"Katherine Kurtz - Kelson 3 - The Quest for Saint Camber" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

progress."
"So long?"
"Well, frankly, I didn't expect you to master them so quickly. Finding
you the right set will take some time."
"Couldn't I borrow yours? That way, I could practice while I'm away."
"I-don't think that's a good idea," Tiercel replied. "For one thing, I
may need them. For another, it wouldn't do for someone to find them and deduce
what you've been doing with your spare time. Only a trained Deryni would have
any business with a set. Besides, you're flexing abilities you've never used
before. You have to build up your endurance. I'll bet you've got a headache
just from this afternoon's work."
Conall nodded grudgingly, kneading the bridge of his nose between thumb
and forefinger and trying te will the dull throb to recede. He'd been trying
to ignore it, but it was centered just behind his eyes.
"I have. It isn't too bad, though. Not as bad as some I've had."
"You're sure? I can give you something for it, if you like. You needn't
play the martyr, you know."
"I know. But if I take one of your potions, I'll still be groggy at
dinnertime. Someone might notice. I'll be all right."
"Very well. Suit yourself. I am pleased with your progress, however.
Today's gains should make it much easier when we continue with your training.
If only we'd had a few more weeks, I feel certain I could have taken you
before the Council by Midsummer."
Conall grimaced, but not from his headache. "I know you won't want to
believe this, coming from me, but under the circumstances, it's probably best
we have to wait," he said. "The Council isn't going to like it when we prove
that more than one Haldane can hold the Haldane power at a time. And when they
tell Kelson, he isn't going to like it. If he knew, he'd never let me be
knighted."
"What makes you so sure they'll tell Kelson?" Tiercel asked. "He isn't
exactly their favorite Deryni right now, you know. If he were on the Council,
it would be different, of course, but he isn't-the more fool, he."
"I still can't believe he turned down a Council seat," Conall muttered.
"I wouldn't have - not that I'm ever likely to be asked."
Conall cocked his head thoughtfully at his prize pupil as he stashed the
cube pouch in his satchel.
"That may not be as far-fetched as you think," he said quietly. "If you
keep progressing, there's no predicting how far you might go."
"And wouldn't that be a feather in your cap?" Conall returned, not even
blinking at the notion-which startled Tiercel. "You can't tell me you don't
have ambitions, too, Tiercel de Claron."
Tiercel shrugged. "Oh, I do. But they had included your rather
uncooperative cousin Kelson as well as yourself. And if declining the Council
seat wasn't enough, he had to recommend Morgan or Duncan in his place-or
Dhugal..."
"Dhugal!" Conall snorted. "What does that upstart border bastard know
about anything?"
Tiercel favored the sour-visaged prince with a wry little smile. "I must
assume that you mean the term bastard in the purely pejorative sense rather
than the literal one, since the holy fathers of the Church are even now about