"...gods happen when people believe in them before they exist?"

"It's a bit of a Catch-22. I suppose if enough people believed in a personified version of a concept and it had just stayed hidden from everyone else, that could do it, but you would need many people to believe very hard- I can't imagine a people without any gods could believe properly, can you? You must find everything I've said about gods confusing, and I find that confusion confusing. Frustrating, frankly. Let's not discuss gods, find a priest or druid or something."

"All right, I suppose. Thank you anyway."

"Besides gods, you can minimize the amount of crime that happens outside your settlement- the Harmonium is more likely to interfere if it seems like you can't manage your own population. Ramp up slowly, don't allow freedom of movement beyond your range. Focus on building up until you approach clouds; make sure your buildings can survive storms. Have you felt one yet?"

"No. How do people claim regions anyway?"

"Once you start to govern some territory, you claim it. By imposing laws, you make it yours. There are plenty of small governments without many citizens across Arcadia, but larger settlements happen when a polity offers something unique to people. You can't find laws built by the people anywhere else in Arcadia, which is why I'm a citizen of Marduk- but I wanted the haven for merchants that Neselthia's district in Heliopolos is."

"And you can have Marduk's law apply to you while you're located in Heliopolis no problem?"

"Marduk," he says somewhat smugly, "serves its citizens. The law is ours."

Daernir will just take that as a yes? This guy sure doesn't like answering questions simply. He gives a brief wave to Lintalai and heads off to talk to some other petitioners. He's not much help in this conversation.

"That's interesting, I think a setup like that would work pretty well for Amentans... is there a reason Marduk can only protect one polity and not several?"

"Gods protect their followers, it's as simple and as complicated as that. Like I said, ask someone else for the parts of gods that take actual thought to understand. I'm only interested in the practicality of them."

Lintalai would say that she too is mostly interested in the practicalities but she isn't going to quibble. "So if the followers of Marduk decided to form several polities..."

"That's all Marduk. Maybe this part of this temple is Marduk, legally. I know I am still a citizen of Marduk, but I don't know how far that extends around my person. I would need to examine the code."

"I mean what if some people followed Marduk the god but weren't interested in the House thing."

"I suppose they wouldn't come live in Marduk. He does have followers on the Prime, and they certainly don't live in Marduk. Personally, his realm is the reason I follow him."

"Hm. I guess maybe when I circle back to the priests I can ask them."

"Maybe."

Write, write, write.

"Any other questions for me?"

"No, but thank you, you've been helpful!"

"Thank me by trading with Marduk when your settlement is all sorted out. Have a good day."

"You too!"

She wanders around a bit more till the angel appears.

After Lintalai's conversation, it's not too long before the petitioners (those who haven't left already, having submitted their petitions) stand up or bow down at the arrival of glowing rainbow balls of light that fly into the room. They are self-contained, three foot balls of mist that emanate rainbow light from their swirling mass. They bob in the air until the petitioners begin to follow them outside.

Daernir follows them as well, looking awe-struck.

Lintalai gets video and follows too, stumbling a little.

The motes of rainbow mist lead the petitioners outside and surround what must be an angel, standing outside the temple. The angel looks at everyone very briefly, with an expression of puzzled excitement.

"I have messages."

Some of the petitioners approach the angel, and the angel whispers in their ears. Then, after laughing, crying, nodding, whispering something back, or handing over a letter, they make room for the next person.