Anger pulsed through Ian; his hand itched to reach for the claymore strapped to his back. One good swing and he could rid the clan of this vermin.
Ian made no effort to keep his voice down. “While my father lives, I’ll no be making decisions for him.”
“I hear he’s lost his mind, as well as his leg,” Hugh said. “It’s your duty to step up and take his place as head of your family.”
“As all the men here know,” Ian said in a loud voice, as he swept his arm out to encompass the men gathered around them in the churchyard, “my father fought in many battles with the Lord of the Isles to protect our clan. He merits the respect of his son and his clan.”
The men responded with nods and grunts of approval.
“I will not take my father’s place nor give his pledge,” Ian said, glaring at Hugh.
“And where does your father stand, Alexander Ban MacDonald?” Hugh asked.
“If ye have to ask, my guess is he hasn’t given ye his support,” Alex said with a smile that suggested he knew very well his father wouldn’t favor Hugh. “Ye don’t suppose he has reservations about your ability to lead, do ye?”
The vein in Hugh’s neck pulsed as he flicked his gaze between Alex and Ian.
“In the end, he’ll bend his knee with all the rest of ye,” Hugh snapped. “Ye can tell Connor the same when ye see him.”
Ian turned to speak to the men behind him, leaving Alex to cover his back.
“As the son of Payton, a nephew to our dead chieftain, and a man of this clan,” Ian shouted, “I call for a gathering of the clan to choose our next chieftain, as is our custom.”
When Ian turned back, Hugh looked as if he would have liked to plant his claymore in his chest, but another round of approving grunts had him thinking better of it.
“That’s a fine idea,” Hugh said through his teeth. “We can all go into the hall of the castle and do it right now.”
Hugh’s men, a rough lot from his pirating days, raised their fists and shouted their agreement. For a moment, Ian feared he had lost control of the crowd, but it was soon evident from the silence of the other men that they did not agree with Hugh’s suggestion.
“Every man is entitled to a voice in the selection of our chieftain,” Tait called out. “Word must be sent to every member of the clan, with a date certain.”
There was a loud murmur of agreement.
Hugh could read the crowd as well as Ian. “We’ll confirm my place as chieftain at the Samhain gathering,” he said. “I’ll send word out that I expect every man to come to the castle and make his pledge.”
Alex raised an eyebrow at Ian. At least they wouldn’t have to fight their way into Dunscaith, since Hugh had agreed to a formal gathering to select a chieftain.
“Now, let’s see those babes christened.” Hugh signaled to his men, and the crowd parted for them as they headed for the church door.
“You’ve got ballocks,” Ian said to Alex, as they waited for the other men to go inside the church. “ Do ye suppose my father has reservations about your ability to lead? ”
“Me? I was just trying to make Hugh’s eyes bulge as much as you did.”
They shared a dry laugh, then started for the church.
“Samhain is less than three weeks away,” Alex said, worry tugging at his voice.
“It might be easier to take the castle by force,” Ian said, “than to persuade so many hard-headed MacDonalds of anything in so short a time.”
“Pity Hugh’s mother didn’t drown him at birth,” Alex said.
“Aye, ’tis a damn shame.”
The priest, who had a warrior’s build to go with his manner, stood at the doorway, making every man leave his weapons outside. “Now lads, ye can put your claymores in this pile and your dirks in that one. They’ll be no weapons in my church.”
“Did ye make Hugh Dubh and his men leave theirs?” Ian asked when it was his turn.
“I did,” the priest said. “And ye will leave yours as well.”
“You’re a brave man,” Ian said in a low voice. “If you’re a good one, too, then ye know that Hugh is the devil’s tool.”
The priest’s dark eyes flashed, and he gave Ian a slight nod.
“Ye can be sure that Hugh and his men kept a few dirks hidden from ye,” Ian said. “I mean no disrespect, but that means my cousin and I must keep ours as well.”
“Keep them well hidden,” the priest said in a low voice.
Ian leaned close to speak in the priest’s ear. “When the time comes, we’ll need every good man, including you, Father.”
“God will reward the righteous,” the priest said. “Now ye are holding up God’s work, so get inside.”
One look from Ian, and the boys who were sitting in the back pew got up to find other seats. He and Alex needed to sit closest to the door—and the piles of weapons outside. After they sat down, Ian searched the crowded church for Sileas. It didn’t take long to find her near the front. Hair as bright as hers stood out, even among this
