The puppeteer, Louis thought, was sparing no pains to insult the kzinti. One never offers a kzin hazard pay. The kzin is not supposed to have noticed the danger!
But the kzin's only remark was, "I accept."
The other three kzinti snarled at him.
The first kzin snarled back.
One kzin alone sounded like a catfight. Four kzinti in heated argument sounded like a major feline war, with atonics. Sonic deadeners went on automatically in the restaurant, and the snarls became remote, but they went on.
Louis ordered another drink. Considering what he knew of kzinti history, these four must have remarkable restraint. The puppeteer still lived.
The argument died away, and the four kzinti turned back. He of the black eye-markings said, "What is your name?"
"I take the human name of Nessus," said the puppeteer. "My true name is -" Orchestral music flowed for an instant from the puppeteer's remarkable throats.
"Well and good, Nessus. You must understand that we four constitute a kzinti embassy to Earth. This is Harch, that is Ftanss, he with the yellow striping is Hroth. I, being only an apprentice and a kzin of low family, bear no name. I am styled by my profession: Speaker-To-Animals."
Louis bridled.
"Our problem is that we are needed here. Delicate negotiations … but these are not your concern. It has been decided that I alone can be replaced. If your new kind of ship proves worth having, I will join you. Otherwise I must prove my courage another way."
"Satisfactory," said the puppeteer, and rose.
Louis remained seated. He asked, "What is the kzinti form of your title?"
"In the Hero's Tongue -" The kzin snarled on a rising note.
"Then why didn't you give that as your title? Was it a deliberate insult?"
"Yes," said Speaker-To-Animals. "I was angered."
Accustomed to his own standards of tact, Louis had expected the kzin to lie. Then Louis would have pretended to believe him, and the kzin would have been more polite in future … too late to back out now. Louis hesitated a fraction of a second before he said, "And what is the custom?"