‘Well, that clears things up … but are you sure that they can reattach it?’ Harran asked.

‘Oh certainly,’ the Princess said and patted his bandaged stump. ‘The spape hardly gnawed on it at all before spitting it out.’

‘I still think that’s a silly name for it.’

‘You want me to say “six-armed, seven-foot, eight-eyed space ape” each time?’

‘Alright, alright. Seven-foot, you say? And I tore off the heads of two of them?’

‘No, no, you tore both heads off of one of them. But still, it was very brave. The beast is rightfully feared throughout the galaxy. Mighty warriors tremble when they hear its name.’

‘Spape.’

‘Yes.’

‘And there’s still fifteen of them loose about the spaceship?’

‘Only until you kill them.’

‘What if they bite off my other hand?’

’What’s the problem? We know they won’t chew it too thoroughly.’

‘Yes Princess.’