In Through a Glass Darkly Dr. Christian Brandon, on the basis of a number of anomalies, comes to suspect we are not on the original time line; rather we have been dislocated to an alternate time line. Verifying such a curious idea would seem to be completely out of reach, yet this was the guiding vision and dream of Dr. Brandon. The answer seems tied up with the Sagata, an advanced but retiring species that wishes only to be left alone and are advanced enough to make it so. Against all odds Dr. Brandon achieves his dream, but even he never suspects the events and personalities at the other end of the time switch, several thousand years earlier during the time of the Word and Dathe Scott.