After several silent moments, Jeheni walked through the double doors that led to the largest debate space on the ship. It was an enormous room with five corners.
In one corner, a life-sized statue of a pebafri represented Gavd, the god who sent his exalteds out into space. Another corner had the enormous freio from the harvest-season temple since Retav was the only other god to send Kowri out on ships. A third corner had a tree with dozens of growing-season animals carved into the trunk or among the branches.
The last two corners had no statues. One was decorated with brilliant yellow and gold crystals growing in the shape of a tree with a wide canopy and a trunk. During the debate, those who touched that section of the wall were voting in the affirmative. They agreed with the question and hoped to see it blossom into a prosperous future.
The other corner had dark blue crystals tapering to a point at the top but had a wide base resembling water flowing out. Those who disagreed with the proposition would move to that part of the room and touch the wall to signal they wished to pass by the proposition the way water would slide over the most stubborn of rocks.
When the three of them entered, voices quieted. Several of the exalteds touched their temples and offered respectful bows. Regi was certain those observances were for Jeheni. Not only did he have far more experience as an exalted than anyone else, but he was a permanent resident of the ship whereas Regi's mother had sought it out for transportation when she had learned Regi had reentered the Empire.
Few if any Kowri had deigned to speak to Regi.
“Exalteds, we should vote,” Jeheni said in a strong voice. Every corner fell silent.
“I disagree,” Regi's mother said. “It appears I missed the part of the discussion where we agreed on a statement for voting.”
Regi gave a mirthless laugh. “It appears I have missed the discussion entirely. Perhaps my communicator is malfunctioning since I did not hear the call to debate.”
Several exalteds shifted uncomfortably, although Regi was not sure whether that was their own discomfort at breaking the law by enforcing ignorance on a fellow exalted or whether they disliked the idea that Jeheni was choosing to manipulate the debate.
“You are here now,” Jeheni said with a disingenuous smile. “We may move to the vote. Shall we abandon the pursuit of the other ship?”
Many Kowri began to move toward the yellow section of wall, but Regi moved to intercept them. “Interesting. I have not yet given my wisdom as an exalted, and I am the only one here capable of speaking for Divashi. Is she being silenced?”
An exalted Regi did not know scoffed at him. “This ship can make navigational decisions without the input of Divashi or her exalted.”
“Are you rejecting the wisdom of Divashi’s navigational choices or rejecting the goddess altogether? I would not have thought Kowri would reject a god, but after being targeted by monotheists, I acknowledge that I may be ignorant of such things.”
Ears went back and hair went up across the room, but Regi did not retract his statement.
Jeheni banged his walking stick against the floor. “Do not assign their dishonor to us.” Jeheni snarled, although it was difficult to feel threatened by such an elderly Kowri.
Regi spoke loudly enough to be heard across the room. “Then do not deny my goddess the right to be heard. When one speaks of disaster and opportunity, the disasters are amplified when the god whose hand is involved is the Lady Divashi. The Coalition ship on which I served was destroyed by Divashi’s hand, and shegave us the pirate ship. The outsider we currently pursue, Dante a’Divashi, followed me into a radiation-poisoned area and the goddess shielded us. All this you know, and yet you deny Divashi the right to speak.”
A young Kowri with jet black stripes stepped forward. “No one denies Divashi the right. However, no one can truly divine the will of the gods. You do not know for certain what she wants.”
Regi tipped his head in acknowledgment. “Perhaps not, but I do know that if we guess wrong, she will destroy the navigation of this ship. She will place us at the mercy of a black hole. She will ensure that she gets her way no matter what.”
Several of the exalteds shifted now. Divashi was known for being careless with how she moved Kowri about the universe. Her exalteds encountered significantly more disaster and significantly more opportunity than most.
“The part of space into which the other ship has veered is both more dangerous and less profitable than our normal route,” Jeheni said.
“And yet the other ship has diverted onto it,” Regi's mother countered. “If the route is more dangerous, what could inspire them to make such a change if it is not a god?”
Jeheni moved to a bench and sat. “You more than most know that the gods do not rule every part of our lives, Minait. We are sapient creatures who have the right to ignore the gods even as they hold us in the palm of their mighty hands. Someone on that ship could have chosen to change course. That is far more likely than the hand of a god.”
Minait looked at him with amusement. “But that part of space is less profitable and more dangerous. You said as much. If that is true, then why would they detour into that space? Are you suggesting that the exalteds who live on that ship lack logic?”
“Of course not,” Jeheni snapped. “But I will not be held hostage to what your son believes might be true when he has been an exalted for less time than my dinner has been digesting in my intestines.”
Regi winced at the vividness of that metaphor.
A large male spoke, his low voice rumbling across the room. “It is not their normal route. They may require assistance. Regardless of whether a mechanical failure is caused by poor maintenance or a god, a mechanical failure this deep into space remains dangerous.”
“Young Lyth transferred to that ship. If they are having some difficulty, they would be unable to reach any ship in a reasonable amount of time,” another called.
Part of Regi resented that the exalteds were trying so hard to find any reason other than helping outsiders who were trapped.
“Some of us may choose to pursue the ship out of fear that Divashi has granted them too much challenge, and some of us may choose to pursue out of fear that they have suffered some mechanical failure which requires assistance,” his mother said loudly. “Some of us may choose to pursue because we believe that the gods, specifically the Lady Divashi, has commanded it, and others have concerns for Kowri lives if the ship strays too far from assistance. There are many reasons to pursue that ship. But the only reason I hear to break off pursuit is to ensure greater profits. Do we serve the gods or profit? Do we value the lives of other Kowri or the expediency of reaching our destination quickly?”
