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As he approached the northern gate of Paler prevented Marcalo De&039;Unnero fro Father Abbot Markwart&039;s reaction when he learned of the Bishop&039;s failure to capture Nightbird Stopped at the gate by questioning guardslared at them and they faltered Finally a soldier who knew the Bishop cary De&039;Unnero away During that fast walk to Chasewind Manor, De&039;Unnero heard all the news: the attempted assassination of Father Abbot Markwart, the ru Danube - as staying at the manor house of Aloysius Crump - and the Father Abbot, who had taken the more luxurious Chasewind Manor as his own, and, not to De&039;Unnero&039;s liking, of the outpouring of support from the common folk for the new Bishop, Francis Dellacourt
De&039;Unnero swept into Chasewind Manor and didn&039;t even wait for a proper announcearden where Father Abbot Markas partaking of hismeal, Brother - or was it Master, Abbot, or Bishop? - Francis at his side
"Your expression alone tells htbird remains ever elusive," the Father Abbot remarked, more than a bit of sarcasm in his tone The Father Abbot had settled in quite comfortably He had co with King Danube at St Precious, theafter he battered Jill on the field outside of Pal- that if he did not take the house as his residence, the King surely would
"I had hirily, "up in the Wilderlands, far north of the Ti the Barbacan"
"The Barbacan?" Francis echoed incredulously, reflecting Markwart&039;s feelings exactly, though the old Father Abbot kept a calhtbird was mine," De&039;Unnero went on "I have er"
"And yet he ree," Markwart said dryly
De&039;Unnero cal no practical reply
"And what of the woman Jill?" the Father Abbot asked a moment later
"Shethose who drove me away before I could securearms, my friend, to reach all the way from Palmaris to the Wilderlands," Markwart said
De&039;Unnero spent a longthat stateured out the implications "You have found her?"
The Father Abbot smiled and nodded
"Where is she?" a frantic De&039;Unnero went on "I will extract whatever information you desire, Father Abbot I promise - "
"We do not have her," Markwart adeer to us anymore More likely, her attention will be toward self-preservation Our attention now , of course, who is at this verymeal in the house of theDanube, we rip over Palmaris" He motioned for De&039;Unnero to sit, then waved a hand at theed," Markent on
"A guard at the city gate told rievously injured," De&039;Unnero rearish scar that ran along the side of Markwart&039;s withered face "A uard, and thus, I am led to believe that the woman was involved"
"She has been repaid for her deed," Markwart replied "I found her and left her broken, and as with your eneed to keep us from the complete capture But that situation will soon be remedied, do not doubt The soldiers and monks are out and about the city She&039;ll not escape us this time"
"And then we shall have the stones," Francis put in, somewhat sheep-ishly He was obviously uncomfortable with De&039;Unnero, the Bishop he had replaced, sitting right beside hiood that you have returned to ht had just coh I wish that you had the traitor in tow - hoerful a syht now be"
"That syht be interpreted in two different ways," Francis dared to rereed "But if we had the es for the peasants, and they would come to understand the true threat to their lives, the true evil of Avelyn and his followers But noDanube will not oppose us now, not after the manner in which the woman attackedthethat all the gedom are to be confiscated by the Church, and he did not deny enerosity"
De&039;Unnero&039;s dark eyes widened Bishop Francis? Placating theout of the city had been the execution of Aloysius Cruain "The Church has becouidance of Bishop Fran-cis" He held his hand up to silence De&039;Unnero before the streain "The title I bestowed upon our young brother here was intended to be teh now I have come to the conclusion that I will make it permanent I have already spoken with Abbot Je&039;howith, who is also in Palerous De&039;Unnero glared at Francis
"You believe yourself deserving of the title?" Markwart asked bluntly
"I performed as I was instructed," De&039;Unnero replied Only then did he begin to understand that Markwart&039;s explicit instructions, including the public execution of Crump, had assured that his tenure as bishop would be temporary Markwart had set him up, had used hiainst that shadow
"Adreed with a broad sn of Bishop De&039;Unnero You were exactly what Palmaris needed in that dark and uncertain tientler hand, one that the King cannot slap aside"
"As it was planned all along?" De&039;Unnero asked
Francis shifted unco an explosion
But Markwart only nodded "As it had to be"
"And now I a each word
"How so?"
The former bishop held up his hands incredulously and looked all around, as if to exclaim that he had lost all of this - this place, this title, this city
But Markwart remained unshakably calm "Do you believe that I would not reward your loyalty and diligence?" he asked with a laugh "My friend, there are many roles left to fill, and I have plans for you, do not doubt, plans that will bring you all that you desire As the Church makes its way into the world of secular politics, I expect to on Bree Kalas, Duke of Wester-Honce, who is not pleased that the largest city of his duchy has fallen under Church rule I am old and tired; it may well be that I will need a champion Who better than Marcalo De&039;Unnero?"
"Master De&039;Unnero?" the er "Or hed loudly "Abbot of St Precious," he decided then and there "Bishop Francis has too many issues to be concerned with already He will be the hand of state, and you the hand of Church in Palh I shan&039;t limit your influence and duties to this one city, I promise"
"And who answers to wholare focused on Francis as he spat out every word
"Hand of state, hand of Church," Markwart reiterated, "both answer to h of this divisive talk We have a co Danube Brock Ursal Our attention must remain with hi to Abbot Je&039;howith, will prove no easy foe Kalas once led the Allheart Brigade, and earned two great pluent of that elite fighting unit acco at the ive the upstart Duke all the room he needs to sweep into power"
Markwart looked at each of the h Francis and igniting eager fires in De&039;Unnero "We rion Bree Kalas roared, the loudest and angriest tone he had ever used in speaking to his King
Danube&039;s glare set the excitable man back on his heels, re doyou intend to pluck?" he replied sarcastically
"Your pardon,between the men "I believe Duke Kalas is concerned about the potential troubles for the Crown" She glared at Kalas as she finished "Surely he means no insult to the Crown"
Danube chuckled then, alleviating the tension All of them understood the mood of the city Father Abbot Markwart had become a sort of hero to the common folk That, coenerous and worthy leader, had weakened the King&039;s posi-tion should Danube decide to revoke the title of bishop
"You allowed hiical stone," Duke Kalas dared to press "Hoerful will the Church then be, and how crippled the Crown?"
"I let the Father Abbot have his way in thereplied, and he didn&039;t seery, to Constance Pe carry no legal weight And even should he openly and publicly pro-claiemstones are to be returned to the Church, hoill he ever enforce such a position in Ursal? Or in Entel, or in any of the other cities of the south, where the Church is not nearly as influential as up in these for-bidding places"
"But here, in Palmaris, in the place where he was attacked and miracu-lously survived, he is a formidable foe," Constance remarked
Even Duke Kalas, so obviously frustrated, understood that
"True enough," King Danube replied, and more true than Constance or Kalas understood, he realized, for he alone knew of the terrifying visit Markwart&039;s spirit had ," cauard
"He should corowled, "and we should be at Chasewind Manor, not here" Danube and Constance ignored hi for the door
They were met at the door of Chasewind Manor by Abbot Je&039;howith, the oldwith a wide sentle pat on the shoulder "Bishop De&039;Unnero returned to Pal "He is at the table with Father Abbot Mark-wart and Brother - Master Francis Dellacourt, whoe role in the continuing work to better formulate Palmaris"