Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene always survived this, to be killed with stones some time later; these are sometimes called his "second" and "first martyrdom". This episode takes place between them, when after the archery, Irene, who is normally accompanied by her maid, is shown either taking an unconscious Sebastian down from the tree or post he was tied to, or when they have got him to a bed and are treating his wounds. In both scenes Irene is usually shown pulling out one of the arrows. Sometimes she is putting ointment on the wounds; a jar of ointment was her attribute. Both scenes are
Snakes & Arrows of the CD version of the album, and do not include the MVI or LP versions. Writing for "Snakes & Arrows" began in January 2006 with Lee and Lifeson working at their home studio in Toronto. The pair began the writing process by jamming, which gradually molded their ideas into completed pieces. During this process, Neil Peart wrote preliminary lyrics for the songs – a creative method the band has frequently employed on their earlier works. Peart, originally from the Toronto area, has lived in Southern California since 2000. To continue working with his bandmates for the new album, he