“Maybe not,” Morgan said thoughtfully. “You know as well as I how dangerous it can be to be Deryni. I’m sure there have been many Deryni in the past five or six generations who decided it was safest not to tell their children what they were. And in a world where civil and ecclesiastical law forbid dabbling in the arcane, how are you going to find out? If you’ve got the Deryni capability and know it, that’s one thing. You can always find someone to guide you in its development if you look hard enough.

“But if you don’t know what you are, and curiosity about such things is highly frowned upon, to say the least, there isn’t much you can do, is there? I’m not saying that was the case with Jehana, but it’s clear how easily we could have missed it all these years. There are probably hundreds of Deryni who don’t know what they are—maybe thousands.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Duncan agreed. “Anyway, if Jehana is Deryni, that might give us just the edge we need for tomorrow. At least if we’ve somehow ruined the ritual sequence, there’s no telling what Kelson may have on tap from his own resources. Tonight was a splendid example.”

Morgan shook his head. “I still don’t like it. Kelson is totally untrained. His proficiency was supposed to come with the acquisition of Brion’s powers.” He paused. “I wonder if even Brion suspected what he was leaving in our laps. At this point, I’m not sure whether to look on it as a curse or a blessing.”

Duncan smiled and crossed back to the fireplace. “Did we accept Brion’s charge because we thought it would be easy? Or because we loved Brion, love his son—and because it’s right?”

Morgan chuckled softly. “All right, Father. No sermons, please. I think you know that my motives match yours rather precisely.” He clenched his hands together, unconsciously rubbing the gryphon signet with his thumb. “But you must admit, there’s suddenly a whole new flock of variables. Kelson’s own possible powers; Jehana—can she stand idly by and watch her son die? And now, a traitor in our very midst, it seems.”

“A traitor—?”

“In the palace, at least. And evidently fairly highly placed. You don’t think Charissa set up that Edgar episode herself, do you? She has someone else working with her, all right.”

“Well, since you’re itemizing, here’s something else to worry about,” Duncan said. “Suppose Charissa defeats Kelson tomorrow?—and it could happen, if all our parameters go against us. What happens to Kelson? What happens to the kingdom? And what happens to all those who supported Kelson and Brion, like you?”