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”