"Katherine Kurtz - Kelson 2 - King's Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

Nor had the Church's suspicion of magic arisen only with the coming of
the Deryni. Extraordinary or seemingly miraculous occurrences outside the
limits defined by Scripture had always fallen under the wary scrutiny of those
whose function it was to guard the purity of the faith; and irresponsible use
of magic, either by or in the service of the new overlords, only tended to
reinforce the belief that magic was very likely evil. As reaction set in after
their overthrow, ecclesiastical restrictions followed close on civil
reprisals, and the Deryni themselves came to be regarded as evil, even though
there had been Healers and holy men among them. The Church's hostility toward
the Deryni as a race continued to the present, even though civil restrictions
had begun to abate in the last two decades. Outside the Council, not a dozen
persons knew Bishop Denis Arilan's true identity as Deryni-and he was one of
only two Deryni priests he knew.
Nor was that other Deryni priest free of controversy, though his Deryni
blood was almost as well kept a secret outside the Council as Arilan's. Father
Duncan McLain, recently become Duke of Cassan, Earl of Kierney, and also a
bishop, was Deryni only on his mother's side - a half-breed, in the eyes of
the Council - but they held him at least partially responsible for the king's
continued reluctance to accept Council guidance.
For Kelson had been assisted to power, both civil and magical, not by
the Council, with its emphasis on "proper" training and formal recognitions,
but by Duncan and his equally half-breed cousin Alaric Morgan, the powerful
but grudgingly respected Deryni Duke of Corwyn, both of whose mastery of their
powers had come largely from chance and their own hard work.
So might Kelson also have been counted-half-breed and, therefore,
outside the pale of Council protection-were it not for his father's Haldane
blood, and the addition that made to his already powerful Deryni heritage. It
was the former that concerned the Council today, as rebellion grew in one of
Gwynedd's western provinces and her king prepared to designate his uncle as
his heir before going on campaign to quell it, having yet no heir of his own
body.
"Well, he does no service to Prince Nigel if he does succeed in what he
plans," old Vivienne said, shaking her grey head in disapproval. "Once Nigel
has tasted even a part of the Haldane potential, he may not be eager to give
it up."
"He will have to give it up, once Kelson has a son," Arilan said.
"And if he refuses, or he cannot?" asked Barren de Laney, from Arilan's
right, senior member of the Council and Coadjutor with the older woman seated
across from him. "I know you believe Nigel's scruples to be as pure as your
own, Denis-and indeed, they may be. But suppose Kelson can't reverse the
process. Will you be able to reverse it, if he cannot?"
"I, personally? Of course not. But Nigel-"
Across the table. Tiercel de Claron yawned indolently and slouched a
little deeper in his chair.
"Oh, we needn't worry on that account," he said, his voice edged with
sarcasm. "If Denis can't undo it, and Kelson can't, I'm sure someone will find
a way simply to eliminate our good Prince Nigel. That's what will have to
happen, you know," he added, looking up, at several mutters of indignation.
"After all, we can't have more than one Haldane holding the power at once,
now, can we?"