The trio listened carefully to the sermon. 

“Rui would want of us to become Gruhath–decadent sinners who behave like children and serve Rui through sacrifice, pursuing ugly, earthly delights, and using legantz to achieve this goal by any means necessary. It is said that, on Raklin, the first man who discovered legantz used it to murder someone who had something she wanted. On Lalookin, the first man who discovered legantz used it to build a home for his family. In your life, I beseech you to use your talents for good, and find people who need your help to build them a home, and improve their lives.” the priest preached.

Eldora, being a lapsed protestant, smiled. She remembered going to church with her family on Sunday mornings, and remembered how fun it was. It was strange to think that she had actually met Claudius there when they were both children. They had been the best of friends, but then he moved away and only came back as an adult, where they reconnected at university. 

But then, she frowned as she remembered something else. When they had met up again at university, he had told her that he was agnostic, and that he didn’t want to attend church anymore. This had disturbed her, as she wondered what had happened to cause this crisis of faith. Because he had stopped going, she too, had stopped going, even though she still held the belief in God deeply in her heart. She worshipped at home, in her own way, reading the Bible when she felt she needed guidance. 

She wondered if it was an orange flag that she had ignored–him now being an agnostic–or whether it was something she should have just spoken to him more about. She knew he was hiding something in the years he had left Arizona and returned. She just didn’t know what it was. 

It was another issue in their marriage that they had left unattended for far too long. She would argue occasionally that they should go to church, but it was never enough. Especially because she could see Claudius suffering and knew he needed that sort of guidance. 

Or maybe, he couldn’t be convinced and they were simply incompatible on that front. 

Tears flowed to her eyes when she thought of it. Pilinka nudged her with a feathered hand. “What’s wrong, Eldora-Lah?” 

Lah, Eldora had come to learn, was an honorific denoting a younger woman in Lalookin culture who was respected or liked by an older person. “Nothing, I just… would you marry someone who isn’t Druhath?”

Pilinka blinked rapidly. “Of course not, because then I would have to marry someone who is Gruhath, which is unacceptable.”

“No, I mean… what if the person is neither Druhath nor Gruhath?” Eldora questioned. 

Pilinka looked at her as if she were an alien, which wasn’t far from the truth. “I don’t understand.” 

Eldora tried to think of the word for atheist in Tournash, and couldn’t think of it. She recognized that it was so uncommon that it might not exist in the culture. Eldora tried again, “Someone who isn’t religious?”

“Ah, you speak of the Plitath. They are rare, miserable creatures. Most of them are homeless, spiritually, and sometimes, physically. These are the people who have somehow come to the conclusion that nothing holy exists, and that there is nothing mysterious or wonderful about life.” Pilinka replied. “I have met many of them. They are very smart people, but as I said, I could never love someone like that. I would rather marry a Gruhath before I did that.” Pilinka stated.

Eldora listened intently. She sighed. “I don’t understand, I thought the Gruhath were your mortal enemies?”

“They are. But at the very least, they live their lives with consistent principles. Even if they are principles I’m disgusted by. But to love someone who doesn’t know their place in the world–who insists that, perhaps, there is no place for them in this world–sounds like a pathetic existence. However…” Pilinka whispered.

Eldora waited for her to continue with bated breath. 

“The thing is, is that the Plitath can be convinced easier than the Druhath and Gruhath. If I could convince one of them that being Druhath is the only way to find salvation, to live their life by the principles of the Druhath, then I might consider marrying one. After all, I think they want to be proven wrong. I think they want to believe life has deeper meaning than they give it credit for. They want someone to prove it to them.” Pilinka explained. 

Eldora fell deep into thought at that. She whispered, “Prove it… you’re right. I should have tried harder.” Eldora began weeping, and Pilinka gently shepherded her out of the church. 

“What’s wrong, Eldora-Lah?” Pilinka dried her eyes with a feathered hand. 

Eldora sobbed, “My husband… he was a–Plitath–and he was probably suffering horrendously with some sort of dilemma, and I never bothered to figure out what it was.” 

Pilinka regarded her with a gentle smile. "It sounds like there is much hope for your loved one. Perhaps he just needs to be convinced."

Eldora looked up at the night sky and nodded. "If I ever see him again… I'll try to." to her, it didn't matter whether he was religious or not. It mattered to her that he had experienced something so traumatizing that it shook his very beliefs, and she hadn't tried hard enough to figure out what that thing was.