The nip made Tony's shoulder's jump in surprise, and a dread settle in his stomach at what kind of parasites might be in these creature's mouths, but his instinct was still to present the other hand as a distraction and hope that it would be better received. It gave him something to focus on while he bit his tongue at the confirmation that Jan, too, was from a better Earth than the one Tony had screwed up, and he only had a moment to dwell on that lonely guilt before the herd decided to show that they had been assured that they were not dealing with predators and swarmed around Tony and Jan, encircling them into their pod.

"Okay--then--," he struggled to realign, back to the concern that Jan had started with. "So, does that mean my judgment is flawed? When you go home, do you think he should be less forgiving, and tell you to buzz off if you tell him you've been getting your honey elsewhere?"