Kirasu does not appear to hear Tholassi. 

"Did you take him in from outside?"

"Yes." 

Tholassi should maybe comment but he has had A Day. He came down from the godworld for Winter Solstice to state some new commandments and strike fear in the hearts o backsliders and make sure his religion is all ship-shape and Bristol fashion, only to find himself trapped as a salamander. And then he had to crawl half-frozen for three and a half miles to get to his one sole believer in the whole entire world, who turned out to be a basket case. AND he had to eat a fly, which Tholassi feels is not remotely suitable to the dignity of a god with more than a million worshippers.

He curls up on Sataro's arm, basks in the warmth, and goes to sleep. 

"I have had such a day."

Me too, he doesn't say. 

"Tell me about it?" he says, and pats the spot on the ground next to him. 

Kirasu sits next to him. Their knees brush together in an accidental fashion.

"They've been short-handed down in the pits. We keep telling them 'if you don't have enough inquisitors for the Cleansing, you don't have enough inquisitors, even if they won't have much to do during the summer', but do they listen? No. And now everyone else has to pull twelve-hour shifts. I barely have time for my own penance."

"That does sound like them," he says, and notes the way he wants to put his head on Kirasu's shoulder (three more hours every time he thinks that —) and does not do that. 

"What are we going to do if I'm not attending to my duties because I'm busy cleansing some heretic of his sin and then a wave of blasphemy breaks out in the barracks? Before Winter Solstice, no less."

"He should pay more attention," Tholassi says sleepily.

He does not tell Kirasu that. "You say that every year." He's smiling. 

"Well, this year I'm going to be right."

Their knees are definitely accidentally brushing together more often than occurs when Sataro sits next to anybody else.

I am literally holding our God in my hand, Sataro does not say. 

He adds another six hours onto his fast and doesn't pull away. 

"You say that every year too." 

"Six hours onto your what?"

"Maybe I should just not bother to talk if you can predict all my conversation."

He laughs — that thought's another six — and says "I can stop!" 

"You had better stop! Are you listening to me? I am your god. You are to eat three meals a day. And snacks!"

"How's life been in the barracks?"

His foot has come to rest touching Sataro's. He doesn't appear to notice.

"Oh, you know, same crop of newbies not sure whether to be nervous or excited for the solstice as every year." 

"Put the fear of Tholassi in them for me."

"I will." (Wanting that is another nine, which makes an even twenty-four —) 

"NO YOU WILL NOT FAST FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS I AM YOUR GOD AND I COMPLETELY FORBID IT."

HE HAS ONE! BELIEVER!!!!! AND HIS BELIEVER INSISTS ON TRYING TO STARVE HIMSELF TO DEATH!!!!!!!!

"I've been fasting," Kirasu says, "because you can do that while you're in the pits-- and I figured out this really nice thing you can do with spikes digging into your skin so it hurts whenever you move--"

Of course not, Tholassi already forbade it, but he can still keep track of how many hours he would be fasting — should, how else would he know how much penance he needs — 

"That does sound nice." 

"Is this penance going to be prayers?" Tholassi says hopefully. "Or... hymnsinging, maybe. Almsgiving. Something that won't cause potentially infected wounds."

"You can borrow it if you want, try it out."