209

You reach into the mind of the huge crustacean, Lord Kirik, using your power of Psychic Awareness. With a shock you realise his overpowering thought is one of hunger, but that this is linked to the small seal-like beings captive in his tank. When he realises that you are probing his mind, the waters of his tank start to boil as his pincers thresh in anger. He is outraged; imbued with the deference for authority of the caste society of Kelados he appears appalled at your cheek. Your Universal Translator changes the bubbles issuing from his mouth into the words: 'You inedible prawn!' He surges above the surface of his tank, water rushing in rivulets from his purple carapace, but containing his anger subsides once more, pincers snapping, as he informs the other Lords what you have done. Pilota smothers a smile, the Creche crawl deep into their cocoons, Silvermane shakes his head in seeming disappointment, but Speke shouts angrily: 'I must apologise for the action of this undoubtedly foul- tasting Earther. How dare you? You are risking an interstellar incident.' Turn to 194.

Turn to 194