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〃Did something？〃 Arilan cocked his head。 〃I'm not sure what you mean。〃
〃Well； Dhugal is an unknown quantity to your Council folk。 No one besides yourself has had any kind of look at his mind； and even you haven't tried to read him since you've known he's my son。 You don't suppose Tiercel would have taken that upon himself； do you？〃
〃You mean； to e into Dhugal's room while he slept and try to do a probe without him being aware？〃
〃Well； yes。〃
Arilan sat back on the edge of the hearth and considered； his amethyst glittering in the firelight as he pleated an edge of his cloak between restless fingers。
〃No； I shouldn't think so。 Nigel； I could possibly see him being interested in you； because of his preoccupation with the notion that the Haldane potential is not limited to the sovereign and his principal heir。 For that matter； he might even have had an interest in Conall…though Conall's such an arrogant little son of a bitch； I shouldn't think Tiercel would bother。 Sorry； Nigel； but your eldest son can be very tedious。〃
Nigel sighed。 〃I know。 I keep hoping maturity will temper him。〃
〃Hmmm； no doubt it will；〃 Arilan replied。 〃As for Dhugal； however…and no slight intended to your son； Duncan…he really isn't anything that would particularly interest Tiercel： only part Deryni； and hardly trained at all。 Given Tiercel's snobbery about such things； it simply doesn't make sense。〃
But neither did any of the other half…dozen explanations they tried on one another in the next little while； before Arilan reluctantly prepared to make the jump back to Valoret。
〃There is something else that may or may not mean anything；〃 Arilan said。 〃If Tiercel was intending any mischief with someone here in the castle plex…Dhugal or anyone else…he probably would have been carrying a set of ward cubes。 There were none on him； and so far we've found none in any of the several houses we know he kept。 Or he might have had them in a pouch or satchel； along with Deryni…specific drugs。 He used to do a fair amount of training for us。 But you didn't find anything like that； did you； Duncan？〃
Duncan had not found anything； but that proved nothing； either。 So Nigel wrote the appropriate letters informing Kelson of Tiercel's death and querying Dhugal further。 These Arilan agreed to forward to the king's party the next morning； along with the other； routine correspondence that Duncan already had taken as far as Valoret。 When the bishop had gone； Father Shandon was roused and sent off to bed with suitable instructions to forget what he had seen and heard； and both Duncan and Nigel retired for much needed sleep； only mildly concerned for Dhugal。 The next morning； life in Rhemuth resumed its usual routine when the king and court were not present。
And Arilan's activities in Valoret settled back into routine as well； once he had written his own letters and sent an episcopal courier off to find Kelson。 He had missed little the previous afternoon that could not be filled in by a quick perusal of the day's transcripts and counted himself fortunate that he could fill in what gaps remained by means of a few minutes casual reading of a willing Cardiel； who knew what had happened back in Rhemuth and had covered Arilan's absence quite handily。 The synod was proceeding apace with the business of chastising and replacing many of its number。
The first major item on the bishops' agenda had already been acplished before Arilan was called back to Rhemuth…the election of a new incumbent to the vacant See of Meara； whose filling the previous year had so convoluted the Mearan political situation。 The choice this time was one John FitzPadraic； an itinerant bishop considered somewhat prematurely before Henry Istelyn's election； but whose levelheaded conduct in the Mearan outlands during the Mearan crisis…always on the move to avoid contact with the Mearan rebels…had only enhanced his reputation as an even…tempered； moderate churchman of proven loyalty to his legitimate superiors as well as the crown； well suited to take mand of the still volatile see that was junior only to Valoret and Rhemuth。
Bishop FitzPadraic's election had raised the number of titled bishops not under suspension to nine…Valoret； Rhemuth； Meara； Grecotha； Dhassa； Coroth； Cardosa； Stavenham； Marbury…giving the synod the three…fourths quorum desirable for trying the remaining three。 The trials of those three had proceeded pro forma； with unanimity uncertain only over the question of whether Creoda； the suspended Bishop of Culdi； should also be turned over to secular justice for trial on the charge of treason…and an almost certain capital sentence…in addition to being deprived of his office and imprisoned for the rest of his life； as was the decision regarding Belden of Erne and Lachlan de Quarles； the suspended bishops of Cashien and Ballymar； respectively。
In the end； Creoda was spared secular trial； but only by the narrowest of margins。 And disposition on the three being agreed； the nine wasted no time filling the newly vacant sees with three of the most promising from among the itinerant bishops： the loyal Hugh de Berry for Ballymar； in Kiemey； as further reward for his continued service to the crown after leaving Loris' employ four years before； for Culdi； one Bevan de Torigny； a former abbot of the respected Ordo Vox Dei in Grecotha and a master lecturer at the university there； young and flexible regarding the Deryni question； who had long ago stated his support of the move to restore Culdi's most notorious son to his status as a saint； and another scholar； James MacKenzie； for the border See of Cashien。 Since the elections exactly paralleled the remendations Kelson had made to Cardiel； and the three were already bishops； they had been seated immediately in their new capacities； thus filling all twelve titled sees。 Arilan had no doubt that the king would approve the actual elections。
And that had brought the synod to its next phase…an intermediate process to interview candidates for the five itinerant bishoprics subsequently vacant or vacant before…the task in which they had been engaged the day before； when Duncan's arrival pulled Arilan temporarily from the evaluations。 A second such set of deliberations would follow after the disposition of five more itinerant bishops under suspension； whose fate had yet to be decided； but who certainly would be deprived of office； even if allowed to return to parish work as simple priests on a probationary basis。 At least the first phase of the selection process promised to go moderately quickly； for the findings of a similar set of interviews not two years past had already been refined and studied during the past winter。
Thus it was that Arilan was able to daydream a little as Bishop Siward of Cardosa questioned a priest named Jodoc d'Armaine； wondering what reaction his letters would bring when they reached Dhugal and the king in the next day or so。
The king； meanwhile； was happily engrossed in one of the more whimsical aspects of his quest for Saint Camber。 The royal party had slept at Saint Bearand's Abbey the previous night； and would sleep there again before heading out； for the next day promised an arduous climb to the pass leading out to the pl