Trying to mask his excitement, he forced his gaze to casually scan the particular designs, praying that what he sought was there. If this had been a newer church, he knew he could not have hoped to find it, but Saint George’s . . .

By God, there it was! The seal of Saint Camber, he who was long ago called Defensor Hominum, the Defender of Humankind!

Almost weak with relief, Kelson raised his eyes to sweep the cathedral before him. He had found it! There could be no other answer. All unwittingly, they had equated Protector and Defender in their first readings of the verse—and thereby nearly invalidated the entire sequence. But now . . .

More confident now, he returned his gaze to Charissa, studied her for a long moment before he spoke. Now he must set the stage for what he next must do.

“You have claimed that we are afraid to do you battle,” he said evenly. “You have admitted the murder of my father, King Brion. You have caused one we hold in similar reverence to be sorely wounded in our defense. And you have gravely injured the mother who wished only to avert what now seems inevitable. The time is now past for idle talk.” Again he scanned the assembly, trying to gauge the amount of support he could expect.

“Also is the time now past for mercy, which we had thought to offer even in the light of what first occurred. Therefore, we now give you fair warning, Charissa of Tolan. We accept your challenge and agree to do you battle, reluctant though we are to give battle in this place. But since you force this contention, we can guarantee no mercy now, no promise of temperance or gentle retribution.”

Charissa tossed her head defiantly. “The Shadowed One has no need of your mercy, Kelson of Gwynedd. And when such boasts have only bluster to back them, I can only laugh. Come down, if you are not a coward. I am ready for you.”

Kelson regarded her disdainfully for a long moment, then glanced over at Morgan and Duncan and nodded slightly. As he reached to his throat and unclasped the heavy, wine-dark cloak, Nigel was suddenly at his side to take it, his anxiety and hope almost tangible in the light of Kelson’s new awareness. Kelson flashed what he hoped would be taken for a look of reassurance at his uncle, then turned and walked slowly down the chancel steps. Nigel folded the cloak over his arm, then joined Morgan and Duncan on the right.

As Kelson came down the steps, Charissa withdrew to the far side of the transept, watching as Kelson stooped to pick up the gauntlet.