Brasyl

God keep you and save you, my dear sister, and my affections to Jea

With loving affection

Your brother

Robert.

Luis Qui

“A glorious morning indeed, Father.”

The violent loudness of the voice as Qui

“Forgive me, Father, I did not mean to alarm you.”

Falcon stood at the aft of the ship half-shadowed by the awning. He too balanced an open book on the rail, a soft suede-bound sketchbook in which he drew with charcoal.

“Our superior general prescribes dawn as the best time for meditation.”

“Your superior general is right. What is today’s subject?”

“The Two Standards, of Christ and of Lucifer.” At many junctions and embarkations in his life Luis Qui

“How do you imagine it, the standard of Lucifer?” Fé em Deus was waking; the movements of the crew sending luxurious ripples across the glassy water.

“Golden of course, like a bird, a proud bird of prey with feathers of flame and diamonds for eyes. He was a Lord of Light, Lucifer. Quite quite beautiful and so skillfully made that the diamond eye enchants and seduces everyone who sees it so they think, Yes, yes, I see myself reflected there and I am good. Excellently good. Who would be drawn to it if it did not mirror their vanities and answer their hopes?”

Falcon gave his whole weight to the rail and looked out into the morning, where bands of blue were appearing as the higher mists evaporated. “You have a great gift for visualization, Father. I find that I must augment my memory with material aids.” Qui

“I have no hand for the drawing,” Luis Qui

“A code of my own devising,” Falcon said. “It’s not unknown for scientists to need to keep their notes and observations secure. Ours is a jealous profession.”

“Some might see it as the work of a spy.”

“Would a spy show you that he writes in code? Look! Oh look!” Qui

A mound in the water, a wheezing spray of mist broke the surface and vanished into spreading ripples. A moment later a second apparition surfaced and submerged in a soft rain of exhalation. The two circles of ripples met and clashed, reinforcing, canceling each other out. Falcon dashed, flapping coattails and loosely bound sheaves of paper, along the narrow gunwale to the bowsprit, where he clung, keenly sca

But Luis Qui