Tales of the Hermit Volume II Yamabushi and Homecoming

In Volume 1 of Tales of the Hermit -- The Castle in the Rain and The Judge -- Père Dominic, a Western pilgrim, began his epic journey throughout Europe and the Orient. Upon arriving at the Islands Empire facing the sun, he was welcomed at first, but eventually he was forced to take flight when the country's rulers turned against all foreigners and their teachings. In a state of extreme mental and physical exhaustion, Père Dominic was rescued by a mysterious group known only as the 'Residents', who carried him to safety on the Summit, a remote mountain site. As the Residents employed various therapies to help Père Dominic regain his health, they encouraged him to explore the collection of scrolls assembled in the Library on the Summit, where other visitors to the site -- as well as certain Residents -- had contributed accounts of their experiences and imaginative reflections in a series of carefully guarded illustrated manuscripts. After a number of spirited and wide-ranging discussions with the Residents concerning the contents of the first two scrolls he had examined in Volume 1, in Volume 2 Père Dominic discovers two more scrolls, entitled simply 'Yamabushi and Homecoming', which will offer different -- and challenging -- responses to the ever-present and oft-times agonising dilemma of how to try to live an ethical life in the midst of a violent reality. Père Dominic's journey continues...