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take me for?"
"Oh, not a fool," Wencit laughed. "Nor am I so witless as to underestimate the
threat you pose to me even though you are contending outside your class. It is
almost a pity that you will have to die."
"Until that is an accomplished fact I suggest that you turn your words to other
areas. Say what you have to say, Wencit The day grows later."
Wencit smiled and bowed slightly in the saddle. 4Tell me, how is my young friend
Lord Derry?"
"How should he be?"
Wencit clucked his tongue in disapproval and shook his head. "Now, Kelson,
please give me credit for a little intelligence. Why would I have ordered Derry*s
death? He was the token I hoped to play for the recovery of my Lord Bran's
family. I assure you, the archers acted wholly without my orders, and have been
punished. Is Deny alive?"
"That is not your concern," Kelson answered curtly.
*Then, he lives. That is well," Wencit nodded. He smiled lightly and looked down
at his gloves, then looked up at Kelson again. "Very well, what I have come to say
is this. As far as I am concerned, there need be no great battle between our
respective armies. Men need not die in masses for us to settle our differences."
Kelson's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Just what did you have in mind as an
alternative?"
"Personal combat," Wencit replied. "Or, to be more specific, personal combat on
a group level: a duel to the death by magic, Deryni against Deryni: myself,
Rhydon, Lionel, and Bran against you and any other three which you may
designate. I would assume that Morgan and McLain and perhaps your royal uncle
would be your logical choice, but of course, you are free to choose whomever you
wish. In ancient days, such combat was called the duel arcane."
Kelson scowled and glanced at Morgan, then at Arilan and Duncan. He was
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suddenly uneasy at Wencit's proposal, and the idea of duel arcane frightened
him. There was a trick involved, there had to be. He must discover what it was.
"Your advantage in such a contest is obvious, my lord, You and yours are trained
Deryni; most of us are not. And yet even with these advantages, it does not strike
me that you are the sort of man to risk so much on one battle. What is it that you
neglect to tell me?"
"Do you suspect me of subterfuge?" Wencit asked, raising an eyebrow in feigned
surprise. "Well, perhaps you are well advised. But I had thought the other
advantages of such a method of deciding to be quite clear. If we join battle here,
army against army, the flower of knighthood from both our aides would be
destroyed. Of what use to me is a dead king- dom a kingdom inhabited only by
old men, young boys, women and children?"
Kelson eyed the enemy king shrewdly. "I have no more wish than you to lose my
finest fighting men in battle. If we fight here today, the impact will be felt for a
generation to come. But I cannot trust you, Wencit. Even if I defeat you here, who
is to say what next spring will bring? Who is "
Wencit threw back his head and laughed, and the sound was echoed lightly by his
companions. Kelson shifted uncomfortably in his saddle, for he was not aware
that he had said anything particularly funny. But one glance at Morgan convinced
him that the general knew. He was about to say something when Wencit suddenly
stopped laughing and moved his horse a few steps closer.
"Forgive me, young prince, but your naivete" is touching. I offered a four way
battle to the death. Under those circumstances, the losers would hardly be in any
position to threaten the victors unless, of course, you believe that some men can
return from the grave."
Kelson scowled at that, for far more bizarre things had been hinted about Wencit
of Torenth over the years. But then he forced himself to dismiss the thought and
consider what Wencit had said: a duel to the death by magic. His hesitation
apparently did not set well with Wencit, however, for the golden king abruptly
frowned and moved still closer to reach out a gloved hand to Kelson's reins.
"If you have not already noticed, I am an impatient man, Kelson. I do not brook
interference with my plans. If you are considering rejecting my proposal, I
suggest that you put it out of your mind immediately. I remind you that I still
hold nearly a thousand of your men captive. And there are far worse ways to die
than by simple hanging."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Kelson whispered icily.
"It means that if you do not accept my challenge, what you saw in the last hour
will be as nothing. Unless your word prevents it, two hundred prisoners will be
drawn and quartered before your army at dusk, and two hundred more impaled
alive and left to die at the rising of the moon. If you hope to save them, I would
not advise procrastination.''
Kelson's face had blanched at Wencit's description of the intended fate of the
prisoners, and his hands clenched tightly as he jerked his reins from Wencit's
grasp. He glared across at Wencit as though to destroy him with a single thought
as the sorcerer backed his mount a few casual paces, and would have moved after
him had not Morgan held out a restraining arm and moved his own horse to
block Kelson's. Kelson glanced at Morgan angrily, intending to order him back,
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r r
but something in Morgan's expression made the young king hesitate. Morgan's
eyes were cold as the midnight fog as he met Wencit's haughty gaze.
"You are trying to force us into a hasty decision, he said in a low voice. "I want to
know why. Why is it so important that we accept the challenge on your terms?"
He paused only slightly. "Or is there some treachery afoot?"
Wencit turned his head deliberately to stare directly at Morgan, as though
incensed that Morgan had dared to interrupt his discussion with Kelson. Then he
ran his glance disdainfully over the other's form. His voice was mocking when he
finally spoke.
"You have much to learn of the Deryni, Morgan, for all that you claim that
heritage for yourself. You will find, if yon survive, that there are ancient codes of
honor concerning our powers which even I would not willingly transgress." He
returned his gaze to Kelson. "I have offered you formal duel under the laws set
forth by the Camberian Council more than two centuries ago, Kelson. There are [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]