Regi was hesitant to touch dops that had not been inspired by the goddess to attend the temple, and the Kowri struggled with the idea that a sacred animal had any connection to an outsider. If they saw Dante carrying so many dops to safety, personal prejudices might inspire horror or even impolite action, and the exalteds did not want that.
Regi didn’t either, because he didn’t want Dante subjected to the anger that might follow if Kowri were forced to reconsider cherished religious beliefs. “It is best if the animals are allowed to find their own path to the freedom they choose.” And as soon as the last of the crew were safely away, they could take down the low barrier that kept them in this room.
“And your people will stay out of their way?”
“I assure you, they will.” If Kowri saw dops approaching, they would abandon any task to clear the way. It was only Coalition members who worried Regi on that front, which was why he had forced the issue with the other exalteds.
“And if the dops try going into dangerous areas of the ship?” The engines were cooling and the radiation sinks had been deployed, but it would take a week or two before all mechanical areas would be safe to access. Given that, the fear was reasonable, even if unfounded.
“Divashi will lead them safely out,” Regi said with confidence as he stepped over the low wall. He still felt nervous around so many dops, but they chittered in greeting and a fat male chose to use the side of Regi’s foot to brace himself before he curled around to lick his genitals.
“Are you sure?” Dante exhibited considerable concern for the creatures he had cared for and loved and fed and nurtured. The pirates had made him and other huumans slaves because no sane creature would freely tend these animals.
“I am. Trust Divashi.” After all, she had gone far out of her way to ensure that her sacred creatures were saved from the pirates, so she would not allow them to be killed now. At the very least she would send them out into the wilderness where they could pursue whatever pleasures dops sought when they were not goddess-touched.
Dante shifted around to put his back to the wall and face Regi. “So, what’s up with Divashi?”
“She’s the goddess of dops.” Regi slid his foot away, and earned a disgusted glare from the male dop. Regi checked Dante’s bed for any additional creatures before he sat on the edge. Together they watched the dops tumble around their play structure. One wrestling match woke a sleeping pile of dops, and that led to shrieks and some rattled quills. Eventually Dante said, “I’m pretty sure they don’t need a goddess.”
Given that these dops had been stolen and then used to harvest poison so pirates could traffic a new form of drugs, Regi disagreed. However, he did not want to challenge Dante. “The dop is Divashi’s sacred animal.”
“Ah. Like Hera and peacocks.” Dante nodded. He constantly surprised Regi by revealing how similar huuman and Kowri cultures were. “But I thought you were part of the church of Poque.”
“So did I,” Regi said.
Dante tilted his head.
“Poque is the goddess of wandering, but apparently my wandering failed to catch her attention. Instead, the Lady Divashi called me to serve when she needed someone to help her dops.”
“And what is she the goddess of? Other than dops?”
“Poisons and disorder.”
Dante opened his mouth, closed it, watched at the playing dops, and then turned back to Regi. “Weirdly appropriate.”
“Why is appropriateness weird?”
Dante blew out a breath. “I guess it’s not.” He was silent, but something made Regi suspect he had more to say. He waited, and eventually Dante spoke again. “Vk visited earlier. She said you’re some sort of leader now. She didn’t seem to know how that worked.”
“She could have asked. But since the answer involves religion, I doubt she would listen.” Regi could not believe that the crew saw the grand temple and the beautiful Kowri world unstained by pollution and still refused to believe in the power of the gods. Regi had thought Ter would be logical enough to consider the possibility, but he had spluttered at the suggestion he should believe in gods. Not worship them, simply believe in their existence.
After a long silence, Dante said, “I will.”
The offer warmed Regi. “The gods may touch a person, push them onto one path or off another. That touch will leave an energy signature that my people can detect as easily as isotope decay.”
“Is that what happened to us? To the ship?”
“Yes,” Regi said slowly. “A few of them are discomfited by the idea that you and Ter both show signs of a god’s touch.”
“Huh. A god touched me?” Dante had an odd, almost amused tone. “My mother would be shocked. Or, since it’s not her god that did the touching, she might find it disturbing.”
Regi had no idea what any of that meant, but before he could ask, Dante continued.
“I have to assume something more is going on with you because Ter and I have definitely not been promoted to royalty, but the way Vk described it, you have.”
Regi considered the room full of dops. “If a god chooses to keep his attention on you, the sacred animals will recognize their god through the exalted who has the god’s attention. They will accept you as part of the flock or herd.” That described both of them, but the Kowri were not going to accept that truth. However, their disbelief didn’t change reality any more than Ter’s did.
“Ah, and since the dops are friendly with you, that means that the god of poison has exalted you.” Dante made a point of looking down. Regi did as well, and the fat male was back, bracing himself on Regi’s boot so he could give his underparts a good licking.
