“How long has it been?” Ram-Ram asked at once. “How times fly. In any case, we’ve made some changes here since I saw you last. Not all for the best, of course. But at least I’m onto something vital.” Because Seven was of earthsoul stock, Ram-Ram took human form, appearing as a sly old godologist, white kinky hair getting caught in the silver halo that was the sign of his station. He had a pink flawless complexion that was far too youthful for the rest of his image, Seven saw, wondering indeed if the godologist was getting out of touch with his earthly connections. No real human would take Ram-Ram as just another wise old man, and of course the halo was a dead giveaway too. Seven just grinned, though, and said nothing. He didn’t want to hurt Ram-Ram’s feelings for one thing, and for another he knew that the godologists, being academics, were very jealous of their rank, and the halo marked Ram-Ram as having ten doctorates of Divinity.

“Uh, they have cut down on your space a bit,” Seven said. He wasn’t quite sure how to relate to Ram-Ram after all this time, so Seven kept changing shapes until, watching him, Ram-Ram smiled brilliantly and said, “Yes, yes. That one is fine.” Seven stabilized: He had his fourteen-year-old image on and it wore a humble brown woolen robe, as befitted a seeker after truth. Seven grinned and Ram-Ram said, “I haven’t had a real student in ages, so I hope you don’t mind looking like one for awhile. It’s such a joy just to imagine that godologists have apprentices again.”

“I’ll look even younger if you want,” Seven offered. Then, to make Ram-Ram feel better, Seven went on. “I am a student, though, and I’m on a pilgrimage to find the gods, on behalf of my human personalities. I don’t pretend to know why this is all so important to them, to one of them anyhow, Lydia. I’m under the impression that human concepts of divinity are so limited that—”

“Exactly. Exactly,” Ram-Ram cried excitedly. “Look, I’ve something very important to show you that proves that very point!”

Ram-Ram rambled through his massive file cabinet as he talked. “I’ve done some excellent new studies,” he said. “But one in particular should be of special interest to you, since so many of your personalities are involved with Christendom. Look at this. Christ’s case history. I prepared it myself!” Ram-Ram’s enthusiasm was infectious, but Seven shook his head.

“I’m not interested in case histories, but in living divine personalities,” he said.

“But here you have it all!” Ram-Ram exclaimed. “It’s a thorough investigation. Here you find divine motivation individually and specifically apparent. Here you see the birth of a god, hear the first primal scream as godhood tears itself from nonexistence into divine reality, ripped from the womb of eternity—”