I have been outmaneuvered socially. And my head hurts. I need to confer with my people, but I also have to interact with this priestess. She will want to make a deal, but I cannot agree or even negotiate without a council first. In fact I am no good at negotiations. Anybody from my team would likely be better at getting better terms than I. I suspect that is why they arrived at a time that made sure that I would get the skill book.

This is very difficult. I won’t try to lie to a deity. How to stall? What outstanding issues do we have? Dean accepted a refusal to answer question as definitive. But it seems to be allowed to ask questions.

P: We are caring for a man who is suffering from a malady unknown to us.

GP: The cause of his injury and thus its exact nature is part of what my goddess wants to deal with you about. We can certainly take him back with us to Greenstone for specialised medical attention.

DT: I gather from that that you won’t stay here.

GP: No. Knowledge will not get involved in this affair.

That means that this deity does not want to let it become known specifically how we came here. Does this mean that Earth should also remain a secret?

I could ask them about this world, but for one that would be unfair towards my companions, who deserve answers as much as I do, and, second, I should not waste questions that our newer compatriots, might just as well answer. Dare I just plain ask what gods are and do?

P: I request that you excuse my failing to ask whether you live under dietary restrictions.

OL: People who have learned a language from a skill book sound really strange.

GP: No, but thank you for asking. I must also apologize for not introducing my companion, scholar Russell Clouns of the Magic Society.

We are just arriving in the middle of the camp. Lidija has emerged from their car and shakes her head at me.

Introductions are slow, if you have only one interpreter. Maybe this is how I can stall. By restraining myself to interpretation and letting three people run the conversation. That has potential.

Our visitors demonstrate amazing technology by playing the prerecorded message twice again, covering the native languages of us all. Lidija cuts to the core.

L: I would not discuss any deals while my friend is still out from healing.

P: My companion feels disinclined to discuss offers while one of us has not recovered from an injury suffered in a fight against monsters.

RC: You fought monsters? Did you notice any changes in your essence powers?

Even better. A goddess calling herself „Knowledge“ can hardly object to exhaustive answers to scientific curiosity.

P: He wants to know how your abilities have changed after coming here.

L: How am I supposed to know? I got half of them after coming here.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

P: My companion feels herself unable to give a sensible answer, as she has gained half of her abilities after our arrival in this land.

RC: Fascinating. What are your essences?

P: He wants to know your essences.

L: I am not sure I want to tell him.

P: I am pretty sure a bronze ranker can read them out of your aura.

L: So why does he ask me?

P: Very good question. I’d like to find out.

L: True … Void, Shield, Renewal, Guardian

P: Void, Shield, Renewal, Guardian

He is taking out a notebook and floating a second light over his head.

RC: Did you use awakening stones from prior to your arrival? Could you give me the stones, their sequence and their sources?

GP: Scholar Clouns, it pains me to hinder genuine curiosity, but it will be better for us, if we first discussed an agreement my goddess is keen on. We’ll remove the language barrier.

RC: Certainly, priestess.

GP: That you want to make sure that all of you are present to discuss her offer, illustrates your adherence to your values.

I manage to turn a snort into a cough.

She actually grins.

GP: My godess is Knowledge, not Lawfulness, burning a library is a worse crime to her than desertion or murder. As long as you have some reasons and are honest about it, you can kill whoever you want, as far as she is concerned. She does not cooperate with law enforcement. Unless you burn down a temple.

She can read my thoughts. No other explanation.

GP: Not directly. She can read your memories. In fact she does so by necessity. As you know what you are thinking, the effect is the same. She has directed me to be very clear to you about this, as she esitimates that you’ll react better to the facts she cannot hide being made clear before agreements are entered.

P: I appreciate your honesty.

I cannot manage a more intelligent answer. I wonder why she does not rule the world. Or does she? This is going to be fun.

P: I have just been informed that Knowledge – that is the name of the goddess whose priestess we are dealing with – can read everybody’s minds and memories. She wants us, or maybe me, to know that before we make an agreement, so that we don’t feel tricked. And I suppose to eliminate the possibility of making an agreement in bad faith. She also demonstrated her abilities. There is no doubt in my mind that the claim is true.

Shocked silence.

P: You can just as well say what you think. She knows anyway.

L: That is outrageous!

P: You could say that.

L: How can you be so quiet?

P: Acting logically is a core part of my self-image. My pride requires that I act driven by pure reason now. Emotionally I am as overwhelmed as you.

RP: Did you not know the gods?

P: I suspect that an answer comprehensive enough to give a usable answer to your question would negatively affect the agreement our guest has come to discuss.

PN: You are obviously offering a means to learn your language.

GP: That and the general support of Knowledge. Her libraries will be open to you.

P: She is also willing to give you general support, including library access.

KN: We have reports of an epidemic.

GP: The agreement would not preclude you from using your knowledge, even if that demonstrates new knowledge or from training people in such knowledge, just from a random distribution of certain categories of knowledge without her consent.

This takes some time and even a written agreement.

KN: I’ll take it

PN: I’ll take it

She puts a small tablet and two books on the table.

GP: Include this into the ritual for your next awakening stone.

P: I derive from the context that you are expecting me to provide the obviously missing ingredient.

GP: Yes

P: I will do so and agree to the exchange. But I lack the skill to include anything like that into a ritual.

I put two awakening stones on the table.

P: Awakening stones of Knowledge.

Scholar Clouns shoots out of his seat. Karolína takes a book.