The Knight in Rusty Armor

Merlin gives the knight options: He can either go back down the path he arrived on and live in fear and ignorance, or he can take the steep, upward Path of Truth to get rid of his armor. A squirrel named Squirrel and a pigeon named Rebecca agree to go with him. Merlin tells the knight that he will encounter three castles he’ll need to pass through to shed his armor.

The knight, Squirrel, and Rebecca set off. The knight quickly becomes exhausted and sleeps. The next morning, part of his visor rusts away from the tears he shed over Christopher’s response. He continues the journey renewed. When he’s disappointed to see that the first castle looks ordinary, Rebecca and Squirrel talk to him about why “accepting” something is better than “expecting” something. They leave the knight to walk through the castle door alone.

The knight enters the first castle, which is silent. He walks into a room that has no exit and sees the king, who he thought was on a crusade. The king says he tells people he’s on a crusade when he’s walking the Path of Truth because it’s easier for people to understand.