“You say that you are one of Camber’s servants,” Morgan finally repeated, unable to keep a slight edge of disbelief out of his voice. “Would it be impertinent to inquire which one? Or do you not have a name?”

“I have many names,” the man smiled. “But I pray you not to press me on this point. For now, I would rather not lie to you—and the truth could be dangerous to all of us.”

“Then…you’re Deryni,” Morgan guessed. “You would have to be, to do all of this—to come and go the way you do.” He considered further as the man merely gazed at him in faint amusement. “But no one knows that you’re Deryni,” he continued after a slight pause. “You’ve been in hiding, like Duncan was all these years. And you can’t let anyone know.”

“If you wish.”

Perplexed and at a loss, Morgan frowned and glanced at Duncan, suspecting that the man was but toying with him, but the priest shook his head slightly.

“This danger you speak of,” Duncan said, edging slightly closer for a better look at the man. “These Deryni enemies: Who are they?”

“I regret that I cannot tell you that.”

“You can’t tell us?” Morgan began.

“I cannot tell you because I do not know myself,” the stranger interrupted, holding up a hand for silence. “What I can tell you is this: Those whose business it is to know these things have become convinced that you may possess the full spectrum of Deryni powers, some which even they were not aware still exist.”

The two could but gape incredulously as the man moved back into the sunlit doorway once more and pulled his cowl back into place.

“Remember, however, that regardless of your true powers, there are those who would test the theory I have just recounted, and would challenge you to duel arcane to discover your strength.” He turned slightly to regard them one final time. “Think on that, my friends. And take care that they do not find you before you are secure in your powers—whatever those powers may be!”

With that, the man gave a curt nod and walked briskly to where the horses were grazing. The animals did not seem to notice his approach; and as Morgan and Duncan moved into the doorway to stare after him, he raised a hand as though in benediction, walked behind the horses, and disappeared.

Stifling an oath, Morgan raced around the animals and searched anxiously for some trace of the stranger, but he could find nothing. Duncan remained in the doorway for several seconds, his blue eyes focused on some distant memory, then joined Morgan and absently began stroking one of the grazing horses.

“You won’t find him, Alaric,” he said softly. “No more than I could find him after he disappeared on the Coroth road a few months ago.” He glanced at the ground and shook his head. “No footprints, no sign to mark his passing. It’s as though he was never here. Perhaps he wasn’t.”