Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

"It's so beautiful." Miranda looked around and sighed. The Kiltbury Arena is a local attraction, but the ruins are not particularly famous. They have been demolished hundreds of years ago, but there are still granite pillars standing there, telling people about the past. ritual worship. Miranda asked: "Why are there so many stones here?" "For ceremonies. Ritual worship, for sacrifices. You know what sacrifices are, Miranda?" "I know." "It's got to be done, you know. It's a big deal." "You mean, not a punishment? Something else?"

"Yes, it's something else. Only when you die can others live, and only when you die can beauty survive and become beautiful. This is very important." "I thought--" "What, Miranda?" "I thought maybe you should die because your actions caused others to be killed." "Why do you think so?" "I was thinking of Joyce. If I hadn't told her about that, she might be alive, wouldn't she?" "Maybe." "As soon as Joyce died I started to feel bad. I didn't have to tell her, I just told her because I wanted to tell her something of value. She'd been to India, and she'd been telling her story—about tigers, Elephants, and about their gold jewelry and all that. I thought, too—suddenly I want people to know, because you know I didn't think much of it before." She added:

"Is it also a sacrifice at that time?" "It's okay." Miranda thought for a long time before she asked, "Is the time up?" "The sun isn't there yet. Wait five minutes and it may be shining on the stone." They sat quietly by the car again. "Well," said Miranda's companion, looking at the sky, as the sun was moving towards the horizon, "it's a great time, there's no one else. Nobody climbs up to the top of Kiltbury Heights at this hour to see the arena .It's too cold in November, and the blackberries are already picked. I'll show you the double-bladed ax first. The double-bladed ax is on the stone, thousands of years ago when they came from Mycenae or Crete Carved in stone, it's wonderful, Miranda, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's wonderful," said Miranda, "show me." They walked to the highest stone.There is a stone lying on the ground next to it, and another one is tilted a little farther down the slope. It seems that the vicissitudes of the years have made it bend over. "Are you happy, Miranda?" "I am very happy." "The imprint is here." "Is it really a double-edged axe?" "Yes, it's been erased over the years, but it's here. A symbol. Put your hand on it, and now—now I drink to the past and the future, to beauty."

"Oh, how beautiful," said Miranda. A golden goblet was placed in her hand, and her companion poured a golden liquid from the bottle. "This wine is fruity and peachy. Drink it, Miranda, and you will be happier." Miranda grabbed the gold-rimmed wine glass.She sneezed. "Yes, yes, it smells peachy, and oh, look at the sun, it's orange-like lying on the edge of the world." He pushed her to face the sun. "Grab your glass and drink." She turned around obediently, with one hand still on the faint imprint on the granite, her companion stood behind her, and two figures came out from under the sloping stone pillar at the foot of the mountain, bending over.The two on the top of the mountain turned their backs to them, and without realizing it, they quickly sneaked up to the top of the mountain.

"To beauty, Miranda." "The devil!" a voice yelled behind them. A blouse of rose-colored velvet was thrown over someone's head, and a knife fell from a slowly raised hand.Nichlos, Ranson grabs Miranda, holds her tight, and drags her away from the other two in the struggle. "You nasty little fool," said Nicholas Ranson, "running here with this murderous devil. You should know what you're doing." "I know," Miranda said, "I think I should be sacrificed because, you know, it's all my fault that Joyce was killed because of me. So I should be sacrificed, right?" ? Will become a sacrificial ritual."

"Don't talk about killing rituals, they found the girl. You know that foreign girl has been missing for a long time, two years. Everyone thought she ran away because of a forged will. She didn't run away. Found her in the well corpse." "Oh!" Miranda exclaimed suddenly, in agony. "Not in the wishing well? Not in the wishing well I've been longing to find? Oh, I don't want her in the wishing well, who-who put her in there? " "The man who brought you here."