"He takes his principle of non-interference seriously. It is most important to avoid influencing the law-making of his own city, but he equally would not want to influence a new settlement before your laws are codified. I'm sure if you would like to meet him, he will arrange something in the future."

"That sounds like fun. I'm actually sort of wondering if I could sell the information, I don't have a lot of cash right now and I'm sounding out different ways to most efficiently pick it up before I can just tax people."

"Most citizens of Marduk have no need for this information, but if he finds it interesting, you will be able to sell it to us."

"How do I find out if I can sell it or not?"

"I'll consult with him tonight, during my evening prayers. By then, he should have already decided, and it will just be a matter of informing me."

"And you'll tell me? Do I need to come back?"

"We'll notify you via angel. The temple will pay for the message, in expectation that cultivating a trade relationship with your polity is worth the upfront cost on our part."

"Okay, thank you. I haven't met any angels yet."

"Do you wish to meet one? One should be arriving within the hour, if you want to wait for them."

"That would be very convenient, thank you!"

"In the meantime, feel free to explore the temple to your heart's content."

And the priest will return to standing by the entrance.

Sure, she'll wander the temple, take some photos, see what people are doing here.

Unlike in the previous temple, where most petitioners prayed quietly to themselves and their concerns were fairly illegible to bystanders, it seems petitioners in this temple spend their time writing things down. They sit at various tables, desks, and the like, and when they are finished, they stand up and bring their written things to a submission box, where they drop the slips inside. If Lintalai attempted to sneak a look, she could read the contents of such papers before they place them in the submission box, or she could ask someone.

"Do you think they're writing down their prayers?"

"Don't know - it seems rude to look - the box isn't labeled..." She catches the eye of someone who's just dropped something off in the box. "What's the box for?"

"It's for submitting prayers to Marduk. Most submit petitions, since other prayers are best kept within one's own mind, where they are truly impossible to share with anyone but him."

"If praying in your mind works why do you like to write them?"

"Written prayers establish legal precedent, but mental prayers don't, because Marduk would never record those. Even if I want him to know my thoughts, the same is not true for every citizen of Marduk. When I write down a petition, especially an intercession, I want it to benefit other citizens."

"Oh, cool! Are they public?"

"I only check the code annually. They stay private while he processes them, and the code should update by the end of the day."

"The code of - laws?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. The petitions slowly are added to our code of laws over time. They must be voted on by the legislature, and of course, the judges have their own say on some petitions, but otherwise, Marduk leaves it up to us. Are you interested in the process?"

"Yeah! Surely not every petition makes the laws change, right -"

"No, not all. Any petition that is submitted in writing must be evaluated by the legislature unless it is something personal, individual, and small-scale enough that Marduk can immediately accomplish it himself. There are three houses of the legislature: the house of Dumuzid, the house of Enlil, and the house Gilgeam. The house of Dumuzid represents farmers, shepherds, woodcutters and all who work to provide food to Marduk. The house of Enlil represents nomads, priests, and revolutionists. The house Gilgeam represents warriors, athletes, and bureaucrats. Together, the three houses represent all of Marduk, until and unless the people petition for a new house. Each house votes on petitions, and if two out of the three houses have two-thirds of their members agree to pass a law, then it is passed. Judges will intervene when a citizen petitions to challenge an existing law, but only if they receive one intercession for every year since the law was passed."

"Intercession?" Also that doesn't sound like a complete list of professions but presumably all the others are folded in somehow, just like a first pass of castes wouldn't list firefighters. "...also: revolutionists?"