After watching Isikais morph and murder his would-be murderer in the ruins, Hadrian thought he would be able to stomach just about anything. There was a sick fascination with the way the huge jungle snake took out the old farm animal. One thing he could say for Koh: he didn't seem to take undue pleasure in the suffering of his food. It didn't take as long as he thought it would, but the boa constrictor's jaws unhinged to eat the cow and ... there was a moment of fear when Koh began to shift again, wondering if the meal would rip him asunder, but his body apparently knew what to do to redistribute the meal without dying. Hadrian watched for tell-tale signs of lethargy such as regular snakes experienced after eating, wondering if Koh would fall into a torpor and all but hibernate until his body had broken down the meal to more manageable proportions. Perhaps there was magic involved that set the Dhani apart so that they were not always sleeping like their serpent counterparts. In any case, now Koh looked like a pregnant man, and Hadrian started laughing. |