“I agree with that,” Jathery said. I looked over to where gla was still standing by the table, gla big hand splayed on Athene’s notes. Gla looked like a big Sael with exceptionally clear skin patterns, except that gla had an arrogant confidence that was like no Sael I had ever seen. Gla voice sounded smooth and persuasive. And gla skin patterns changed as I watched. Hilfa’s were more or less pronounced, but always the same pattern in the same place. Jathery’s writhed and rewrote themselves constantly.

“We absolutely need to get her back. The world can’t survive without wisdom,” Ikaros said, passionately.

“You of all people must understand that Athene is not the only source of wisdom in the universe,” Arete snapped.

“But she’s our source of wisdom, our culture’s source,” Ikaros said. “We wouldn’t be the same with foreign wisdom.”

“We might be better,” Sokrates said, thoughtfully.

“I love her, and you know you do too,” Ikaros said.

“True. And I am her votary, hers and Apollo’s.” He nodded to Pytheas where he sat. Pytheas, or maybe I should say Apollo, nodded back warily. “But loving her doesn’t excuse us from seeing her very real faults. And considering those, who is to say we might not be better with Apollo taking charge of our wisdom, or perhaps Thoth or Anahita.”

Pytheas shuddered. “We wouldn’t, not with any of those choices, believe me.” I knew nothing about Thoth except that he was an ibis-headed Egyptian god. I had never even heard of Anahita.

“Some other god of wisdom might better consider the will of thinking beings,” Sokrates said. “Athene has always been careless of it.”

“You’re only saying that because you think it would be interesting to find out,” Ikaros said.

“Well, don’t you?” asked Sokrates mildly.

“Yes, theoretically interesting, but in practice it would be terrible,” Ikaros said. “You’re still angry with her because she turned you into a gadfly.”

Sokrates laughed. I stared at him, hardly able to believe he could find it funny. “It was interesting being a gadfly. The way they see is amazing. And I could fly! I’m not angry about that. It was a fascinating experience—a little frightening at first, yes, but I have endured far worse things, and there was a lot about it to enjoy. If I can’t forgive her it’s for not finishing the argument.”

“She behaved badly in the Last Debate,” Ikaros conceded. “But we should still rescue her!”

“I’m not saying Athene’s not valuable or that we should abandon her,” Arete said. “I’m saying that Apollo is equally valuable, or more valuable right now because he hasn’t gone haring out into Chaos. And I suppose the same applies to Jathery; the Saeli must need him for something.”