"It means that no one could make your secrets safe from the gods who can learn those. Not every god can learn secrets, though. But there are many things a person might think of as private that is not- a secret is something you need to keep secret to make it valuable, but a private thought is anything that you wish to keep to yourself. You can protect your private thoughts, but not secrets. If something is valuable to others because it is hidden and not because you wish it to be just yours, I cannot protect that."

"...okay. I think that's - enough."

Nod.

"I will just need to place my hand on your forehead," she lies.

This isn't something she's ever had to do before. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be able to do it. But her goddess just graced her with a vision, and it clearly corresponds to whatever Lintalai needs in this moment, so she expects that if she just places her hand on Lintalai's forehead- her goddess will work through her.

Lintalai holds very still.

She touches Lintalai's forehead-

-and Lintalai finds herself standing in the center of a crowded square, full of customers and vendors haggling at market stalls. She can see children playing, as their mothers, at the stalls, glance back fondly. And she hears, in a much quieter voice than the previous one:

Lintalai. I am Neselthia, goddess of commerce and greed, of motherhood and children, of devotion and vengeance. Your mind will be safe from intrusion. I fear that I cannot protect you from all dangers, and regret that The Acquirer saw so much of who you are before she learned better. (There's a vicious anger in that phrase, but it dissipates before she continues 'speaking'.) There are several mortals working tirelessly to make your body safer, and now your mind- as much of it as I could protect- is safe. It will not protect you perfectly from attempts to control or influence you, but you will detect them as they begin- simply think of desert sand, and I will defend you. I hope this will suffice. I apologize for this vision- it is the only way I can communicate with a mortal. Go, and be as safe and as brilliant as you can.

-and then she's back outside the temple, with the priest looking at her with wide eyes.

"You- you should now be safe, in your mind. Alone."

"Yeah - yeah, she said - thank you -"

Nod.

"I'm sorry we didn't realize how upsetting this would be sooner. It's- I couldn't have done the protections myself. She- she never acts directly like this..."

She sounds a bit awed.

"Most people just have to - go around with gods able to read their minds all the time?"

"Most people don't expect the gods to take notice. Most people find it somewhat comforting, that they could listen to their prayers. I can tell you what the situation is for most people if it's helpful, but I'm not sure it will apply to you or any Amentans at all. You're so different in so many ways I don't even understand yet."

"Prayers are different! I prayed to Mahli and that was fine because it was on purpose."

"I understand. They don't read everything at all times, but- people believe they should have the ability, so they can listen for prayers. It would be hard for me to imagine gods wothout the capacity to find us in moments of distress or discomfort. I can't imagine Neselthia listening to a mind that didn't want to be listened to- she would ask before doing that. Not all gods are that kind, but the good gods would be."

Which leaves her wondering which god did this to Lintalai, but she doubts it's something she should ask while she's still recovering.

"The one who looked said she stopped when she looked enough to know it wouldn't be okay with me."

...maybe not an evil god then? Or at least a lawful one, the chaotic ones usually don't explain themselves. But she can't be sure, and anyway it's not important right this second.

"I'm glad. Why don't you step back inside, away from the crowd, until your angel returns."

Lintalai nods and follows her in and sits down.

"Would you like some water while you wait?"

"Yes please."

So she'll pour her some water, which is of course perfectly clean because this is Arcadia. The water is just the right temperature, give or take. It has a bit of a flavor; slightly pleasant, if hard to describe.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I think all my thoughts are still there, just..."

How to explain. Is it even useful to explain? It seems like something that might be important, if Lintalai has declared responsibility for an entire planetful of people who will be settling in Arcadia soon, who have never even imagined Arcadia, or...anything else about the universe that she has always known. It's a hard thing to explain, but she needs to try. So she tries to explain what she's feeling.

"In Arcadia, we have the custom of grieving any harm done, because - no harm should ever be done, in Arcadia. Even if there was not theft, there is something to grieve. People can still- want different things, but to do something that leaves another person worse off is not something that should happen anywhere in the universe. We do our best to make sure it never happens, here.

The gods are larger than all of us, and they have their own ideas of what is important, but those ideas come from us. Gods are for us- all of us. Which means they can harm some of us. And you were harmed, and so there is something to grieve, even if nothing was lost forever. I hope you can recover, but everyone here will mourn with you until you do."

"Oh. - thank you."

"If all felt about their minds the way you do, the gods might be different- or they might not. They are larger than any mortal might. Once a mind is that big, it has its own beliefs. The gods may have been once created by us," and that's an open question, a minefield that she probably shouldn't encourage Lintalai walk into, "-which is uncertain, we have no way of knowing- but they are no longer sustained only by us. They flourish and thrive on our prayers and our faith, on our belief, but even if everyone lost their faith in every god, their own belief in themselves and each other would be enough. Changing the gods is a fool's errand, for most people.

But two of them spoke to you today, if I'm right in my guess."

"I think so. What does that mean?"

"The gods have taken notice of you. Typically, that means that you have the capacity to change the fate of the universe. Gods do not listen to mortals unless they are somewhat exceptional- their priests are such an exception, but so are individuals who stand out as you do. Perhaps only because you are the herald of a new future, but- perhaps- perhaps something unique about you.

Neselthia's vision to me, the one that sent me running outside to you- too late to stop it- I'm sorry. Her vision, it was of- serpents, serpents that looked like thread, intertwining and crossing in so many places- I did not see you, but I knew you must be there, because I saw a thread snap, the color of- somehow I knew the color meant you. And that- that would only happen if Neselthia saw the disturbance caused by this other goddess. That would only happen if they were allies, and Neselthia felt betrayed. The gods- they rarely disagree, because their disagreements would be so dangerous, so instead, they act slowly and cautiously, to avoid conflict. But Neselthia acted quickly today, as did the one of serpents and thread. They must believe that you are important."