Camber the Heretic

by Katherine Kurtz

  “You could say that,” Evaine replied, “though that knowledge must never leave this room. Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that we—discovered a potential for the assumption of power in Cinhil, and then we devised a setting whereby we could activate that potential in him.” She glanced at Rhys. “We never thought in terms of a Healer being a necessary component of the working, though. And I honestly don’t think it was a factor for Cinhil. A Healer does seem to be necessary for what Rhys did to Gregory. I wasn’t able to do it.”

  “It should be easy enough to test, then,” Jebediah said. “Let Rhys see whether he can give Deryni powers to just any human. Have you ever tried that, Rhys?”

  Rhys shook his head. “No, but I don’t think it would work.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I think Cinhil and his line are a special case, where that’s concerned. There may be others, but I’ve never met one. As for a Healing connection, quite frankly, it never occurred to me until Joram mentioned it, but I don’t think that’s valid, either. I can feel the power go out of me when I Heal, and I didn’t feel that with Cinhil. Besides, a similar working was done on Cinhil’s sons last night, and I wasn’t even an active part of that. I was outside the circle almost the entire time.”

  Jaffray rapped with his knuckles for their attention.

  “All right, I think that’s a moot point, then—the giving of power. Rhys, you might run some tests on a few selected humans, but I have to agree that I don’t think anything will happen. Let’s go back to Gregory, though. Do you have any idea how long his condition would have lasted, if you hadn’t restored him?”

  Rhys shook his head wistfully. “I would have to assume, based on our admittedly limited knowledge to date, that it would have remained in effect until the process was reversed. Oh, it’s possible that one’s powers might eventually return spontaneously, but who’s to say? It’s equally possible that the results might be permanent, if no one intervened. And with a memory block, one wouldn’t even know to try to regain one’s powers.”

  “What a chilling thought!” Evaine breathed, unable to prevent a small shudder of dread. “Pushing that concept to its horrifying but logical conclusion, imagine what could happen if—well, I don’t suppose humans could learn to do what Rhys does, but if they could subvert enough of our own people who could be taught to do it, why—within less than a generation, there might be no Deryni at all!”

  “Wait a moment. Wait just a moment!” Camber murmured. “Rhys, did I just hear you say it was possible that Gregory’s powers might have returned spontaneously?”

  “I said it was possible,” Rhys said cautiously. “At this point, anything is possible.”

  “Then, we could be talking about a—a blockage, rather than a removal of powers,” Camber murmured, shaggy Alister eyebrows nearly meeting in his concentration. “If they were removed, they’d be gone. One would only be able to get them back by—by going through something similar to what we did with Cinhil’s sons. But we didn’t have to do that with you, Gregory. What Rhys did worked like a simple Healing function. No magic.”

  Gregory’s narrow face contorted in a grimace of speculation. “But, if my powers were only blocked, why weren’t they detectable? It seems to me that a Deryni of Rhys’s training—”

  “No, wait,” Camber interrupted. “Maybe that’s the beauty of it—if we can use that term in this context. It’s a blockage, but it’s such a deep one that even another Deryni can’t discover it, unless he knows exactly where to look. Now, that could well be useful.”

  “To be Deryni and not know it and not have it detectable?” Joram asked. “You call that useful?”

  “It’s useful if a human can’t prove whether you’re Deryni or not,” Camber retorted. “If the persecutions come, that could be very useful.”

  “I don’t know,” Gregory said doubtfully. “If the persecutions do come, I think I would want all my powers intact, so I could defend my family.”

  “And if you and your family did need defending,” Camber replied, “do you really think that there aren’t enough soldiers in the service of the crown to hunt you down and take you? If enough people are against you with swords, where are you going to find the time to use your powers for defense? That’s the point that most humans don’t understand, either. They seem to think that these great armies of Deryni, bristling with arcane armament, are going to come swooping down and enslave all humans with their evil, magical powers.”

  “Didn’t the Festils do just that?” Evaine commented archly.

