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Back The Rose Labyrinth Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. Cover
  2. THE ROSE LABYRINTH
  3. Titlepage
  4. Copyright page
  5. Dedication
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. EPILOGUE
  42. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  43. BIBLIOGRAPHY
  44. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  45. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She nods, and takes her time, considering whether to say more. Then: “The rose, though, was his favorite—his perfect companion. It is a code, showing the aim of all humanity, to attain divine wisdom.” She looks the young man directly in the eye, wondering whether he will contradict her from his own—a slightly different—theology. But he is quiet, and she continues. “The only path to that wisdom is through love, and knowledge; the blooming rose translates the whole meaning of the universe—indeed, the whole meaning of the universe can be explained to us through just such a rose as this one. To understand the mystery of the rose is to comprehend the essence of the universe. Through its simple perfection, we may become more perfect.”

She is looking at him now, yet talking beyond him, through the space and the time. “To realize the possibilities of the rose, mankind must develop the capacity for love to the point of loving all peoples, all creatures, all that is different and foreign to us. We must enlarge our capacity for knowledge and understanding through the loving intelligence of the heart.”

She smiles at the man, who feels as though a spell were thrown upon him, though it is a happy enchantment. And setting the flowers at her father’s feet, she bows quietly to him, and is gone.

14

SIMON’S BRAIN HAD SYNTHESIZED A HOST OF IDEAS ACROSS THE AFTERNOON, and he pursued Alex and Lucy to the car as soon as he could free himself from the other pair. His was an eclectic mind that could select details from a variety of sources and see their connection—a trait he had shared with Will, which explained one aspect of their friendship. These impressions worked on him now, and at the risk of frustrating Cupid he needed to consult Alex about them.

He suggested they find a quiet corner for a coffee, but Alex was concerned to get Lucy home and warm. She’d started to look a little drained about half an hour ago, and he wanted nothing to eclipse the special qualities of the day. Prompted by a tenderness that was not altogether welcome, or even visible to the lady herself, he suggested Simon meet him shortly at Chelsea, after he had dropped her at her flat across the river.

“I’m on call at the Brompton, so it’s best I’m not too far away.”

Lucy tended to be undemanding because of her conditioning since childhood that no one would consider her wishes. But she was just now strangely stubborn and wouldn’t be spoken for, taking a decisive part in her direction with Alex for the first time. Her health may have flung them together originally, but it was suddenly intrusive.