"Well, no ... but...."
"Then, as far as you're concerned, I am Divine, and let's have no more
quibbling. Don't forget the tobacco once a day. About time I had a
change from that low-grade incense."
He vanished. Too late he remembered that he'd planned to ask the
Earthlings why they had come to Uxen, and to discuss a little
business proposition with them. Oh, well, time for that at his next
materialization for them. And, now that he considered the matter, the
direct approach might very well be a mistake.
He hoped Iximi would make sure they burned him tobacco
regularly--really good stuff; almost made godhood worthwhile. But then
he'd felt that way about incense at first. No, he had other ideas for
making divinity worthwhile, and Iximi was going to help him, even if
she didn't know it. People had used him long enough; it was his turn to
use them.
* * * * *
In the kitchen, Iximi recalled Zen and together they washed the dishes
and listened to the scientists quarreling in the next room.
"You will note the use of incense as standard socio-religious
parallelism, Hammond. Men have appetites that must be gratified and so
they feel their supreme being must also eat ... only, being a deity, he
consumes aromas."
"Yes," Peter said. "You explained all that to Him much more succinctly,
though."
"Hah! Well, have you any idea yet as to how the trick was worked?"
"Worked? What do you mean?"
"How they made that talking image appear? Clever device, I must say,
although the Scoomps of Aldebaran III--"
"Didn't look like a trick to me."
"That's a fine young man," Zen said approvingly to Iximi. "I _like_
him."
"You really do, Most High? I am _so_ glad!"
"You don't mean you really believe this Zen is an actual living god?"
Kendrick spluttered.
There was a silence. "No, not a god," Peter said finally, "but not a
human, either. Perhaps another life-form with attributes different from
ours. After all, do we know who or what was on Uxen, before it was
colonized by Earth?"
"Tcha!" Kendrick said.
Iximi looked at Zen. Zen looked at Iximi. "The concept of godhood
varies from society to society," the divinity told the princess.
"Peter is not being sacrilegious, just manifesting a healthy
skepticism."
"You're a credulous fool," Kendrick said hotly to his assistant. "I
don't blame the Secretary for demoting you. When we return to Earth, I
shall recommend your transfer to Refuse Removal. You have no business
at all in Science!"
There was the sound of footsteps. "Leaving my noxious company?" Peter's
voice asked tightly.
"I am going out to the nearest temple to have a chat with one of the
priests. I can expect more sensible answers from him than from you!"
The outside door slammed.
"Speaking of Refuse Removal, Almighty," Iximi said to Zen, "would you
teleport the remains of this miserable repast to the Sacred Garbage
Dump? And you need not return; I'll be able to handle the rest myself."
"Moolai Uxen," Zen reminded her and vanished with the garbage, but,
although the refuse was duly teleported, the unseen, impalpable
presence of the god remained.
* * * * *
The door to the kitchen opened, and Hammond walked in, his face grim.
"Need any help, Iximi?" he asked, not very graciously. "Or should I
say 'Your Royal Highness'?"
Iximi dropped a plate which, fortunately, was plastic. "How did you
know who I was?"
He sat down on a stool. "Didn't you remember that your portrait hung in
the great hall of the palace?"
"Of course," she said, chagrined. "A portrait of a servant would hardly
be hung there."
"Not only that, but I asked whom it depicted. Do you think I wouldn't
notice the picture of such a beautiful girl?"
"But if you knew, why then did you...?"
He grinned. "I realized you were up to no good, and I have no especial
interest in the success of Kendrick's project."