“Priests stand between worlds. When I was young I thought that meant building idols, praying to them; after a while, I realized that no matter how I prayed, the idols didn’t answer. I was worshipping my own reflection. Not healthy. In this role I stand between Kavekana and the mainland—and the mainland talks back. Every day I wrestle with gods, like the desert prophets of ancient Sind.” “But everything happens up the mountain.” “Everything,” Twilling said, “and nothing. The gods’ power used to flow down from Kavekana’ai, out over the waves. Now, power flows in the opposite direction.
