Earl Recar mulled over those words as he asked in puzzlement:
"But gods really do exist."
Old Saman said, "Not believing in gods here doesn't mean not believing they exist. It means these gods aren't worth following the way truth is."
Earl Recar looked at Old Saman and asked, "How do you know so much?"
Old Saman rolled his eyes at Earl Recar and said disdainfully, "I've spent many more days listening to the sayings than you have."
"From that manservant too?"
"Yes."
"I didn't get to hear all of them, and I didn't understand much of what I heard. They seemed to have been translated from another language, with far too many implied references."
"It's all right. It's normal for old people to have trouble understanding. A young man like me can teach you."
"Heh." Earl Recar put a hand on Old Saman's shoulder. "Good, good. I like hearing that, young fellow."
Old Saman then turned back to Kallen and asked, "Is the defining characteristic of your Immerlis family faith system really learning?"
Clearly, in Old Saman's eyes, all these faiths piled up here like wares in a general store went far beyond anything the word "learning" could encompass.
Earl Recar said, "Back when I roamed the seas, I often worked with Vien's Navy to storm other countries' naval ports. Do you know what those sailors and soldiers, their eyes red with bloodlust, would do once they broke in?"
Old Saman answered, "I can imagine."
"You can give me an adjective."
Old Saman shook his head. "I wouldn't dare."
"All right." Reikar nodded in understanding. "But at the time, Vien's newspapers and official publicity said we had brought civilization to those uncivilized barbarians, allowing them to learn our advanced culture."
"All right, I understand."
"You're young and haven't seen