anders/book-1/11.tex

\chapter{11}

The Minotaur was colossal.
Even without the mighty horns that bent forwards he was at least two meters tall.
His naked torso had the form and dimensions of a large wine barrel,
and even though hunger and other deprivations had left an irreversible mark on him,
his muscles looked like they would break railroad ties just for fun some times.
The face was one hundred percent that of a bull,
but from his neck down he seemed to be a normal person:
if you ignored the nearly monstrous musculature.

``So it is true'', the dog man growled.
``He's finally awake\footnote{You were trying to cross the border, right?}''
He actually \textit{growled},
even though it was clearly modulated and had a surprisingly pleasant sound.
All the same every word he said seemed to be accompanied by a threatening growling.
The reptilian being didn't add anything,
but its tongue flicked in Andrew's direction more nervously than it had been.

``Then maybe we can talk to him now'', the minotaur added.
His voice was just as resonant and deep as Andrew had imagined,
but he spoke very slowly and added an audible pause after every word as if it were difficult for him to speak.
Maybe his vocal cords were more that of a bull than those of a human,
Andrew thought.
The brain behind that massive forehead was definitely human,
which he could tell from one look into his large unmistakeably intelligence-filled eyes.
Andrew made a mental note not to underestimate the minotaur.
This creature was not only strong,
but also smart.

He raised his shoulders.
``No objections.''

Katt gave him an almost imploring look.
``This is Andrew'', she said hastily,
then just as quickly she pointed to the dog man,
the snake, and the minotaur.
``Rex, Liz, and Bull, the oldest in the tribe.''

Short names seemed to be very beloved here,
Andrew thought amused,
and just as \textit{unimaginative}.
As to their authenticity he only had more doubts.
He wouldn't dare guessing the age of the snake person,
much less the minotaur,
but there was no way Rex was older than Katt.

``You can't expect too much from him'',
Katt continued to the three \textit{elders} in an abrupt tone and distinctly louder than it needed to be.
Andrew had the feeling that she was just talking so that \textit{he} wouldn't say anything.
``He's still somewhat flustered and his fever isn't all the way gone!''

She made a circular motion near her temple,
which apparently meant the same thing across cultures and species.
When she turned around to Andrew she gave him the same imploring look she had given him earlier.
It was impossible to overlook the immense respect she had for the three figures.

``Why don't you let us decide that, Katt?'', asked Bull.
The words confirmed Andrew's suspicion.
The minotaur was the leader of the three.

``Sure'', Katt said nervously.

``Why don't you wait outside?'', the minotaur suggested.
``You can help Ratt with Bat. I don't think she is doing too well.''

Katt hesitated and Andrew smiled at her and said cheerily:
``Go ahead.
If they are your friends,
then they're friends of mine too.''
He turned directly towards Bull.
``I will answer all of your questions.
As much as I can, that is.''

Andrew regretted the last restriction almost as soon as he said it.
He could tell that the eyes of a bull were able to exude a feeling of mistrust,
but he didn't break eye contact.
After a moment Katt reluctantly turned around and left.
Rex followed her to the door.
He didn't didn't hide the fact that he was doing it to make sure she actually left and didn't just stand right outside the door to listen in.

``Katt said you helped her'',
Bull began after the dog man had come back and had nodded to him.
``Is this true?''

Andrew was a little surprised.
He had expected that the minotaur would have asked where he was from.
He simply nodded.

``Why?'', asked Rex.

``Why?'' Andrew didn't understand the question.

``Why'', confirmed the dog man.
``Nobody helps anyone if they don't get something out of it.''

``Where I'm from they do'', answered Andrew automatically.

``Not here'', said Bull.
He didn't even take the out Andrew had given him.
``So, why did you help her?''

It was at the forefront of his mind to just tell the truth.
\textit{Because I owed her.
She had saved my life before that and risked her own life for it.}
But for something told him that that wouldn't have been smart.
Apparently the values here were different than where he was from.

``Without her I wouldn't have made it'', he said 
--- which was the truth.
``She knew the way.
I didn't.''

\textit{This} answer seemed to satisfy the minotaur.
``Katt also told us that the dragons had chased after you'', he said.
``Is that true?''

\textit{Dragons?}
At first Andrew wasn't sure what Bull was talking about,
but then he understood:
Frightening flying monster that spewed fire.
Dragons.
Of course.
``Yes''

``Why?'', Rex growled.

``That I do not know'', answered Andrew.

``You're from outside and you don't know why the dragons were chasing you?'', asked Bull.
``Why would I believe that?''
His drawn-out way of speaking gave the words a heft that warned Andrew to be especially careful.
He had just been wondering why the minotaur hadn't immediately asked him where he was from,
but now it was clear to him that they weren't talking about anything else this whole time.

``Because that is the truth'', he said.
``I don't know who these \dots \textit{dragons} are.
And I don't know why they killed my friend or wanted to kill me.
Before I came here I didn't know that they existed.''

``Even though you claim to be from outside?'', Rex asked.
``The dragons come from outside.
Who would believe that?''

``Not from where I'm from'', answered Andrew.
In a lightly snotty tone he added:
``There's quite a few places, you know?''

Rex's eyes flashed with anger and Andrew had the feeling that he had said something that wasn't quite so smart.
Regardless he not only forced himself to calmly maintain eye contact,
but also smiled a little.
He himself had never had a dog,
but he knew that you could never show weakness towards them.

