“The Emrys! The Emrys is here!' Merlin shook his head in astonishment. 'Has it come to this?' he wondered. 'Even small children know me by sight.”

“And the Wise Emrys said that Arthur would yet come again to lead his own.”

“And then, just as I begin to raise my sword to cleave a path to Arthur's side, there comes a sound like a tempest wind - the blast of a mighty sea gale. Men fall back, suddenly afraid. They cover their heads with their arms and peer into the darkness above. What is it? Is the roof falling? The sky?The strange sound subsides and they glance at one another in fear and awe. Merlin is there. The Emrys is standing calmly beside Arthur. His hands are empty and upraised, his face stern in the unnatural silence he has created . . .”

“He sighed and shook his head slowly. 'And there will be no bringing back the light once it has gone.”

“All he had, in fact, was Merlin's shining promise.”

“He holds the sword!' shouted Merlin. 'And that has not changed. Whoever would be king must first take the sword from Arthur's hand. For I tell you truly, none among you will be king without it!”

“How is a man fortunate to live in the darkness, brother?""Why do you wonder?" asked Blaise. "For only he who has lived in darkness truly knows and values the light.”