With a resigned shake of his head, he forced the bishop’s body into the opening and propelled it on through. But as he followed him out the other side, he felt Cardiel cease his struggling and go limp. With a silent call to Duncan and Kelson, he began towing Cardiel toward the surface where he could see a faint light, praying that Cardiel had not inhaled too much water.

But however much or little water Cardiel had breathed, he was quite unconscious when Morgan brought him to the surface. As Morgan’s head broke the water, he simultaneously shook the hair from his eyes and shouted for Duncan and Kelson to assist him.

The two were already in the water and were grasping at Cardiel even as he called out, but even so, it took them precious seconds to drag the limp bishop to the edge of the pool and haul him out of the water. Morgan turned him on his stomach and began pressing the water from his lungs with strong, rhythmic movements, shook his head as water poured from the bishop’s mouth and nose.

“Damn!” he cursed, as the man refused to breathe on his own. “I told him not to breathe down there! What does he think he is, a fish?”

He turned Cardiel face-up, but the bishop’s chest was still motionless. Muffling another curse under his breath, he began slapping the man’s face, Kelson chafing at his wrists while Duncan blew directly into his lungs.

After what seemed like an eternity, Cardiel’s chest heaved once out of sequence with Duncan’s breathing, and the three resumed their efforts. Eventually they were rewarded by a faint cough, which erupted quickly into a wracking paroxysm of uncontrollable hacking. Cardiel rolled onto his side and spewed out more water, then finally opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze up at them weakly.

“Are you sure I didn’t die?” he croaked, “I was having the most terrible nightmares.”

“Well, you almost did die,” Morgan said gruffly, shaking his head with relief. “Someone must surely favor you in Heaven, my lord.”

“Pray God they always do,” Cardiel murmured, crossing himself quickly. “Thank you, all of you.”

He struggled to a sitting position with a little help from Duncan and coughed again, then gestured for them to help him to his feet. Without a word, but with a pleased smile at the bishop’s pluck, Morgan held out his hand and helped Cardiel to rise. Within a few minutes, the four of them were standing at a fork in the rough stone corridor. Darkness lay beyond in the corridor to the left, but the one to the right was blocked by a dense fall of rock. Probing it gingerly with hands and powers, Morgan straightened resignedly and dusted his hands together.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. I had hoped to use that passage to get us to my quarters, after we clothe and arm ourselves in my tower room.”

“Can’t we get to the tower room from here?” Kelson asked.