“Did I really?” Kelson asked delightedly. He was grinning from ear to ear as he glanced behind to see if they were being followed, and then he had to skip a few steps to catch up again. Several guards had been watching them rather curiously, but so far as he could tell, there was no one headed in their direction.

“I don’t know about you,” the boy continued, “but I was terrified the entire time. I nearly had heart failure when the bells tolled four instead of three.”

Morgan snorted. “Be glad it wasn’t the other way around. Think how foolish you would have looked if the bells had tolled only two.”

Kelson rolled his eyes. “I thought of that.”

“And another thing,” Morgan continued. “Not to belittle Derry’s new appointment, but once you declared yourself of age, you didn’t have to go through all that hocus-pocus of appointing a new Council lord and retallying the vote. You could simply have overruled them.”

“I know,” Kelson replied. “But it’s a bit of a face-saver for them, don’t you think? I mean, at least they can’t say I dictated an arbitrary decision in this case. We stayed within regular procedures.”

“Probably a prudent move,” Morgan agreed. “And all in all, I’d say there was enough excitement to suit even my tastes. Living dangerously is a very good thing, but—”

“If you ask me,” Derry interrupted, “I could’ve done with a lot less excitement, m’lord. I would’ve been perfectly happy to know in advance that everything was going to turn out all right.”

Kelson laughed as they started up the stairs to his apartments. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Derry. I wasn’t exactly the most confident I’ve ever been.” He glanced aside at Morgan. “By the way, don’t you think we ought to get word to Father Duncan? You did promise to let him know the outcome.”

“So I did.” Morgan nodded. “Derry, would you please go to Saint Hilary’s and tell Duncan what’s happened? Tell him we’re all right, but that we’re going to try to get some sleep the rest of the afternoon.”

“Aye, m’lord,” Derry said. “Shall I come back to you when I’m finished?”

Morgan nodded. “Aye, but get some rest, too. I’ll want you to command the guard outside Kelson’s apartments through the night. I need someone there that I can trust.

“I hear and obey, m’lord,” Derry replied with a grin. “And do try to stay alive until I can get back to guard you.”

Morgan could only smile and shake his head as Derry disappeared from view.