She's trying not to stare, and her mouth proceeds to outpace her brain as she says, "I'm not sure about mynock, but who'd eat that?"

"Yes," she says. "Not from the Ascendency, from a group of Exiles. I am Malat’amzaar’raat, but I more usually go by Mala-Tam or just Mala."

The line of frogs moves along into the pot, croaking and waving legs lazily, for their part.