Why does this take so long? I thought as I lost another game of beans to the little Crumpke boy. I wasn’t concentrating. I was thinking about Creeana..

What could the Oracle be doing in there? How long does a trip to Hades and back take? Is Apollo even there? Isn’t he on Mount Olympus? Why would an Oracle be here in the middle of nowhere anyway? I mean, Didymus is some ranchers plantation. There are vendors, but even they travel to and from their tents many miles. And the temple provides food from Apollo’s generosity, why buy goods?

I was getting tired of waiting, but I decided it must be a test we had to endure to prove our willingness to obey him. I walked around the columns again, weaving aimlessly to make the journey longer. I thought about the Priestess and how I wanted to see her again, to memorize her features, so I could see her in my dreams. How does she feel about her position? Is he trapped here? What could be inside the temple house to make her stay? Does she ever dream of leaving?