WithanintroductionbyMegRosoffWilliamGolding'sfinalnovel,leftindraftathisdeath,tellsthestoryofapriestessofApollo.AriekaisoneofthelasttoprophesyatDelphi,intheshadowyyearswhentheRomansweresecuringtheirgriponthetribesandcitiesofGreece.Theplain,unloveddaughterofalocalgrandee,sheisrescuedfromthecontemptandneglectofherfamilybyherDelphicrole.Herambiguousattitudetothegodandherbeliefinhimseemtomoveinparallelwiththedeclineofthegodhimself-butthingsaremorecomplicatedthantheyappear."Aremarkablework...Acompellingstorytelleraswellasaclear-eyedphilosopherofthedangerouspuzzlesofbeinghuman."(TheTimes)."Awonderfulcentralcharacter.ThestorystretchesoutascleananddryandclearasthebeachinLordoftheFlies."(Independent)."Feline,deadpanandatmomentshilarious."(Observer).