"- I have no idea what her possible motives for lying might be. It could be carelessness. It could be that she's insane. It could be that she'd just make very different tradeoffs than I or my goddess would. It could be that she wouldn't lie at all but would tell carefully selected truths that would gravely mislead me given my context. I'm sure it's possible to derive value from a conversation with her but I am not able to do it."

"Now, I, on the other hand, I would never lie to you, cross my heart. All my advice is perfect, I promise."

"Thank you for this information on how much your honesty means to you."

He snorts.

"I know most people lie sometimes. I did before I came by my current religion. But I have a loose idea of why they might do it and how, and that helps figure out the range of possible realities."

"Why’d you go there in the first place?"

"In search of context on what the oracle told me."

"Uh-huh."

"But how come you trusted the oracle?" asks the person Jinx was condescending to earlier.

"I don't particularly."

"Then how come you talked to it?"

"I am from another planet and even very unreliable information is more than I have."

"But... but then how come..."

"Is this actually worth going over from more angles, will it change anything if you understand it?"

This fellow looks deeply upset by this comment and doesn't answer. Several other patrons are laughing at both of them now.

A couple of people will take advantage of the momentary lull in conversation to offer Blai business cards.

What do they say?

One offers "self-defense lessons" that will work against metal heads. Private meetings only, coordinate at this number.

One sells custom prayer beads and votive candles and will pray for people who donate to their charitable foundation.

...how does one coordinate at a number.

By calling it. The card does not further explain.

"I do not know what one would do with this number to coordinate at it," Blai tells the person who gave him that card.

"Get a communicator," the person says.

"...would anyone care to direct me to somewhere I could acquire a broken communicator to Mend?"

The guy who was trying to sell him a refurbished one earlier would be delighted to take Blai to his shop.