He looked at me for a long time, stroking his beard, then he said at last, “yes. it is time.” that night, in the house of the priesthood, i asked for and received purification. my body hurt but my spirit was a cool stone. it was my father himself who questioned me about my dreams.

he bade me look into the smoke of the fire and see—i saw and told what i saw. it was what i have always seen—a river, and, beyond it, a great dead place and in it the gods walking. i have always thought about that. his eyes were stern when i told him he was no longer my father but a priest. he said, “this is a strong dream.”

–“by the waters of babylon,”
stephen vincent benét

which details establish the setting in this passage? check all that apply.

“stroking his beard”

“in the house of the priesthood”

“my spirit was a cool stone”

“i saw and told what i saw”

“a river . . a great dead place”

“his eyes were stern