The Red Lion - Chapter 42: "The Lion's Claws" and Chapter 43: "Isabelle"

Our protagonist is finding himself in a somewhat tricky balancing act trying to help Ernst Müller, while keeping him at the same time at a safe distance from "too much, too soon." This young man has appeared in Cornelius' life as an echo of his former self as Hans Burgner, who was the incarnation of our protagonist when we first met him in the very beginning of the book, many lifetimes ago. Ernst has the same strong, desire-driven presence, yearning for the higher wisdom and the secrets of eternal life, and coupled with the same spiritually coarse state of being.

Cornelius won't get completely rid of him, partly because he feels compassion, and partly because he wants to try and help Ernst from going into a downward spiral... and because he is karma! He also cannot help him too closely, because the boy is not ready for the higher teachings.

All does not go well. Let us find out how...