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Eight Lord Byron There are moments in life when everything changes. We turn a corner, make a choice, and the path we were on is left behind forever. In Ted’s life, that moment came when he arrived in Sun Valley. For years he’d been shown a dream in which every detail of this moment was clear, but he had no idea of its importance. And he never realized that some force was at work, shaping his life for unknown purposes. When unusual things had occurred before, Ted simply dismissed them from his mind, for there was no larger context into which they fit or made sense. He had even come to think that his meeting with the angels who merged his soul with Jill’s must have been merely a dream. For Jill, after all, hadn’t responded with transformed emotions as he had. But now, watching his recurrent dream emerge into living reality in Sun Valley, Ted felt his understanding of the world shaking. What was it, he kept wondering, that had shown him those dreams? What had brought him here to this place and given him the position that so many others before him had tried and failed to obtain? That initial wonderment soon passed, however, as the dazzling surroundings and fast pace of life in Sun Valley bewitched him. It was nothing like the life he had back in Alabama. He was on his own for the very first time, a young man easily accepted by the other employees, making friends from all over the country and rubbing elbows with people of The Child - Eight importance and fame. How could he not be impressed by it all? Out on the rink he watched Peggy Fleming skate, and in the Lodge he served such celebrities as Andy Williams, Ann Southern, and Lucille Ball. He got to know the Hemingway family, whose home in Ketchum made them frequent visitors to the valley. And he was even called upon to baby-sit with the children of the famous guests, such as Janet Leigh’s young daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis. He was also surrounded by another wonderful attraction, the overwhelming beauty of the place. Ted spent much of his summer wandering through the mountains, exploring the nature trails that led far from the valley into a world of wild majesty and tranquil isolation. The little cottonpatch kid who had once chased rabbits in the fields now roamed through mountain meadows with a renewed appreciation of the great creative force of the universe. Sometimes as he lay back to rest from the climbing, Ted gazed down upon the valley below and felt that he was peering into paradise. The summer passed by swiftly and happily. Ted’s job at the Lodge was so enjoyable that he almost felt guilty to be paid for it. His coworkers were friendly and stimulating, and among them Ted was rather special, with his unique south- ern drawl and infectious good humor. Every day was so filled with excitement and fun that he didn’t think about tomorrow, until at last the summer season began to draw to a close. One day in August, Ted’s boss Bert called him over to dis- cuss plans for organizing the winter-season crew. He needed to know who would be available after the month-long shut- down before the Lodge reopened in October. Ted suddenly realized that his stay in paradise was about to end, and for the first time since arriving he had to think about going back to Alabama and the university. Every time he thought about boarding the train and head- ing south, he felt sick. His whole being resisted the idea, and finally he sat down to write a letter home, informing his fam- ily that he would not be coming back. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, he explained, where he could take advantage of free skiing privileges, flying down the winter slopes with Masquerade of Angels 63 Thad a dream which was not all a dream.