Chapter 13: The Sacred and the Profane

“What do you think?” he asked her in a soft voice. She looked at his face, speechless. She worried if she spoke she would disturb something very beautiful and sacred. The moon’s light streaked through the fog of the ocean and illuminated some of the ornately decorated walls and gateways.

She allowed Lakis to lead her through the first gateway which housed a mighty courtyard with an obelisk of pure white marble and was capped with a shimmering metal. There was a mighty, circular pool in the center of the courtyard, and there was no roof on this courtyard which allowed the night sky to be reflected in the waters. The moon took center stage in this reflection, but you could also see dotted throughout the many millions of stars up above. It was like the most brilliant tapestry you could imagine, and she could not resist reaching her hand down into the waters and seeing the ripples of the water causing the seamless reflection to move as if it was dancing.