Echoes in the Void
"To what end?", considered the elephantine power thoughtfully, "Why my own whim, the same as each of the children of Father Ao"
They made no reaction to the unasked for caress, for it told him something of the other's nature and that was message enough. But they did pay heed to the words, the setting out of a stall selling cooperation and harmony
"Your argument is one of ownership, a communal playground", they finally suggested, "Whereas my whim is to come to know our Father, to seek his face. There need not be conflict in our intents"