Slowly he touched the statue for the last time.
Then he moved out of the cave into the moonlight and just for a second he longed to send the Captain and Jenkins away.
They had pushed the rowboat out into the water and were waiting patiently for him to come aboard.
He wanted to stay on the island.
He wanted to be close to Apollo.
He wanted to understand all that the God had to tell him.
He wanted to feel again that strange mystic thrill.
It was given, he knew, only to those who believed in the Gods and worshipped them.
But, if he was seen on the island, he knew people would talk and perhaps it would be guessed later that he had contributed something unique to the Temple.
He forced himself to step into the rowboat.
Then the Captain, who had been standing in the sea, scrambled aboar
