Anderson demonstrates that if one accepts a sham mystery as real, one has stopped or strayed in the search for truth, and truth has survival value. - Poul Anderson

Over unforced love, the gods themselves had no might.

Well, I'll try to sketch it out for you, but I'll have to repeat stuff I've told you before."
"That's all right. I'm a simon-pure layman. My basic thought habits were formed early in the Iron Age. Where it comes to science, I can use plenty of repetition.

His conscience must have gotten tired of nagging him and delivered an ultimatum.