“Then perhaps you will find no need to leave at all.” She said it with such satisfaction that Menelaus found himself wondering if maybe she was right. “Any who come to us are welcome to stay.”
“Come.” Titus held out an arm, indicating the rest of the house. “Let us give you a tour while a room is prepared for you. I think you will be intrigued by all we do here.”
Menelaus fell into step beside them, some of his exhaustion falling away and mirth taking its place. “And why is that? Are you running a small republic here to make Plato proud?”
Abigail laughed. “Our king has no need of philosophy, having the truth instead. But it runs as smoothly, and we like to think we have emerged from the cave into that light.”
“Just be prepared,” Titus added with a measure of sobriety. “As Socrates warned, seeing it upon leaving the darkness can be painful for a while. But it is worth it, when you can finally see it shine for all the world to see.”
Menelaus looked around him, from the vineyards to the fields to the houses to the people, and felt a strange stirring within him that told him they spoke the truth. Which was odd. He had never expected to recognize such a thing if ever he found it.