Night, when The Blue Knight had closed his eyes and the stones about the circle were dark figures once more, one came to his feet was a man holding a flagon and drinking vessel. He spoke in a low voice at once.
I have a tale of man’s folly and rights that is to change.
The Blue Knight dreamed; in his dream he stood adrift upon a beam that floated on the sea. All about him the water was in flames and boiling as a cooking pot. The flames, as high as high, were coming out the water as the water were a forest of dead tinder, but hot that the Blue Knight felt not the score through his mail.
In the midst of the water there came a great cog in full blow, on its prow standing a fine warrior with full arms and weapons and all things said manly about him. The Blue Knight saw all the signs that came to make the image of a man standing there and even in his dream knew that this was the Image of which the Stone Carver had spoken.
Suddenly up from the water came the Blue Knight on a wave most high to confront this warrior and seek out its dissolution, then as the flames came up out from the water around the cog maybe the warrior of iron was made to melt like a wax and fall away. The sword came soft and fell dripped away like an icicle in spring sun, then his armour and helm made pale and clear like water falling like a stream. Then all about the warrior, all the signs and symbols of violence and power fell to the sea and in the same place stood a simple man who showed no sign of his nature, he had been freed to become an new man that was his choice.
The Blue Knight spoke with the Image of Man saying, How, then, is a man to change his stars in the face of the world. I would that our world should allow all kinds of being for men.
The image of men spoke that each man must know the corruption of lives that comes with power, be it power of position or power of arms, or power yet to be described. Destruction would follow as surely as a sword would cut. If this scourge was known, then all things might be renewed. Now did the Image of man fly apart into many pieces, which held in the shape of arms and legs and a head that went apart and each piece thereof held a store of knowledge from which a new whole could be made.
The Blue Knight fell awake with a start and contemplated the destructive nature of power. He tended to his horse, Prosek, before he took some food and water to himself.
The Guardians of the Cave 