The Supplicant

prays for birds before an ancient icon— a stray cat. The inbred need to pray is what makes God necessary, and not, she says, the other way around; beyond that it’s all mystery, so don’t question why Man creates gods that demand sacrifice, condemning mortals to spend their lives trying to praise godhead into mercy. Better instead to ask the frog to bless the fly, and, once the cheese is in the trap, to beg forgiveness from the rat.