What’s the gist of chapter 17 of a mighty long way?

How and why does king use the word redemptive to link the concepts of freedom and religious faith

The room was gaudy with its leather couch and purple walls

How does visiting the place of the gods affect the narrator? a. he discovers that it is unwise to have an inquiring mind b. he learns that there is nothing supernatural to fear in the destroyed city c. he renounces everything he learned from the priests and his father d. he understands that the past has nothing of interest for people of the present