Liz hissed and Bull said slowly:
``That's enough.''
Andrew noticed that the snake had always hissed before the minotaur had said anything.
Was it possible that he had been wrong and that Bull was just the translator for the snake person?

``I'm sorry'', he said.
``But that is the truth.
The world I am from is very large.
I have never seen anything like these dragons before or ever heard of them,
you have to believe me.
I also don't know why they are trying to kill me.''

``Then why are you here?'', asked Bull.

Andrew almost laughed out loud.
``Definitely not on purpose'', he answered.
``Nick and I crashed in our airplane.
At least that's what I thought at first.''
He instinctively decided to leave off the whole prologue and not to say anything about Scarhand and his companions either.
It was already complicated enough.
``But now I think one of your dragons shot us down.''

``An airplane?''
Rex sniffed his shoulder as if he could tell if Andrew was lying by doing that.
``What is that supposed to be?''

``A machine'', answered Andrew.
``A contraption that flies.''

Mistake number \dots oh whatever.
A huge mistake since not only Rex took a quick step backwards.
Liz hissed agitatedly and Bills eyes were saturated with mistrust.

``Like the dragons?'', barked Rex.

``No'', answered Andrew quickly.
``Well yes, but \dots''
He shook his head confusedly.
Something told him that a lot of things
---his life for example ---
were depending on his next words,
but it was getting more and more difficult to find the right words.

``But?'', asked Bull/

``An airplane isn't anything special where I'm from.'', he said carefully.
``But they aren't dangerous.
You just use them to get from one place to the next.
Not to kill people.''

``You fly from one place to another one with it?'', barked Rex.
Maybe it was a mocking laugh.
``What would that be good for?''

``Because its fast'', answered Andrew.
``You can go the same distance in a few hours that it would usually take weeks or even months to travel.''

Bull and the dog man looked at each other with a knowing look,
but Andrew couldn't tell if they didn't understand his question or if they just didn't believe anything he said.
Or both.

``Then its bigger outside than here?'', asked Bull.

Andrew didn't know how big \textit{here} was,
but he nodded nonetheless.
``I think so.''

``And they're all like you?''

``Like me?''
Andrew asked, but he already felt that the answer was a little too rash.
From Bull's and Rex's point of view all the other people were \textit{like him}.
``More or less'', he constrained.

``I don't believe him'', barked Rex.
Liz hissed and Bull shook his head.

``We will see'', said Bull.
``For now he should stay here.
We'll decide what will happen to him after the hunt.
In the mean time he can stay here with Katt.
But in my eyes you are responsible for him.''
He had said the last sentence louder than the rest.
He laughed and continued after a quick pause:
```You understand me, Katt?
Come on in and answer.
I know that you're standing outside eavesdropping.''

For a moment nothing happened,
but then the cloth in front of the door was pulled to the side and Katt sheepishly stepped in;
followed closely from a somewhat smaller shadow with pointy ears.

``As if I needed to'', Katt mumbled sulkily.

The minotaur laughed good-naturedly.
``I know how sharp your hearing is.
But the same doesn't go for your sister.
Instead she is much more curious.
You heard what we said?''

Katt nodded.

``Then remember it'', Bull continued.
``And pay good attention to your friend.
If he does something that hurts the tribe,
you'll be responsible for it.''

Andrew tried to imagine what it would be like to hold a really long conversation with the bull-headed giant,
much less an argument.
It probably made people go insane waiting on someone who took fifteen minutes for each sentence.

``We'll be back this evening and will speak to your friend'', he continued.
``Make sure that he is rested up until then,
because we have a lot of questions for him.
And find something for him to do.
He needs to work if he wants to eat.''

With that he left.
Liz followed him and lastly Rex too,
but not without a final menacing growl in Andrew's direction.
Katt gave him and angry look and Ratt stuck her tongue out at the dog man
--- however only after they had left and the curtain had closed so she could be sure he didn't see her.

``So those are your leaders?'', asked Andrew.

``Leaders?''

``Your eldest'', Andrew corrected himself.
``Those who have the say around here.''

Katt needed a couple ticks to understand what he meant.
Then much to Andrew's surprise she shook her head.
``We don't have any leaders'', she said.

``It didn't sound like that just now''

``Bull and the others are the oldest'', Katt said completely uncomprehendingly.
``Bull is very smart.
He tells us what the best for all of is,
but he would never order us to do anything.''

``You all do what he tells you because you know that its the best thing for you'', Andrew assured himself.

``Yes'', answered Katt.
``Anything else would be dumb, right?''

``Sure'', sighed Andrew.
He suddenly didn't have any motivation to continue \textit{this} conversation.
Somehow it demoralized him.
Instead he made a movement towards the door with his head.

``Can I leave the house or am I under house arrest?''

``You can do what you want'', answered Katt.
But Andrew hadn't forgotten what the Minotaur had said.
Of course he wouldn't do anything that would get Katt into trouble.

``Can you show me around?'', he requested.
``I just don't want to get lost.''

Katt gave him a quick thankful look.
She had understood.
Nevertheless she hesitated and only nodded after a considerable while.
Andrew had the feeling that he had done something wrong again,
but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what.
Katt didn't make any efforts to explain anything.
Without a word she turned around and left the building.