The Sword and the Staff

The Sword and the Staff: A Book of Merlin is an Arthurian novel Jeffrey Robbins began writing in September 1995, focusing on Merlin, inspired by the Scrolls of Merlin adventure. [1]

History

Jeffrey Robbins' following dictated notes on the book served as the epilogue to the Gargoyles episode "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time" (although it is not known whether or not they are intended to be included in the published version of the book):

The written word is all that stands between memory and oblivion. Without books as our anchors, we are cast adrift, neither teaching, nor learning. They are windows on the past, mirrors on the present, and prisms reflecting all possible futures. Books are lighthouses erected in the dark sea of time.

As of October 1996 it is currently unknown if Robbins has finished the novel. [2]

Behind the Scenes

While the epilogue above (like the rest of the episode) was written by either Lydia Marano or Brynne Chandler (or both), Greg Weisman writes that it was also inspired by a similar quote from historian Barbara Tuchman. [3][4] Brynne Chandler's research for the episode further indicated that the phrase, "a lighthouse in the sea of time" had existed before Tuchman used it. [5]