"...It's the first day of our rule, which we know because we observe that we have taken over the planet?"

"So you were just being opportunistic and your prophecies don't mention me at all?"

"I am uninterested in discussing theology with you."

"Then why are you the representative?"

"Why do you expect to discuss theology with the representative?"

"Well, a theological interest group seems to have taken over the planet," Cam points out.

"Do you want to discuss theology or do you want to discuss policy? The two are different."

"Most things about the way your species is motivated are very strange to me. We could potentially discuss policy without touching on theology but I won't know why I should expect you're not telling me blatant lies. Incorporating the details of your apparently theological motivation would make telling me blatant lies harder."

"I am not telling you lies. Anything I say about our policy is knowledge available to the public."

"Okay. Tell me about your policy then."

The representative makes alien facial expressions. "What about our policy?"

"What is it? Where can I read all this publicly available information? I've been informed that I have to comply with local air traffic control; does any of the other policy apply to me?"

"You have no place in our society and no understanding of our system, so the same information that is available to everyone else would do you little good," says the representative. "Traffic regulations are an example of the sort of thing that has not changed at all, and also an example of a rule you are required to follow. Besides that, and because you in particular are a filth creature, for public peace of mind you are encouraged not to bother anyone who does not willingly approach you."

"Okay, but I didn't just want examples, I wanted a more comprehensive list. I am also especially interested in your dispositions towards other sapient species you might encounter who are more vulnerable than I am."

"This is a very frustrating conversation," says the representative.

"Yes, I noticed that," says Cam.

"I will fetch a replacement representative who is more difficult to frustrate," says the cultist. They go back into the building.

Cam waits.

"They didn't want to explain to me the things I wanted explained and seemed to find me personally irritating in addition to the standard amount of disgust I have become accustomed to."

"Which things did you want explained?"

"My fundamental problem here is that your species seems generally disposed to kill anyone else it meets, has done it twice and was working on doing it a third time when I showed up, and absolutely has to stop. While I very much wish that the prospect of having to stop wasn't so distressing that several planetsful of you have sucked themselves into black holes, it still has to stop. I am more than happy to leave any of you who can exist in the same multiverse as other sapient species alive and, even, eventually, alone, but it's very hard - considering your collective track record - to trust that you're going to build a stable culture which doesn't hold as a central value killing everybody it runs across. So I'm trying to figure out the moving parts of the culture this planet's recent revolution is trying to implement, so I know if it's safe to leave alone or if in a little while it will construct a war machine and kill some innocent people, the sort in the sphere maze or some new species you haven't encountered yet."

"...I think I understand," says Assistant Coordinator Sikyal Tegati. "And I think I understand why the previous representative was having so much trouble. The previous culture is something that every person in the world understands, so every explanation of the new culture relies on that understanding. But I don't think you have that understanding. Do you?"

"Right. I mean, I have a lot of documents but I've been running around trying to intercept people before they suck their planets into black holes so I haven't stopped to read them all."