Free The Bishop’s Heir by Katherine Kurtz

aunt on the throne of Meara—a united Meara, once she’s gone and her son succeeds her in the south. It’s ingenious, really.”
    â€œIts diabolical, if you ask me,” Cardiel muttered, “not to mention treasonous. Denis, there must be something we can do. Perhaps we ought to call Judhael in and question him.”
    Arilan considered the suggestion, running his pectoral cross back and forth distractedly on its chain, then lowered his gaze.
    â€œOn what grounds, Thomas? We’ve been interviewing the man all week. Other than the fact that he’s ambitious, he almost shimmers, he’s so pure. What Duke Alaric has just outlined is a theory only—an incredibly brilliant one, if we were Mearan—but we have no proof it has occurred to Judhael.”
    â€œWell, use your powers to find out, then!” Cardiel blurted. “What good are they, if you don’t use them?”
    As Arilan sighed patiently, preparing to go into the argument he had used so often when trying to explain things Deryni to Cardiel, Morgan forced himself to put the temptation from his own mind. He had wrestled with this particular ethical problem before, not always successfully.
    â€œUltimately, it’s a matter of ethics,” Arilan finally said, echoing Morgan’s rationale. “I have used my powers all this week, Thomas—to gauge whether our candidates were lying about their qualifications. That I could do without their knowledge, and without revealing myself as Deryni.” He smiled. “Besides, they suspected Duncan was Deryni, and that helped to keep them honest: wondering whether he could read their minds—which he couldn’t, of course, under those conditions, but they didn’t know that.”
    â€œThen, let Duncan be present, if you feel you need a decoy,” Cardiel insisted. “Or Alaric, since Duncan is temporarily out of action. Between the two of you, you should be able to get at the truth.”
    â€œAnd if he really is just a godly man, with ecclesiastical ambition but no interest in politics?” Arilan asked. “Then we’ve made another enemy for Deryni.”
    â€œThen, make him forget, afterward, if he’s innocent!”
    â€œAnd that begins to enter really hazy areas of conscience,” Arilan replied. “Truth-Reading is one thing. Using our powers to detect whether a man is lying can be justified, since it doesn’t force action against a person’s will. To make someone tell the truth, however—well, I think that requires more than just a vague suspicion that he may be hiding something. So does making him forget. Sometimes such measures can be justified in a life and death situation, or where the subject is willing, but where does one draw the line?”
    â€œAre you so unsure of that line, then?” Cardiel snapped.
    â€œOf course not. At least I pray to God that I’ll never be tempted to cross over and misuse my powers. But it was abuse of power that gave us the atmosphere of the past two hundred years. It’s what the Camberian Council was created to prevent.”
    Morgan looked up sharply at that, for Arilan had scrupulously avoided discussion of the mysterious Camberian Council for the past two years. His reaction apparently reminded Arilan that he was beginning to speak of things best left unsaid to humans, even one as close as Cardiel. The Deryni bishop paused to regroup, shaking his head as he laid a hand on Cardiel’s arm.
    â€œListen to me, Thomas. I’m flattered at your confidence in me, but you mustn’t think all Deryni are like me, or Alaric, or Duncan, or you may get hurt one day. We’ve tried to be very careful not to do anything which might frighten you unduly, but you have to admit that we’ve made you more than a little nervous on more than one occasion—and you know and trust us. Think about the ones who don’t have a strict moral code like the one we follow.