Psellos wrote to Michael Keroularios as his long-term supporter, but complaining of the patriarchs serious inconsistency in return. He spoke of a slanderous demon besieging him everywhere, more fiercely because he was innocent. Successful rebuttal did not stop it shamelessly attacking again in different forms, though with no success. At the last crisis, he was unable to approach Keroularios. Psellos was attacked as a slanderer and his friendly gestures rejected. Then contacts were restored, and he felt happy and victorious. Calm soon changed to another, worse storm of slander, of which Psellos said nothing to the empress Theodora, who was ready to listen. Again he storm abated, Keroularios embraced him and killed the fatted calf, in a dramatic reversal - perhaps through remorse. Keroularios' new attitudes were widely known, to the advantage of both. Psellos, naïvely attracted to all Keroularios' gifts and attributes, was badly wounded by him; he who had always addressed Psellos in Attic, suddenly lowered his language level. Suspicion was cast on Psellos rise to power, his philosophical chair, his regular imperial access. He gave up as Keroularios circled and stabbed him from the side. Psellos' writings, freely handed over, were read for unintended meanings. His philosophy was disregarded, his motives impugned, his pledges ignored; neither his declaration of faith nor anything else stopped Keroularios repeating the same charges. He wondered what Keroularios would reply; Psellos promised love and an encomium to answer any future inconsistency. Keroularios was welcome to show this letter to others, to test opposing views