Once clear of this earth, he thought, we can perceive things as they truly are. But on this earth, sadly, we see things only as we want to see them.
Entering the darkening temple, he quickly dismissed all the priests. On the eve of this greatest challenge of his life he wanted no human company to distract him.
The statue of Apollo, rough-hewn by local artists, bore very little resemblance to those beautiful statues of the god he had seen in Greece. It was positioned in the circular sanctuary so that the dawn light of the summer solstice would fall directly upon it. Now it should have been in shadow, but as Bladud turned his attention to it, it seemed to blaze out with sudden glory.
Startled, Bladud stood staring at it.
From the haze of light that enclosed the statue, figures began to e
