The morning sun is a warm glow in an Azure blue sky as David and Saliana cross over the Palace boundary and enter the dense forest of the Island. Lush groves have replaced the bramble, and mirrored pools of water give sanctuary to a plethora of birds and fish. Peacocks strut in rainbow-colored grandeur across the plush, emerald green carpets of grass.
“If I didn"t know better, I"d say this was Paradise,” David says, awed by the miracle that turned the dark and foreboding island into an ethereal and vital wonderland.
“Paradise is where you are happiest, David,” Saliana says. “I suspect your Paradise lies back home with your family, and your Sally.”
David is wistful. “Yes, Sally. Will I ever find her, Saliana?”
“She is very close, David. Very close.”
David is silent a moment, then asks