  “That was a coup mostly from within, and you know it,” Camber replied, “as was the ouster of Imre. The point is that in anything dealing with sheer numbers, with mere physical overpowering, the humans are going to win almost every time. And the more we use our powers against humans, even in justified defense, the more excuse they have to hold that against us and claim that we’re allied with—oh, demons, evil spirits, the forces of darkness—you name it!”

  Jaffray shifted uneasily. “All right, all right, I can see where you’re leading, Alister. And I agree that it’s obviously an advantage if a Deryni can’t be detected by humans. But I’m not sure we’ve proved that Rhys’s talent does render a Deryni totally undetectable. You know, as well as I, that there are numerous drugs which will act only on Deryni, or only on humans, and some which act differently on Deryni and humans. Are we postulating that such drugs might cause a different reaction in a Deryni who’d had his powers blocked?”

  Rhys shrugged and shook his head. “Unknown. What I gave Gregory is hardly a fair test. There were too many other factors at work. It raises another important point, however. While it’s true that the drugs you’re referring to have legitimate medical uses, it is equally true that such substances have been abused in the past, and employed to detect and temporarily neutralize Deryni. I’m told that royal warders use a derivative of merasha to control Deryni prisoners; they learned it from Deryni who were Imre’s jailers. Which brings us to the possibility that occasional Deryni will, for whatever reason, aid in the detection and destruction of their own kind. It’s another danger we must especially guard against—that this knowledge, if it can be passed on, does not fall into the wrong hands.”

  “Aye, we have always had our Judas goats among us, haven’t we?” Jebediah said softly. And Camber knew he was remembering such a Michaeline, and a dead prince who slept in a tiny tomb beneath a Michaeline stronghold.

  “But what about the effect of the drugs on those with blocked powers?” Jebediah continued. “Will they react as humans or as Deryni? Rhys, you’re the Healer among us. What will happen?”

  “I suppose we’re going to have to find out,” Rhys replied. “And if the drugs do work in the usual ways, I foresee many headaches and other unpleasant side effects to be suffered in the cause of discovery. Jeb, you seem to be volunteering.”

  Jebediah gave a rueful chuckle. “I wasn’t, but I will. I’ll do whatever’s necessary.”

  “Thank you. Evaine, light-of-my-life, how do you feel about a merasha hangover in a good cause? And Joram?”

  As Joram nodded resigned agreement, Evaine blew a kiss across the table to her husband and smiled.

  “I am yours to command in all things, my lord and my love—even merasha hangovers,” she added, “which, fortunately, you can ease. However, I do think we ought not to lose sight in the meantime of what it is you’re actually doing. It’s all very well to study the effects, but we also need to know about the cause. Right now, we don’t even know for certain whether this is a real Healing talent, hitherto undiscovered, or just a special quirk of yours. We don’t even know whether you can do it to anyone besides Gregory. For that matter, maybe it’s something odd in Gregory.”

  “Now, see here!” Gregory started to sputter.

  “No, she’s absolutely right,” Camber said, leaning back and surveying them all. “It could be something in you, Gregory—though I don’t think it is, judging by what I saw. But until we h
ave some answers, and even once we do, I suggest that we all consider how this rogue talent of Rhys’s might be put to some constructive use—in a desperate situation, of course, since taking away any Deryni’s abilities—or blocking them so that they can’t be used or remembered or discovered—is going to have to be a desperation measure. Jaffray, your assessment is liable to be especially valuable, since you have Healer training.”

  “I’ll do what I can. I know some excellent Healers who could—”

  “Ah, not yet,” Evaine interjected, shaking her head and holding up a restraining hand. “For now, I have a very strong feeling that we should keep this matter strictly within these walls, almost as if it were under the seal of the confessional. If word of this were to get out, if humans got it in their heads that there was no way they could detect Deryni—never mind whether or not it was true—the reaction could trigger a bloodbath that would make the Nyford massacre look like a summer children’s festival.”

