The Dark Prophecy

“The Waystation is more than a building” (33), Emmie tells Apollo when he first enters the structure. As the narrative proceeds, it becomes clear that Emmie is right. The Waystation is difficult to define: Initially, it seems like a sentient space that provides its guests with whatever they may need, including an enclosure for an elephant and a laundry chute that swallows up attackers. However, Emmie’s enigmatic remark shows that the Waystation is beyond its mechanics. It is a sanctuary in both the literal and symbolic sense. Closely identified with Emmie and Josephine’s feminine, matriarchal energy, the Waystation is a material embodiment of their values and, thus, the novel’s moral center. Commodus calls the Waystation the “house of nets” since it was built by Britomartis, the troublemaking goddess of nets and traps. Apollo thinks this may make the house untrustworthy, but Josephine reminds him that “nets can be traps [but] they can also be safety nets. You just have to know when to jump in” (187). The Waystation may derive its ingenuity from Britomartis, but Emmie and Josephine power its heart. Emmie tells the freed prisoners from Commodus’s castle, “We attract outcasts here…folks who just don’t feel at home anywhere else” (278).