That Special Time of the Year...

Miriam detects Shein's curiosity, smiles, and says, "Metaphorically or literally? Certainly the first, but not so much the second. But it truly matters not. Faith comes from the heart, not from the eyes. If it was a matter of observation, it would not be a matter of faith."

Shein nods slightly. "I did mean the latter, actually. We do have some among us who believe as you do. They've never seen their God, but they still believe." Clearly, he's not among them. "I don't know how much you know about our primary religion int he Imperial Republic. Perhaps we could find time to discuss the differences?"

Miriam nods, and says, "Perhaps. Now, I am curious, why would you ask us if we have seen God? It is a question that rarely crops up here, or at least in the literal sense."

Shein takes a drink, then sets his glass down. He takes a bit of the spice that he brought and sprinkles it over his food. Then he looks at Miriam. "Because we have seen our Gods. They are as real as you and I are. We're always curious of other religions if they've had the same experiences."

Miriam simply raises an eyebrow, and gives Shein a look that says, "I'd rather end this conversation here," before she takes a sip of her drink nonchalantly.

Shein nods to Miriam, clearly getting the message. He does smile a bit though. He really was curious. Now that that has been satisfied, he lapses into silence. He's probably convinced that Miriam may see the Rutians as devils, but hey, it's not the first time they've been viewed that way.

Christian also sprinkles the spice over his food, but he keeps glancing at Miriam. Unlike his father, he doesn't seem to take the hint. "I thought you enjoyed talking about religion." He jumps a little afterward, probably as a result of being kicked under the table. Shein doesn't appear to be paying attention though. Appearances, however, can be deceiving.

More like a misguided idol worshiper, actually. She's a fundamentalist, but she's not that much of a fanatic. In any case, Miriam remains quiet and eats more of her food.

Dmitri was going to mention the existence of the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokalips but opts to say nothing.

Morgan clears his throat, and to break up the awkward silence, he says, "Well then, let us move on from that subject to more earthly matters. How have the festivities been so far? I hope that my corporation's service division has done a good job in accommodating everyone who has come. There is a lot of money we spend in supporting these festivities and business during this time period, and I hope that it was well spent."

"They like singing made up Christmas lyrics. I like that."

Shein merely nods to Morgan to indicate that it was money well spent. He focuses more on his meal than conversation at this point.

Christian, however, frowns a little. "What's a corporation?" Hey, they don't have them in Rutianas. They're still coming out of communism. This time, he doesn't jump, so obviously Shein didn't mind him asking that question. He may not have gotten to that point in his economics study yet.

Morgan thinks over how he should answer, and replies, "Young sir, a corporation is a group of people that acts as one individual and is recognized by law as a person, typically formed for business reasons. Generally corporations have limited liability, transferable shares, and a management board. It is a rather complicated concept that I could take years to explain, so perhaps it would be best to simply stop here. You will probably learn about it in more depth later."

Shein nods. "It's on his schedule for economics next year. We're still coming out of a communist economy. Corporations haven't moved in yet, and I'm not sure I want them to either. Small businesses still control the markets in the Imperial Republic." He falls silent for a moment, then shrugs slightly. "I know the benefits and the potential downfalls for corporations. While I would not mind foreign corporations to come into the Imperial Republic, I will not allow them to destroy small businesses nearby."

Christian looks between Morgan and his father. "So Corporations are bad?"

Shein shakes his head. "Not inherently, no, however I don't think they're good for the Imperial Republic at this point in time." He rests a hand on Christian's shoulder. "You'll learn about them next year. You can make your own decisions about them then."

Morgan nods and replies to Shein, "I see that you have thought over the issue. Do not forget, however, that corporations are not inherently large in size, or foreign in origin. A corporation is not distinguished by its size but its organization. And of course the people of your nation will likely be able to form their own corporations."

Shein chuckles and nods. "My bad. I should rephrase. I meant large corporations. Those that have the tendency to destroy small business by simply having the means to be more competitive. Small corporations pose little threat to small business. For us, the word corporation in general refers to large corporations that can smother small business. A selective translation, yes, but I didn't come up with it."

Morgan chuckles, and says, "Of course, you mean the corporations such as my own."

Shein raises a brow. "Our information regarding this planet is limited. The only thing I know about your corporation is that it works for your specific society. For mine, it would cause more harm than good at this point in time. In a hundred years, who knows. The Imperial Republic may very well be a society where corporations such as yours are embraced. This is why I say that a corporation is not inherently good or bad. It just is. The conceptions of corporations change based on the society where they are located."

Christian keeps his thoughts to himself at this point, more focused on eating.

"Exactly, but of course we have very different definitions of 'works'. Alas, for Morgan Industries, our definition of 'works' is precisely what you are trying to avoid. Nonetheless, you are right in that this is an issue best addressed later. Perhaps an agreement of some sort can be made in the coming months."

(OOC: Panzer?)

Dmitri continues to listen quietly. Well, quietly, by his standards.

Shein nods slightly. "Perhaps." While he's smiling faintly, his eyes betray his thoughts of 'like hell I'm going to agree to anything that's going to harm my people'. Fortunately, he doesn't say anything of the like.

(OOC: Didn't want to leave you in the dust, Panzer. Heh.)

(OOC: Shall we simply skip to the end of the dinner?)

(OOC: Works for me)

(OOC: Yeah, sure.)

After an hour or so, the dinner is concluded. The delegates are now free to go anywhere in New Jerusalem they please, and to partake in the first night of festivities.