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r, one of great
strategic knowledge. He was known to be overly cautious at times, but
the Kzin empire had learned from its mistakes with humans in that far,
far too often it had screamed and it had leapt when it was not ready to
do so.
K'narl returned with two trays. "It is my understanding that you
enjoy the rare taste of Kandet."
Shaper turned, startled by K'narl's return, then ashamed by his
lack of attentiveness. He attempted to bluster through his
embarrassment. "A weakness."
"Nonsense," K'narl replied, placing a large tray with a Kandet leg
before Shaper. "Kandet is a fine meat, rare and difficult to preserve.
If you have the respect necessary to obtain it, you should enjoy that
privilege."
Shaper was stunned by K'narl's phrasing. K'narl had just come so
close to offering to petition for his name that his brain, already
confused by the day's events, refused to consider the offer. K'narl
gave him a fanged smile and said "Eat. Before the blood in that piece
runs cold."
Shaper looked down at the plate, picked up the meat where the bone
protruded, and proceeded to gnaw on it, tasting it carefully before
taking large chunks and swallowing it down. Kandet was a prized running
carnivore, and to have hauled
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