91 lines
2.3 KiB
TeX
91 lines
2.3 KiB
TeX
\herosection{The Mirror that Knew}{chapters/2025.10.21-TheMirrorThatKnew/image/the-mirror-that-knew.jpg}
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\DROPCAP{../../dropcap_c/dropI.png}n the high country \\
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where clouds touched the roofs, \\
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the village of Lir kept the art of mirrors.\\
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Their mirrors were not toys of vanity \\
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but instruments of devotion. \\
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Each generation one was made \\
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for the Temple of the Dawn, \\
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to reveal each soul as it truly was.
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When the honor fell to Master Iren, \\
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no one questioned the choice.\\
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He was patient, precise, and — \\
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he liked to say — \\
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humble. \\
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``A mirror must be pure as snow,'' \\
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he told his apprentice Sela, \\
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a quiet girl whose quiet nature \\
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he mistook for slowness. \\
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``If the maker leaves a trace of himself, \\
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it will cloud the image.\\
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I, of course, will do no such thing.''
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Weeks passed in silence \\
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broken only by the hiss \\
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of molten silver and glass.\\
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At last, \\
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the mirror was lifted into its frame, \\
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shining like captured sunlight.\\
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The abbot came, \\
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the bells rang, \\
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and the villagers lined up \\
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to see what they would see.
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The first pilgrim stepped forward — \\
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an old woman, \\
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trembling.\\
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Her reflection bloomed crisp and clear.\\
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Then a high priest, \\
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strutting in his finest robe — \\
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the surface misted over at once.\\
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One after another, \\
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they gazed at themselves in the mirror.\\
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The modest saw themselves luminously; \\
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the self-important saw only fog.
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``Surely the mirror isn't working correctly,'' \\
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the crowd grumbled.\\
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Murmuring spread.\\
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Iren laughed lightly to still them. \\
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``The metal is fresh — \\
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it needs to season.''\\
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He turned toward the glass, \\
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certain the reflection of his own face \\
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would steady the crowd.
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Nothing.
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Only a foggy light.\\
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He felt heat rise behind his ears.\\
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``You've spoiled the mixture'' he hissed at Sela.
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She blinked, \\
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frightened, \\
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then stepped up beside him.\\
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The mirror caught her instantly — \\
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her image bright and alive, \\
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the whole hall luminous.
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``What did you do?'' he demanded.
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``Nothing,'' she said. \\
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``I only looked.''
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That night, \\
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he worked alone, \\
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polishing until his hands shook.\\
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The harder he tried, \\
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the duller the surface grew.\\
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Exhausted, \\
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he leaned close, \\
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whispering a prayer he could barely remember.\\
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For an instant, \\
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a face flickered — \\
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worn, \\
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uncertain, \\
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human — \\
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and then was gone.
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