  The horror evoked by her words produced a stunned silence which hung heavy and oppressive in the room for several seconds. Finally, Jebediah coughed and shifted in his chair, releasing then to move uneasily as he plucked at a clasp on his tunic. His sigh, just before he spoke, told volumes of all their weariness.

  “Evaine is right, but perhaps she is a little too close to the situation,” the grand master said. “Rhys’s new talent is not the real issue. Oh, there’s no doubt that a danger exists in this regard,” he added, to cut off several would-be challengers who had taken exception to his words. “I have a cousin whose demesne lies not a day’s ride from Nyford. I’ve heard what it was like.”

  “Then, what is your objection?” Evaine asked.

  Jebediah shook his head. “My objection is that I think every one of us has missed the real point of this meeting, running off in all directions about this new talent which Rhys has discovered. Think about it. Which is more important from a practical view: a new, wild talent which could be dangerous if anyone else can learn to use it and if it fell into the wrong hands? Or very real young hooligans who are even now riding our roads and generating ill will toward our people by harassing humans?—some of whom make very serious enemies.”

  “He’s right,” Camber had to admit. “Which definitely brings us back to the original reason for our meeting. Gregory, you and Jesse have been patrolling the roads the longest of any of us. Any suggestions?”

  As Gregory glanced at his son, Jesse gave a shrug. Though he was the youngest present, and had said little thus far, it was he who had led most of the patrolling action in Ebor, since his father was frequently too busy with other duties to do so. The experience had given him a maturity far beyond his sixteen years.

  “It’s hard to be specific, Your Grace. Usually those who are attacked don’t recognize their attackers. I don’t suppose you’d seen any of yours before?”

  “No, but I would know them if I saw them again. For that matter, I could link with you and let you have a look, and Joram could do the same with Davin and Ansel. Would that help?”

  “I’ll say it would,” Ansel chimed in. “The main part of our problem has always been one of identification. But Deryni evidence against Deryni culprits carries rather better weight than human word against Deryni, don’t you agree, Jesse?”

  Jesse nodded eagerly. “Absolutely. I don’t know much about all those other things you were discussing earlier, Your Grace, except to be scared, but I do know many of the local lords who ride the Dolban and Ebor roads. If you and Joram can identify particular offenders, the MacRories and I can find some pretense to round them up. At least it would get them out of circulation for a while.”

  “That sounds like a reasonable plan to me,” Camber agreed. “Unless anyone else has something to add, why don’t we adjourn, and Joram and I will brief our young associates here. Jeb, will that satisfy your objections for now? I see nothing further to be gained tonight, and it’s been a very long day for all of us.”

  There were nods and murmurs of agreement to that, followed by a general exodus of all but the five in question, though Camber knew that Gregory, at least, would be waiting outside, and probably Jebediah. As soon as the room had cleared, Joram settled down with his nephews to either side and quickly went into rapport with both of them at once, for they were well accustomed to such interaction. Camber turned his attention to Jesse.

  “Well, Jesse, do you have any particular approach you prefer to use for establishing rapport with someone new? I don’t believe we’ve worked together before, have we?”

  “No, sir, to both questions,” Jesse murmured, looking across at Camber trustingly. “My father trained me, though, if that’s any help. I know you’ve worked with him.”

  Camber smiled and stood slowly, signing for the boy to remain seated. “Well, this should be easy, then,” he said, resting one hand on Jesse’s near shoulder and moving quietly around to stand behind him. “It’s been a long day, and I’m tired, so let’s just make this a nice, easy, passive link, and I’ll feed you the information as soon as you’re ready.” He slid his hands to rest on both the boy’s shoulders, kneading the tight neck muscles briefly with his thumbs.

