CHAPTER THREE
The Miraculous
Transformation of Julian Mantle
I was astonished by the new and improved Julian Mantle.
'How could someone who looked like a tired old man only a
few short years ago now look so vibrant and alive?' I wondered in
silent disbelief. 'Was it some magical drug that had allowed him to
drink from the fountain of youth? What was the cause of this
extraordinary reversal?'
Julian was the first to speak. He told me that the hyper-
competitive legal world had taken its toll on him, not only physi-
cally and emotionally but spiritually. The fast pace and endless
demands had worn him out and run him down. He admitted that
his body had fallen apart and that his mind had lost its lustre. His
heart attack was only one symptom of a deeper problem. The
constant pressure and exhausting schedule of a world-class trial
lawyer had also broken his most important—and perhaps most
human—endowment: his spirit. When given the ultimatum by his
doctor either to give up the Law or give up his life, he said he saw
a golden opportunity to rekindle the inner fire he had known
when he was younger, a fire that had been extinguished as the
Law became less a pleasure and more a business.