“Couldn’t take the winters,” Porphyry said. “It gets cold here. If it wasn’t for the vulcanism we wouldn’t be able to have vines and olive trees. Citrus can survive, but it takes a lot of looking after. We grow a lot more stone fruit, and apples and pears.”

I sat down in the grass. “We’ve voted to schedule a debate tomorrow morning in which the gods come to Chamber to explain the reasoning behind the plan for lying to the space humans,” I said. “Will you come, Porphyry? Dad says it was your plan originally.”

Porphyry did the creepy thing he does where he moves his fingers and his eyes go out of focus. I don’t know why it should be so creepy, because that’s really all it is. Anyone else could twiddle their fingers and stare vacantly at them and it wouldn’t bother me at all, but when Porphyry does it I always shiver. I did now, and I noticed Ikaros looking at me. Sokrates was staring at Porphyry’s fingers. “Yes, I’ll be there,” Porphyry said. He sat down beside Ikaros, and Sokrates sat down too, crossing his legs comfortably like a much younger man.

“Will you come too, Ikaros?” I asked.

He looked startled. “I’m not sure I’m qualified.”

I sighed and looked him in the eye. “You’re a Master, and therefore a member of Chamber and qualified to attend. There aren’t any other Masters still alive, but we didn’t feel it necessary to change the rules. And whether or not you’re a god is a matter of definition—and one that doesn’t matter because a substantial minority of our population worships you as one.”

“I saw the temple,” Ikaros said. He shook his head.

“What did you expect when you found a religion and then get bodily taken up into heaven in front of half the city?” Porphyry asked, teasingly.

“I’m surprised it became so popular,” Sokrates said. “I’d have thought it was too complicated.”

“I worked on it a lot more after the Last Debate, with Klio and other people. We had a great festival in the City of Amazons where everyone came and tried to refute my logic. You’d have loved it. It’s what I originally wanted to do in Rome. It was wonderful. But I’ve been working on the theory again since I’ve been with Athene and I’ve changed some things now I know more.” Ikaros stopped. “I suppose I should tell them.”

“What, walk in with a New Testament?” Porphyry asked.

“I’m not sure how the Ikarians would take that,” I said.

“They weren’t ever supposed to be Ikarians, or add me to the pantheon,” he said. “Things do get complicated.”

“Are you a god, then?” Sokrates asked.