“Thank you,” he murmured.

Alaric allowed himself a wry smile and shifted Duncan’s weight to help him sit up.

“So,” the Deryni duke said, looking directly at Warin. “Can you accept what you have seen? Will you concede that, if your premise of healing being a God-given gift is correct, God also gives to the Deryni?”

A pale Warin shook his head, but in wonder rather than denial. “It cannot be true. Deryni cannot heal. Yet you healed. Therefore healing must be a Deryni power as well. And I, who also heal…”

His voice trailed off as the full implications of this line of reasoning began to sink in, and his face went even paler, if that were possible. Noting the reaction, Morgan guessed that he had finally achieved at least part of his original purpose. With an understanding smile, he helped Duncan to his feet and betook both of them to the basin and ewer set on a nightstand, pouring water into the basin so he and Duncan could wash the blood from their hands.

“Yes, you must face that possibility now,” he said softly to Warin over his shoulder. “It’s a great deal to assimilate, I know—and if you had been told before, you would not have listened. You had to see it demonstrated.” He dried off his hands and turned to face Warin. “And here’s another possibility that you would have been unable to consider. We believe that you, too, may be Deryni.”

“No! That isn’t possible,” Warin managed to murmur, looking dismayed. “I couldn’t be!” His voice became more plaintive. “Why, I have hated Deryni all my life. And I know that there are no Deryni in my ancestry. It cannot be!”

“Perhaps not,” Kelson said, joining Morgan to gaze carefully at Warin. “But many go through all their lives without ever knowing, unless something happens to change all of that. You have, perhaps, heard how my mother discovered her Deryni heritage—and no one ever would have suspected Jehana of Gwynedd of being Deryni. She was as adamant on that point as you are, Warin—perhaps more so, in many respects.”

Warin’s hands were trembling as he wrung them in his agitation, and he looked up beseechingly.

“But, how—how does one find out for certain?” he ventured meekly. “How does one know?”

Morgan spared him a sympathetic smile. “The queen found out by using powers she did not know she possessed, when there was no other choice. On the other hand, there are people who have powers we cannot explain through Deryni blood. You might be one of those. The only way to know for certain is to Mind-See. I can do that for you, if you like.”

“Mind-See?”

“You place yourself in a relaxed and receptive state and allow me to enter your mind with mine. I cannot explain how I know, once I am linked with you—but I do know. You will have to accept that I have this ability. Will you permit me to do that?”