“I said,” repeated the Gha, “do you know my name?”

Paralyzed. Only watch.

The sepoy repeated its question: “Do you know my name, Guild Voivode Agayan?”

The Gha towered above him like an ogre. Immense, heavy-planet muscles coiled over that rangy, vertebrate body. Strength. Leverage. Power.

The other Gha spoke now, also in fluent Galactic: “Just kill him and be done with it.”

The sepoy commander: “Soon enough.” To the Voivode: “Do you know my-ah! No use.”

The monster reached down a huge hand and seized the Voivode by one of his forelimb clusters. A moment later, still curled into a ball, Agayan found himself suspended in midair. The Gha commander’s bulging eyes were right before him.

Paralyzed. Only watch.

“My name,” said the Gha softly, “is Fludenoc hu’tut-Na Nomo’te. Since I have served you for more years than I wish to remember-a second time, now, when the first was bad enough-I feel that it is only proper that you should know my name.”

Paralyzed. Only watch.

“I will even educate you in the subtleties. Some of them, at least. Fludenoc is the familiar. Nomo the family name, with the ‘te-suffix to indicate that we are affiliated to the Na clan. Hu’-tut is an honorific. It indicates that my clan considers my poetry good enough for minstrel status.”

Paralyzed. Only watch.

“I will not bother explaining the fine distinctions which we Gha make between poets. They would be quite beyond your comprehension, Guild Voivode. Even if you were still alive.”

The Gha’s other hand seized Agayan’s head. Began to squeeze. Stopped.

“On second thought, I’d better not crush your wormface beyond recognition. The Romans are probably holding a grudge against us. If they can recognize your corpse, it may help.”

Paralyzed. Only watch. The Voivode saw the two Gha who had left the chamber return. Dragging the Pilot and the Medic with them.