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〃Bluidy fond of burning； they were；〃 Dhugal muttered darkly； his border accent oddly noticeable。
Kelson flashed his foster brother a speculative glance。
〃All right； Saer； we're going on in。 We shouldn't be too long。〃
〃Aye； Kelson；〃 came Saer's low reply。
Kelson conjured more handfire as he followed Dhugal farther into the ruin； crimson to Dhugal's silver； and set it to floating just above head level behind him。 The footing continued to be very uneven under the water。 Marauders had been thorough in their destruction of the place； and the passage of time had not improved on the state of things。
〃Look here；〃 Dhugal called； bending over a broken slab of marble just ahead。 〃Bollard MacRorie； Sextus es… Sixth Earl of Culdi。 I can't quite make out the dates； but it looks like 808 to 871。 Would that make him Camber's father？〃
Shuffling his feet to keep from splashing； Kelson moved closer to see what Dhugal had found； bending to pick up gingerly a piece of jawbone gleaming just under the surface of the water beside it。
〃I should think so；〃 he said。 〃Wasn't Camber the seventh earl？ Look at this。〃
〃Hmmm； good teeth；〃 Dhugal observed； turning his attention back to another piece of slab jutting from the water beyond the first one。 〃This one says Bollard MacRorie； too； but it's a later date： 877 to 888。 Why； he was just a boy。 And here's another set of dates； 876 to 888； but the part with the first name's broken off。 Why in God's name did they have to destroy the tombs of children？〃
Kelson shook his head。 〃Mankind has done a lot of stupid； wasteful things in God's name； Dhugal。 When has any of this sort of thing made sense？〃
He moved on past the spot where Dhugal was scrubbing at a film of moss growing on another marker stone and nearly fell as his boot slipped on a step going down。 He must be very close to where the Camberian shrine once had been； for he was almost at the end of the chamber。 But the water was deeper ahead； at least half a dozen steps leading down to the lower level of the final section of the crypt。 He sent his handfire ahead； but there was little to see。 Burned…out stubs of beams and ancient chapel furniture jutted from the water； interspersed with broken slabs of marble； and several tomb niches yawned wide and empty in the back wall。 He thought he might be able to work his way a little closer by balancing on some of the underwater debris； but there seemed little point。
〃What do you think？〃 Dhugal asked； sloshing to his side。 〃Do you really want to get even wetter than you are？〃
Kelson wrinkled his nose in distaste。 〃Not particularly。 It's at least waist deep down there； and one can see from here that the tombs are all empty。 Besides； whether one believes that Camber's body was assumed into heaven from here or that his son moved it to another resting place； it hasn't been here for over two hundred years。〃
〃Well； we knew that before we came。〃
〃True。 But I wanted to see for myself。 I might try one other thing before we leave； though；〃 Kelson added； picking his way carefully to the left until he could lean against a rough； slanted chunk of granite that had fallen from the arch。 〃e and give me a little support。 I'm going to try to cast for psychic impressions that may still be lingering。〃
Dhugal frowned； though he came dutifully； if soggily； to stand beside the king。
〃You'll be opening yourself up to a lot of garbage besides Camber； if you're not careful。 And all of this mayhem is a lot more recent than anything that might remain of him。〃
〃True；〃 Kelson conceded。 〃None of it is likely to be very powerful after so long； though。 I ought to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff without too much trouble。〃
〃Well； you know your own abilities。 What do you want me to do？〃
〃Just give me your hand and stand by to brace my shields；〃 Kelson said。 〃One way or another； this isn't going to take long。〃
Dhugal's hand was cold in his as Kelson closed his eyes and let himself slip easily into trance； bolstered by Dhugal's support。 He went cautiously at first； only gradually slipping his shields to let impressions from his surroundings begin filtering through。
Intimations of lingering violence came through most strongly； of course； just as expected； but he was able to shift that aside with relative ease。 Actual images of what had happened here were harder to divert…the sacrilege of the shrine's destruction； the tombs broken open and plundered； and bones； half…deposed bodies； and even partially mummified remains dumped unceremoniously into the pyre whose fire eventually had brought down part of the roof。
Kelson winced at the intensity of it； letting a little of it spill over for Dhugal's reading。 But there was nothing of the presence he had e to associate with Saint Camber。 It was almost as if the saint had never been here。 He was shaking his head as he came out of trance。
〃No luck？〃 Dhugal asked； blinking himself back to full awareness as well。
〃Not really。〃 Kelson gave the ruined chamber another visual scan； then called his handfire back。 〃Maybe we'll have better luck at Iomaire； where he died。 We'll be there next week。 Did you want to look at anything else？〃
〃No； I just want to get my feet dry；〃 Dhugal quipped； lifting one wet boot clear of the water。 〃I could also use some food。 Even the Lenten fare of our hosts at Saint Bearand's will be wele； with the empty pit I've got in my stomach。〃
The remark reminded Kelson that he was hungry； too； and the two of them jested about food as they made their way back to the entry hole and called for Saer and Dolfin to let down a rope。
The king had not yet returned to Saint Bearand's when Arilan's courier finally caught up with the king's party there at midafternoon。 He was not expected back much before dusk。 Earl Roger and a few of the men…at…arms had gone out for a gallop after the noon meal； and Jass and many of the others were still hunting； so Conall was the ranking knight present when the courier arrived。
Hence； it was he to whom the courier reported； when he had made himself known to the Haldane lancer on duty at the abbey gate； and since Conall was the king's cousin and at least a few of the letters were addressed to him in particular； the courier turned over the dispatch pouch without demur and went on to the refectory to sup on the sparse abbey fare of a Lenten Friday。
Conall's stomach tried to tie itself into knots as he took the pouch into the room he had been assigned。 His squire was there； mending a strap on a breast collar off one of the sumpter horses； but Conall put him deeply and somewhat precipitously to sleep before upending the pouch on the rug in front of the fireplace and sorting quickly through the letters。 Those addressed to himself； one each from his mother and his two brothers； he put aside immediately； for he could deal with them later； after Kelson returned； but those addressed to the king he scanned without opening； using the talent Tiercel had taught him for reading a sealed letter。
Not unexpectedly； most were from Nigel and dealt with the day…to…day running of the kingdom…the usual sorts of dispatches sent to a king while away from his capital； to keep him generally informed as to what was occurring in his abse