"Huh. What do you suppose confused about Ibyabek is a euphemism for. Maybe they've decided it isn't Good?"

"Maybe? I mean, it's not going to be conveniently any one of the alien concepts that aliens have convinced people here to use, is it, but I'm not sure what in particular they've noticed."

"What's most different between Ibyabek and here, aside from the technology?"

"Well, there's the money thing, but I already told them about that. Ibyabek's just about mono-ethnic, I suppose - only humans and mostly the same sort. No magic."

"They shouldn't be surprised about that."

"Yes, I don't know what they'd have been surprised by at all. Ibyabek doesn't have any giant holes in it full of hostile wildlife, it doesn't have - people dying and getting set on fire, and I guess they could be upset that the people who die don't then go to Heaven either but again that's not a surprise..."

"If you could change one thing about Ibyabek what would you change?"

"Does adding Outer Sohaibek count?"

"No, I mean, internal things. Things the government could do, maybe that some other place does better. - I was talking about this with my assigned elderly paladin and he said that he thinks Lastwall should have more wizard schools like Cheliax does."

"Is that something Lastwall could just decide? I thought Cheliax had things like that because of Hell helping."

"I thought so too but he said they'd have to cut other things, important things, but if they did cut enough other things they could, and he thinks it'd be worth it."

"Oh. Hm.

I suppose I know what I would have said when I was a kid but I don't know what it would be now."

"What would you have said when you were a kid?"

"Would have wanted it to be - less weird to stay in close touch with family members. I missed my sister, when she got married, and thought I'd miss my parents when I was older."

"Huh. Is it weird because caring about people is - generally a weird thing to do? Or something more specific than that?"

"Oh, the idea is that you care very much about the People in general and don't set much store by whoever you happen to be related to."

"Huh. Would it be less odd to care very much about - a mentor or a friend - or is that also probably distracting you from caring about the People."

"Less weird, but you're not supposed to let affection blind you to someone's faults."

"Huh. I don't think Cheliax would have any of the same justifications at all but the underlying thing is sort of similar I guess."

"Oh?"

"Oh, just, it'd be kind of pathetic, to be the kind of person who cared a lot about your parents or your siblings or your children."

"And instead you're supposed to - care about Asmodeus, I suppose?"

"It'd be fine to care about Cheliax, in the abstract, I'd think, though if you said it as 'The People' people'd look at you a little funny."

"I don't know if there's a more idiomatic translation."

"If I were trying to have a conversation in Cheliax and not be weird and someone asked what I cared about - well, they'd be being weird, but if I said that I cared about Cheliax returning to and then surpassing its former glory and spreading Asmodeanism to all the world I wouldn't be weird. Unless someone thought I was being too wordy and probably covering for something, but you know, stuff like what to say at parties is very contextual..."