"Brida!" she heard a distant voice call.
"Here's looking at you, kid," said the Magus. It was a line from an old film he had seen once. He felt happy because he had turned another important page in the Tradition of the Sun. He felt the presence of his Teacher, who had chosen that night for his new Initiation.
"I will always remember you, and you will remember me, just as we will remember the evening, the rain on the windows, and all the things we'll always have because we cannot possess them."
"Brida!" Lorens called again.
"Go in peace," said the Magus. "And dry those tears, or tell him that the smoke from the fire got in your eyes. Never forget me."
He knew he didn't need to say this, but he said it anyway.
Wicca noticed that some people had left a few of their belongings behind. She would have to phone them and tell them to come and fetch them.
"The fire will have burned down soon," she said.
He remained silent. There were still a few flames, and he still had his eyes fixed on them.
"I don't regret that I once fell in love with you," Wicca went on.
"Nor do I," replied the Magus.
She felt an enormous desire to talk about Brida, but she said nothing. The eyes of the man beside her inspired respect and wisdom.
"It's a shame I'm not your Soul Mate," she added. "We would have made a good couple."
But the Magus wasn't listening to what Wicca was saying. There was a vast world before him and many things to do. He had to help plant God's garden, he had to teach people to teach themselves. He would meet other women, fall in love, and live this incarnation as intensely as he could. That night completed one stage of his existence, and a new Dark Night lay ahead, but the next stage would be much more enjoyable and joyful, much closer to what he had dreamed. He knew this because of the flowers and the forests and because of young women who arrive one day led by God's hand, not knowing that they are there in order for destiny to be fulfilled. He knew this because of the Tradition of the Moon and the Tradition of the Sun.
About the Author
PAULO COELHO is one of the most beloved and successful writers of our time. With sales of more than 100 million copies worldwide, his books have been translated into 66 languages and published in 150 countries. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious international awards and was inducted into the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2002. In 2007 he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Mr. Coelho also writes a weekly column syndicated throughout the world.
Also by Paulo Coelho
THE ALCHEMIST
THE PILGRIMAGE
THE VALKYRIES
BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT
THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM
MANUAL OF THE WARRIOR OF LIGHT
ELEVEN MINUTES
THE ZAHIR
LIKE THE FLOWING RIVER
THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO
Credits
Jacket photograph (c) Maria Taglienti/Getty Images
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
BRIDA. Copyright (c) 2008 by Paulo Coelho. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition (c) MAY 2008 ISBN: 9780061807459
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