Monday, October 10, 2005

Cazaril sees a miracle in every direction

Cazaril has just experienced a life changing encounter with a goddess, The Daughter of Spring, that happened when he was fighting to save his ruler, the Royesse Iselle. As I read it, an image filled my mind of the earth and all of the miracles of life as a song rising up together and filling the Universe.

"Cazaril's attention was arrested by a pebble that lay on the pavement near his knee. It was so dense. So persistent. The gods could not lift so much as a feather, but he, a mere human, might pick up this ancient unchanging object and place it wherever he wished, even into his pocket. He wondered why he had never appreciated the stubborn fidelity of matter. A dried leaf lay nearby, even more stunning in its complexity. Matter invented so many forms, and then went up out of it like melody from an instrument...matter was an amazement to the gods. Matter remembered itself so very clearly. He could not think why he had failed to notice it before. His own shaking hand was a miracle, as was the fine metal sword in his belly, and the orange trees in the tubs -- spilling --- and the tubs, and the birdsong starting in the morning, and the water---water! Five gods, water!---in the fountain, and the morning light filtering into the sky..."
"Lord Cazaril?" came the faint voice from his elbow.
He glanced aside to find that dy Cembuer had crept up to him.
"What was that?" Dy Cembuer sounded very close to tears.
"Some miracles." Too many in one place at one time. He was overwhelmed with miracles. They filled his eyes in every direction.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, p. 467

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