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The man smiled slightly at this and nodded. Instead of the white robe of the acolyte he wore a black robe with an orange scapula. When Orphic had first met the man he had been wearing a brown robe, one step above a novice. Life within the Sakpatian order could be a good one. Though the order was slightly out of favour many old families and merchants paid handsomely to maintain a candle within the temple walls, not to mention the fees for the oldest mausoleums, of which only the very rich could afford. Most of those families resided in the capital these days, but an intact Sakpatian family mausoleum was a very exclusive club. It was rumoured that some of the electorate had found their way into a few of the abandoned sites.

"Has it healed? Your injury," The old man continued after seeing the look of confusion on Orphic's face, "you ribs, have they healed?" He walked forward and held his right hand a few inches from Orphic's side. "Still tender I'd wager. Why didn't you come see me when it happened? It could have been healed by me or many other within this temple?"

"Salus..."

"No, no. Please do not answer, I do not need to hear what I already know. You still visit the other temples when there is need, so I cannot be upset about that. But in the future please do not get acolyte to perform the healing, we have others much more skilled in healing. And besides news will reach my ears no matter who performs the task."

"We'll see."

"I know you don't agree with our order and the way we do things, but there are reasons behind it. There is much more to the Sakpatian's then you've seen young man. There is a history, unbroken since before the time of the Tyrants. Rules that seek to maintain the order. No." Salus sighed. "No, I need not repeat myself." He shook his head and held his hands, palms facing the ceiling, out before his body. "It's amazing how quickly one can fall back into an old pattern. Thank you for bringing Abelia back, we worry about her when we don't see her for a time."

"She hasn't been here recently?" Orphic asked.

"No she's been gone for a moon or so. No of the other temples have seen her either. You're not the only one I watch for."

"She said that she was thinking of joining the order again? Her old cell. That's why I brought her back. She acted as though she'd only just left."

"Orphic."

"She wanted to come here. She wanted her cell."

"Orphic, child. Did you really believe that? Did you honestly look into her eyes and think that she was telling the truth? That she was connected to this world? Was she using?" Salus began to walk towards the door through which he had entered. "Should we speak with Mirona? What do you think she will say after examining her? You know we cannot accept her like that. She has a choice and she continues to make the same one. Just because we want something to be reality doesn't make it so."

"A lesson we both still need to learn then."