From those books you guys found. The men were bitter. The books and some sealed jars filled with grain were the only treasures they unearthed. The Gunni were the majority religion in Jaicur and the Gunni do not bury their dead. They burn them. The minority Vehdna do bury their dead but do not include any grave goods. Where their dead are bound they have no need of luggage. In paradise everything is provided. In hell, too. One was a compilation of Gunni myths, in variants from all over. The guy who recorded them was a religious scholar. His book wasnt meant to get out where it might confuse ordinary people.

Im confused and there aint nothing ordinary about me, Bucket observed.

So whats the scoop, Murgen? How come they wont tell us about this bitch? Whoa! Did you see that one? It exploded.

All right, I told them. The Gunni religion is the most common one around here.

I think we know that, Murgen, Goblin said.

Just making the point. Most people down here believe in Kina. Even if theyre not Gunni, they believe. Heres the story. The Gunni have Lords of Light and Lords of Darkness. Theyve been doing their lording since the beginning of time.

Sounds like standard stuff.

It is. Only the value systems are different from what we knew back home. The balance between darkness and light is more dynamic here, and isnt weighted the same emotionally as our struggle between good and evil. Moreover, Kina is a sort of self-elevated outside agency of decay and corruption that attacks both darkness and light. She was created by the Lords of Light to help defeat a horde of really nasty demons they couldnt handle any other way. She helped by eating the demons. Naturally, she got fat. And apparently wanted dessert because she tried to eat everybody else, too.

She was stronger than the gods who created her?

Guys, I didnt make this stuff up. Dont ask me to rationalize it. Goblin, youve been everywhere. You ever seen a religion that cant be picked to shreds by any nonbeliever with brains enough to tie his own bootlaces?

Goblin shrugged. Youre as cynical as Croaker was.

Yeah? Good for me. Anyway, theres a lot of typically murky mythological stuff about mothers and fathers and vicious, hideous, probably incestuous carryings-on amongst the other gods while Kina kept getting stronger. She was real sneaky. Thats one of her attributes. Deceit. But then her main creator, or father, tricked her and put a sleep spell on her. Shes still snoring away somewhere but she can touch our world through her dreams.

Shes got her worshippers. All Gunni deities do. Big, little, good, bad, indifferent, they all have their temples and priesthoods. I cant find out much about Kinas followers. Theyre called Deceivers. The soldiers wont talk about them. They flat refuse, like naming Kina might actually waken her. Which, I gather, is the holy mission of her worshippers.