  “Center down and relax,” he breathed, feeling the boy draw breath deeply and let it out in response, already accommodating to his instruction and first tenuous contact. “Excellent. This is going to be a pleasure, I can tell. Breathe again now, and let it out.…”

  With that, he dropped down two levels at once and found the boy’s consciousness sinking in perfect unison with his, approaching a linkage and touching and merging as smoothly as he could have wished for. He closed his eyes in response to the growing rapport, knowing that Jesse no longer saw through sight either, then simply let his hands rest easily on the boy’s shoulders, the need for physical contact no longer necessary except that it would have been more bother to move than simply to remain standing where he was.

  Jesse’s shields receded with a practiced ease which Camber should have expected, knowing Gregory, and the link was forged and the memory of the encounter near Dolban exchanged with no more effort than the wink of an eye. A moment he lingered in quiet balance and communion, then withdrew easily before the returning shields and opened his eyes to see Jesse turning his head to look at him. The boy wore a pleased and fascinated smile, as if he, too, had been surprised at the ease with which they had adjusted to one another.

  “Well done, lad,” Camber murmured, giving the boy’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze before he sat down again. “There’s no doubt whose son you are. Do you recognize any of our young toughs?”

  “I surely do, Your Grace. I’ll get our men started rounding them up the first thing in the morning, and check with Earl Davin and Lord Ansel, as well. And thank you, sir.”

  “Thank you, Jesse.”

  He watched appreciatively as the boy went out to join his father, then turned to see Joram watching him. Davin and Ansel were already gone, and Joram was smiling slightly.

  “Just offhand, I’d say young Jesse gave you a pleasant surprise,” Joram said.

  “Just offhand, I’d say you were correct.” Camber indulged in an enormous stretch and yawn, then stood. “Either I’m getting better in my old age, or else the younger generation is better trained. That Jesse is as smooth as silk, even better than Gregory. I shiver to think what he might be like with some Michaeline or Gabrilite training.”

  “My, how we have spoiled you,” Joram replied. “I don’t remember your saying that sort of thing before you turned Michaeline.”

  Camber grinned and threw his arm around his son’s shoulders as they moved toward the double doors, quickly casting out with his mind to be certain the other side was clear of all but Jebediah before he replied.

  “You’re absolutely right. I was an insensitive, unappreciative sod. Now, let’s get back to Valoret and get some sleep. Lord knows what those bloody regents will have in store for us tomorrow!”

  CHAPTER TEN

  But at present it is expedient
for thee, and for thy house, to be grieved.

  —III Hennas 7:12

  Camber invited Rhys and Evaine and Jebediah to join him and Joram in his quarters the following evening, ostensibly to dine, though Rhys had brought his medical kit. The Court was in deep mourning until after Cinhil’s funeral, now less than a week away, so no formal meals were being served in the great hall. Most of the staff were taking simple fare in their own quarters.

  Cinhil’s body continued to lie in state in the castle’s chapel, guarded by selected members of the Company of Royal Foot and a succession of mostly human nobles chosen by the regents as honorary sentinels. The princes were brought daily to pray beside their father’s bier, and were even permitted to stand short watches with the regular honor guards, so long as at least one regent was present, but other than that, and Alroy’s brief appearance with the heralds and regents at his acclamation as king, the boys remained in seclusion. Suspension of regular court activities for the week lent an extra air of heaviness and gloom to the already bleak winter days.

  That air was scarcely alleviated by the tone of the meeting which Camber now convened with his children and Jebediah, for after a meager supper, the five must settle in to further explore the limits of Rhys’s rogue talent. They decided that Jebediah should be Rhys’s first subject of the evening, since he had not been involved in the incident with Gregory. The Michaeline grand master seemed resigned but curious as he settled into the chair provided for him before the fireplace and Rhys perched on the arm beside him. Evaine took a place slightly behind and on Rhys’s side, while Camber and Joram drew up stools opposite to observe. Rhys rubbed cold hands together and glanced at Jebediah wistfully.

  “All right, I’m not going to tell you any more about this than you already know,” he said softly. “I’ve worked with you only a little more than I had with Gregory, so we should be starting from about the same place. Just relax now, as if I were about to work a normal Healing function. Are you ready?”