How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
There was sweat on his face, and I saw his hands twitch on the arms of the chair. The man was humming like a harp-string. The tension ran right through the hall, almost visibly. I felt my skin prickle, and a cold wolfspaw of fear walked up my spine. (III.7.44)
Merlin and Niniane face the angry Vortigern, who has demanded to know the name of Merlin's father. Niniane's playing it cool, but Vortigern's about to pop. Merlin understands what the anger of a desperate king can mean, and he feels fearful and panicky. Note that he describes his fear as a "wolfspaw"—a nice reference to Vortigern and the Saxons, who are called wolves by their detractors.
Quote #8
They had moved back from me, no doubt afraid to stand so near a demon's child. At his sign they closed in again. The man on right still held his sword drawn, but down by his side and out of my mother's view. It was not quite steady. The man on my left surreptitiously loosened his own blade in its sheath. Both men were breathing heavily, and I could smell fear on them. (III.7.21)
Merlin has a new power: other people's fear about his unknown parentage. Niniane confirms what Vortigern thinks he knows about Merlin—that his dad is a demon. She uses the old story to protect Ambrosius—and Merlin as well. She doesn't yet know that she's played right into Vortigern's hands: he wants Merlin to be demon spawn, because his priests have told him that they need such a child's blood to make the tower stand.
This scene shows us how quickly fear can shift in a tense situation. Just moments before, Merlin panicked at the thought of Vortigern learning his parentage. Now Vortigern and his men get their turn, as they think they are in the presence of a supernatural being.
Quote #9
I could see that the fear was not of the King's anger at what had happened to the work, but of the force which they believed in and did not understand. (III.10.8)
Merlin recognizes the danger of believing in things you don't understand: it brings fear that you can't control. He sees it in Vortigern's men, who believe that a man can be born with a demon for a father, even though they don't really understand how such a thing can be. This is also a chance for Stewart to get in a sting at superstitious people.