long； slow breath。 Dhugal's shields were avoidable at this level … perceivable as an annoyance； a distraction； but they did not interfere。 Without further hesitation； Morgan shifted into the healing mode which had bee more and more second nature in the past three years； letting his senses extend through his hands and into Dhugal's body。
The damage was not great。 This healing would require very little drain of him； for life energy was not threatened。 Smoothly； Morgan set the healing process in motion； mending torn cartilage and muscle； knitting bone； sending rich； life…bearing blood to melt away the bruising； not only in Dhugal's chest but in all parts of his body。 He felt it in himself as a tingling and a resonance which reached to the furthest ers of his being； evoking such a surge of Joy that the pleasure was almost pain。 With that came the fleeting but familiar impression of unseen hands superimposed on his own … the Camber touch； as he had e to think of it。
Then the flow was slacking and he was opening his eyes； a little light…headed until he remembered to take a few deep breaths； he sometimes forgot to breathe as much as he should； when in his healing trance。 He blinked and settled back into normal consciousness； heaving another deep sigh； then began slowly undoing the bandages which still bound Dhugal's chest。 As he gently eased his patient to a half…sitting position against his knee； to unwind from behind； Dhugal's eyelids fluttered and he groaned。
〃Just take it easy； my young friend；〃 Morgan murmured； bracing the boy with one arm while he continued to unwind the bandage。 〃You'll be fine in a few seconds。 I'm sorry I had to take you out the way I did； but it was either that or hit you。 It seemed to me you'd had enough of hitting lately。 And it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to use the approach I used on Brother Jerome。〃
〃On Brother Jerome … 〃 Dhugal repeated groggily。 〃What did you … what're you doing？〃
〃Taking off your bandages。〃
〃But … 〃
〃Well； you don't need them anymore；〃 Morgan replied； pulling the last turn free of Dhugal's shirt and sitting back on his heels to begin winding the linen into a roll as he saw that Dhugal was capable of sitting on his own。
Dhugal