Flinx Transcendent_ A Pip & Flinx Adventure - Alan Dean Foster [57]
Opening his mouth, Lord Eiipul revealed teeth that were far more sharklike than mammalian. Slowly, he lowered his gaping jaws toward Flinx. Off to the side Pip fluttered uncertainly.
When that compilation of razor-sharp dentition had dropped very close to the human's face, Eiipul hissed in an angry whisper, “Why are you doing thiss?”
“Doing what?” With both his hands occupied the human could not gesture any degree of guile, but Eiipul divined it nonetheless.
“Allowing me a triumph. I could not touch you and wass clearly tiring. You patronize me, ssoftsskin!”
Flinx smiled tightly even as he wondered if the AAnn noble was familiar enough with humankind to recognize the significance of the expression. “No—truly, no. I submit for the same reasons I challenged. To obtain your help—and because your offspring are looking on. While I feel no hesitation to do you injury, I would not have you lose status before them and their friend.”
Ignoring the imploring from his progeny to finish the fight, Eiipul drew back slightly. “Truly, you are the mosst AAnn of ssoftsskinss I have ever encountered or heard tell of. Your adoptive Tier sshould be proud. I would hear more of how you came to be one of them.”
Flinx's smile widened ever so slightly. “That may prove difficult if you rip my throat out or disembowel me.”
“Truly that would inconvenience conversation.” Raising his voice, he straightened atop the prone human and glared over at his offspring. His tail whipped victoriously back and forth behind him, clearing Flinx's legs by barely a centimeter.
“The ssoftsskin hass proven himsself a worthy adverssary! On behalf of our family and our ancesstorss I have generoussly decided to grant him leniency. You will oblige me in thiss matter and upon hiss releasse make no covert movess to sstrike him.” Once again putting his jaws close to the human's face, he whispered a second time. “I musst assk you to releasse my right arm lesst my declaration ssmell of facetioussness.” Flinx promptly complied, and then allowed Eiipul to “help” the vanquished human to his feet.
“Most impressive is your fighting, most impressive is your character, honored nye,” Flinx murmured humbly. “I owe you my life.”
Though expressively challenged due to their stiff, scaly epidermis, the looks on the faces of Eiipul's offspring as they gazed admiringly at their victorious parent were probably worth a good quarter-jump in family status—at least in their young eyes. Significantly, Kiijeem's expression was considerably less rapt—but he said nothing.
It was always useful, Flinx knew, when one could, to demonstrate to any AAnn, even a youth, the efficacy of diplomacy over force.
“There sstill remainss the matter of what to do with you, ssoftsskin.” Eiipul studied his tall visitor contemplatively. The anger and antagonism that had been simmering within him previously had largely faded away, Flinx perceived. The AAnn's emotions were more under control—and reflective of his continuing confusion. “I am sstill inclined to deliver you to the proper authoritiess, except …”
“Except …,” Flinx prompted him, adding a second-degree genuflection of appreciation.
“Thiss inssane sstory of yourss. I know of many ssentientss, AAnn and otherwisse, who found themsselvess driven to death by their delussionss. But you sstrike me as rational as well as intelligent. Your tale and your actionss sseem to me to be sstrongly at oddss with one another. You believe in thiss delussion of yourss sso deeply that you are willing to die to further propound it?”
“Such is the choice that life and circumstance have forced upon me,” Flinx replied coolly.
His host hissed softly. “If you are lying, or delussional as are sso many of your kind, or if thiss iss ssome kind of conjurer trick, be assured that I will learn the truth. And then I will ssee to it that you are dealt with more harsshly than otherwisse would be the casse.” His