ABOUT THE MYTH
The Blue Jewel
“As night closed the seven gates of the castle, to be opened in the morning…the locals brought their food, textiles, and ceramics and sold them to the knights. There Pierre D’Avignon saw Anatoli for the first time. Love does not discriminate; it knows no conquerors nor conquered. It intervenes, it tramples all differences. Then she saw the unbelievable. A fish with an unusual colour… a warmth in its belly, dazzled her eyes. A pearl in all shades of blue. “This shall be my talisman,” she said.
It was not difficult for Niraeus to find his folk…Stepping softly, he stood before them in the cemetery. “My son be careful”, said Anastasis, “Rhodes reeks of gunpowder and tar”. It may have been dark, but his amulet shone. He saw the knife about to be nailed … The hand hauled the amulet, which took a circular course… and fell to the ground.
On the trees, on the walls of the house, on the ground, he saw a blue light… Anastasis brought a lantern as they both searched the orchard. “Uncle Anastasi. Come on, here, here! Look, on the ground!” “I don’t see anything, my child. Perhaps only you see it.” Rhodes is burnt. Outside, the conquerors trample, smash and loot.
Niraeus looks at the boat’s sails as he stands by the handrail. Sofoula put a painting in his hands. “Look, here is the gate of St Athanasius. Here is the church, go forth, turn left, and there is your home, on your left. You should come back to look for your talisman … the blue jewel.”
Extracts from the historical novel Allēgoria, by Eirini Vogiatzi-Charalambis