Millie bent down and kissed me, then went to her room.

I lit the coil, blew out the candle which remained. The darkness was lifted by the lightness in the air.

I was suddenly wide awake, because the power had come back on and the lights in my room were bright.

I got up and turned them off, pushed the shutters open to a lovely cool breeze. Through the wall I could hear Millie snoring-safe, comfortable snores.

I slipped outside and the breeze was fresh, not burdened with moisture. I was not attacked by insects. The full moon was low in the sky, streaked by swiftly mov- 305.

ing clouds. The storm in Osia Theola was over, but in those troubled lands across from us the electrical storm was still playing.

"Polly-"

I looked over the balcony and saw Omio.

"You're awake-"

"I was sound asleep," I said, "but when the power came on, my lights woke me."

"Come and sit on the wall by the fig sycamore for a while."

The stones hurt my bare feet, but I made it to the crumbling remnant of wall and sat looking at the moon sliding below the horizon. Omio sat beside me, and when I shivered in the cool breeze he drew me to him to keep me warm.

Whatever it was I had silently been demanding of Omio I was no longer demanding.

I was happy sitting beside him, watching the night sky. I loved him, but I loved him as a friend, as I loved Max as a friend. The clean feeling of love blew through me with the breeze. I sighed with a joyful kind of relief.

Omio's arm tightened about me. "Is everything all right with us, Polly?"

"Everything is fine. I'm sorry I was such an idiot."

"It was not Omio," he said. "It was whoever hurt you."

"I was very confused."

"And now?"

"It's okay," I said wonderingly. "It's all right!"

"We are true, good friends?"

"True, good friends."

He kissed me, gently, on the cheek, and we climbed back up to the balconies, and he waited until I was in the room, drawing the shutters not quite closed.

306 Lotus I slept and dreamed. I went into the church and Osia Theola's cave. Inside the cave my littlest brother and sister, Johnny and Rosy, were blowing bubbles, and the bubbles with their iridescent colors illumined the darkness of the cave. Then I saw that each bubble was filled with stars, with galaxies, countless galaxies; each bubble was an island universe.

The cave was gone, the little ones were gone, and all I could see was the loveliness of the bubbles, universes glowing softly with the life of all creation.

And then I saw a hand, and all the bubbles were in the hand, which was holding them, tenderly, lovingly.

And in the dream I understood that this was Blessed Theola's vision of love.

I woke up even earlier than usual, feeling rested and refreshed. I dressed and hurried out into the clear air.

The sun was warm, not hot; the day sparkled. n.o.body was about, not even the old men eternally watering the roses.

I thought I heard sounds in the direction of the church, and moved across the compound. There was an early-morning service going on, and I stood in the doorway, watching the people standing quietly, their heads covered. I listened to the Byzantine chanting of the priest.

I felt a presence behind me, and it was Krhis.

We turned away from the church together. "Krhis, would it be possible for me to make an overseas call?"

"We can try." He did not sound surprised.

307.

We went to the office, and he dialed several times, spoke to three different operators, finally gave the phone to me and left me alone. I gave the operator the number.

There was a long, blank pause, and then the sound of distant ringing. And then a voice. "h.e.l.lo?"

"Urs-"

"Yes, who is it?"

I had no idea what time it was at home. It didn't matter. "Urs, it's Polly.

Max-may I speak to Max?"

Ursula's voice sounded hollow, with an echo following it. "Just a moment, child." . . . moment, child. The echo came faintly.

I waited. Waited.

And then Max's voice. "Polly?" . . . Polly?

"Max, I love you. I just wanted to call and tell you I love you-" I stopped because I could hear my own voice distantly echoing back what I had said.

"Oh, Polly, forgive me-"

"Me, too, forgive me, too-"

Forgive . . . forgive echoed back.

"I'm so glad you called" . . . you called.

"I love you, Max, I love you" . . . love you. "I have so much to tell you-"

But before the echo had a chance to repeat my words the connection was cut and the phone went dead.

It was all right. I had said what I needed to say.

Krhis was waiting outside. He didn't ask me who I had needed to phone so suddenly. We walked slowly across the compound to the refectory part of the cloister. The cold place within me that had frozen and constricted my heart was gone. My heart was like a lotus, and in that little s.p.a.ce there was room enough for Osia Theola, for all of Cyprus. For all the stars in all of the galaxies.

For all those bubbles which were island universes.

308.

In the cloister everybody was gathering for breakfast.

"Polly!" Norine called. "We will be very busy today. All the delegates must come into the office, and we will check them off and give them their blue folders and room a.s.signments . . ."

She paused for breath and Omio took my hand and pulled me to the chair next to his.

"Saranam," he said.