Key 2.
Validification The three travellers were faced with a quandary.
They had come to a fork in their path.
They had to make a decision and make one quickly,
Because both they and their camels needed water.
It had been three days now since they'd last left the oasis to cross the barren desert.
The priestess had not been specific about their mission,
But had impressed upon them her need for some blue and white silk to make her ceremonial robe.
Without this,
She would not be able to summon the rains to come this year.
In both directions,
They had thought that they'd seen flashes of green reflecting off the sand through the heat haze,
But they had no idea if they were real and which might be the nearer.
In a peculiarity of heavenly alignment,
The path to the right pointed at the morning sun,
While the left path pointed towards the half moon.
The lead rider remembered this was significant,
But not what the symbolism meant.
They were in a fix and decided to dismount their camels and pray to the gods for a sign.
They bowed down to the sun god and asked if they should go with him.
Nothing happened.
They beseeched Sister Moon and asked her if she called them.
Again,
Nothing.
In desperation,
They got back on their camels,
And as they did so,
A snake shot across the sand and caused the camels to bolt.
They shot off at pace down the left path towards the moon.
The lead rider shouted to his companions,
It must be this way then.
