Page 946 - Enders_Game_Full_Book

"But you are one of the godspoken, Mistress," said Mu-pao.
You are very daring, thought Qing-jao, to speak of such things unbidden.
"In all this night, since you came among us with food and drink, and as you led so many of us out among the people, tending the sick, you have never once excused yourself for purification. We have never seen you go so long."
"Did it not occur to you," said Qing-jao, "that perhaps we were so well fulfilling the will of the gods that I had no need of purification during that time?"
Mu-pao looked abashed. "No, we did not think of that."
"Rest now," said Qing-jao. "None of us is strong yet. I must go and speak to my father."
She left them to gossip and speculate among themselves. Father was in his room, seated before the computer. Jane's face was in the display. Father turned to her as soon as she entered the room. His face was radiant. Triumphant.
"Did you see the message that Jane and I prepared?" he said.
"You!" cried Qing-jao. "My father, a teller of lies?"
To say such a thing to her father was unthinkable. But still she felt no need to purify herself. It frightened her, that she could speak with such disrespect and yet the gods did not rebuke her.
"Lies?" said Father. "Why do you think that they are lies, my daughter? How do you know that the gods did not cause this virus to come to us? How do you know that it is not their will to give these genetic enhancements to all of Path?"
His words maddened her; or perhaps she felt a new freedom; or perhaps she was testing the gods by speaking; very disrespectfully that they would have to rebuke her. "Do you think I am a fool?" shouted Qing-jao. "Do you think that I don't know this is your strategy to keep the world of Path from erupting in revolution and slaughter? Do you think I don't know that all you care about is keeping people from dying?"
"And is there something wrong with that?" asked Father.
"It's a lie!" she answered.
"Or it's the disguise the gods have prepared to conceal their actions," said Father. "You had no trouble accepting Congress's stories as true. Why can't you accept mine?"
"Because I know about the virus, Father. I saw you take it from that stranger's hand. I saw Wang- mu step into his vehicle. I saw it disappear. I know that none of these things are of the gods. She did them-- that devil that lives in the computers!"