"How could you, Regis? How could you?" she murmured at last, as the shining
energy departed.
Donal released his grip on Mike and stepped back as Mike waited his turn,
too tired to feel afraid. What he experienced he could never afterward
completely describe, but he felt a great, supportive affection that embraced him
while simultaneously examining him ruthlessly. It was as if none of the previous
years had ever happened. There was nothing of the anxiety and mistrust that had
saddened both Regis and Mike, no rebukes or fault finding. The pain of the
past was gone, as if it had never existed.
Mike barely noticed the reactions of the rest of the Council members as the
cloud finished its journey, except that Dan Syrtis-Ardais was smiling, and
that Dani Dark and Miralys were both wee
