Part 339: Panne A

Enough. Stop pestering me!

I'm sorry, Whiskers, I really am. But ever since you told me about that candy tree, I can't get it out of my head!

It is not a candy tree-it is a fruit tree. And I'm tired of playing Panne knight!

Hey, you just said Panne kni-

Are you listening to me?

Er, yes.

Good. Anyway, you could at least pretend to be interested in the culture of my people.

It would make me happier than you could possibly know.

Wait, you KNEW I was just after the fruit? You saw through my cunning sham?

It was easy. You said as much when you were climbing toward the tree. You tend to talk to yourself a lot, man-spawn.

Yeah, but I was so far away! How did you hear me?

Taguel ears are far more sensitive than your own.

Crivens... I wager you overhear all kinds of secrets.

Not really. Our hearing is so sensitive, we pick up every little sound. Often the one thing we WANT to hear is drowned out by background clamor.

Interesting. Tell me something else I don't know about the taguel.

Why? I've told you all there is to know about our sweet fruit tree.

No, not that. I mean, about how you live and your culture and all that. I'm interested, Whiskers. Really.

You're not just saying this to place butter on me?

Actually, the saying is... You know what? Never mind.