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〃Sorry； but I can't let you do that；〃 Dhugal replied。 〃You were unconscious。 Kelson； I don't know for how long； but you've got a concussion。 I…don't know how bad it is； but I want you to try to stay awake for a while。 You were practically atose。〃
Kelson blinked； a vague look shadowing the grey eyes。 〃atose？〃
〃In a a； unconscious；〃 Dhugal replied； suddenly wary。 〃Kelson； are you all right？〃 He paused a beat。 〃Do you remember what happened？〃
Kelson swallowed with difficulty and shook his head； but the movement made him wince。
〃I…have the feeling I should know what you're talking about； but I…〃
Suddenly； he went white as the singlet he wore； one hand shooting up to grasp the front of Dhugal's shirt in a death…grip。
〃Dear God； everything's blurring。 I can't breathe！ And my head…〃
Even as Kelson said it； Dhugal guessed the cause； thrusting a mental probe into the flask still in his hand and then flinging it across the cavern in rage。
How had he not noticed it？ There was merasha in the flask…not as high a concentration as what they had drunk with Arilan； but high enough…and something else besides。 He did not know what the rest was； but it seemed to be choking Kelson。 Already； the merasha was eroding what had remained of Kelson's shields in the wake of his head injury； and his breathing…
Desperately； Dhugal yanked the failing Kelson to a sitting position and rammed two fingers down his throat； holding them there relentlessly while Kelson gagged and retched and vomited up what he had drunk； giving Dhugal's fingers a fairly savage chewing in the process。 At the same time； he forced the full strength of his powers past Kelson's already tattered shields and seized control of his respiration center； forcing him to keep breathing。
Dhugal dared not hope that was sufficient； though； for whatever had been in the wine was already in Kelson's system…though hopefully not in fatal concentration…and its effects would get worse before they got better。 While the merasha might be slept off with only a fairly predictable disfort…though he had no idea how Kelson would weather the experience with his head injury…Dhugal had no notion what the other substance or substances might do。 He might not even be doing the right thing to make Kelson vomit… but he knew nothing else to do； under the circumstances。
And so； drawing strength from he knew not where； Dhugal dragged a weakly gasping Kelson back to the water's edge again and poured water down his throat from cupped hands； using physical strength； his skills as a battle surgeon； and even his Deryni powers to force the king to swallow； then repeated the process with the fingers down the throat。 He did this over and over again； each time forcing the king to swallow more water； each time getting weaker and weaker resistance…whether from his own man…handling or from the effect of the drugged wine； he had no way of knowing…until finally he sensed that further repetitions would only weaken his patient far more than any slight gain from continued treatment might warrant。
He sobbed as he held Kelson close； himself gasping for breath in harmony with Kelson's labored breathing…which would cease altogether if Dhugal relaxed his control at all。 With the part of his mind that was not occupied with keeping Kelson breathing and avoiding the merasha disruption as much as he could…which was achieved only by teeth…gritting single…mindedness…Dhugal scanned for other； less obvious wrongnesses that he might have missed in the horror of dealing with the immediate emergency of getting the drugged wine out of Kelson's stomach； but there seemed to be nothing。
Nothing besides the concussion damage； of course； which could not have been improved by the buffeting Dhugal had been forced to give his patient to flush out his stomach。 Since they were back by the water again； and whatever drying out Kelson might have managed before the crisis was obviously undone…both he and Kelson were drenched…Dhugal gently bathed the wound above Kelson's left ear。 He might as well find out the worst of the news。
But in the first piece of luck since he had opened his eyes in this Godforsaken place； Dhugal found the cut a superficial one…not the skull…splitting gash he had feared。 Most of the clotted blood washed away easily to reveal only a badly bruised lump over what he could sense； with powers and with fingertips； was the skull depression he had found before。 Nor was it quite as deep as he had first feared； though it was a serious injury。 For if Kelson's brain was swelling on the inside of the skull； the way his scalp was swelling on the outside…
Dhugal did not want to think about that。 Later； if there was absolutely no other choice； he might try to use his powers to gently lift the depressed bit of bone back into place； but he had seen too many head injuries as a result of battle not to know how risky it was to tamper with them physically。 He wished he had his father's healing talent； but； unfortunately； he had found no sign of such a blessing in the short tenure of his discovery of his powers。 He even considered trying to contact his father； the way he had contacted Kelson after last summer's terrible battle at Dorna； but he knew it was futile； alone and unsupported as he was； and so far from Rhemuth。
Besides； he did not even know if he could maintain what he was doing to keep Kelson breathing。 He would have to sleep eventually； after all。 He knew how to stave that off for a while； but not indefinitely。 And even the cost of delay was high； after too long。
What if Kelson was not yet breathing on his own again by then？ And even if he was； how long might that take？ What were they going to eat？ How were they going to get out of this place？ He had no idea where they were； for he had no idea how long they had been in the water or how long he had been unconscious。 They had started this mad episode in rugged country； from which it might take days to get a rescue party to them； even if they could find a way to make their whereabouts known。 Surely everyone could not have gone over the cliff with them…though he was certain that Dolfin and the monk had； and perhaps Conall and his squire as well。
But thinking about the others raised an interesting question： How had his wine gotten drugged？ For it was he who obviously had been the target of whomever it was who had decided to wreak mischief on this expedition。 Ciard； who had charge of Dhugal's things； was above suspicion…but who？ Merasha was a Deryni drug； generally available only to other Deryni； and not even to all of them； else Morgan would have been able to obtain some during the winter； and they would not have had to subject themselves to Arilan's harsh testing。 And no one else in the expedition was Deryni or had close contact with Deryni。
Of course； that had not stopped Edmund Loris and Gorony from obtaining merasha…so there must be human sources for it。 But who； in the expedition； would have a reason to want Dhugal dead or incapacitated？ And surely whoever had done it would have known that Kelson； too； might drink from Dhugal's flask。 It was a horrifying parallel to what had happened to Kelson's father…but who would have been poised to take advantage of their helplessness？