“All of them unless they were about metaphysics,” he said, and smiled. “She never wanted to talk about that. And I like to work things out for myself.” Suddenly the palaestra was full of children, running and shouting, as they were released from their lute lesson.

“But you must see that when you build huge complex structures of dialectic that purport to reconcile Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Platonism, Aristotelianism, and Buddhism with the presence here of Athene, it has to fit the evidence as well as making logical sense.” I raised my voice a little and leaned forward eagerly as the children streamed past us.

“It fits the facts if you acknowledge that all the wise are in agreement about everything essential. It’s just a case of understanding how and reconciling supposed contradictions. And the reason we see supposed contradictions and don’t understand everything about what Athene did is because we’re too imperfect,” he said, also leaning forward until our foreheads were nearly touching.

I moved back and sat up straight again. “In saying that, you have left the path of philosophy. Literally. You’re denying sophia, betraying what she really was.”

“If we became angels ourselves, which in my system we might be able to achieve, then we could understand what she was. For now, we don’t fully understand. We can’t.”

“I can’t believe that,” I said. “And that’s why I’m going to leave this city, because this isn’t just a disagreement where I can accept the majority vote was against me, this is about our own beliefs and practice. I can’t believe it, and I can’t practice it.”

“You don’t have to leave, even though you disagree. We’ve voted to accept it as the majority religion and practice it at festivals, but we’ll have freedom of conscience. You can believe what you want.” He reached out to pat my arm, then thought better of it and drew his hand back.

“But I’d have to teach it, and I can’t do that,” I said.

“You wouldn’t have to believe it to teach it!”

“You might not, but I would.” I stood up. He stayed where he was on the wall.

“Don’t go. Plotinus and Sokrates and Tullius and Myrto are dead, and I almost never see Ficino. Klio’s marvelous, and some of the Children are coming along, but there are too few people here who can stretch my mind.”

“Are you really suggesting I stay here just to argue with you?”

“Yes!” He laughed suddenly. “How absurd this is.”

I laughed with him. And then I left the City of Amazons and went to the Remnant, to start again.

17. Arete

17

ARETE