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Emiliana sighed and allowed herself to fall into the nearest chair. It wasn't very comfortable.

Gohvis finally turned away from his corner, and in his hands was something encased in glass. A tall, flat thing. And quite large as well. As big as Emiliana's whole body, perhaps.

He stepped closer with it, and then she noticed all the tiny shapes crawling around inside it, up and down through snaking tunnels.

It was an ant farm, she realized. The biggest she'd ever seen.

And Gohvis just set it down on the table in front of her.

She looked at it, then at him, then back at it.

Somehow, she was even more confused than before.

"Do you know what the deadliest insect on this planet is?" said Gohvis.

Emiliana's mouth twisted with an expectation of imminent horror. "Tell me it's not these ants, right here."

"No," said Gohvis. "These little ones are harmless, but they are a close evolutionary relative, you might say. Useful for long-term study without all of the collateral damage."

Well, that was a relief, at least. Emiliana didn't know what to say now, though.

"The deadliest insect is the Jaskadan jumper ant," said Gohvis. "They vary somewhat in size, but the soldiers can grow to be as big as your fist. As their name suggests, they are known for their leaping ability, but they also have a paralytic venom that puts even most snakes to shame."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

He held up a giant index finger. "But their most fearsome attribute is the way that they wage war on other animals. They've been known to conquer enormous swaths of land, pushing out virtually all other fauna and even rendering certain creatures extinct--a feat which is typically only considered achievable by humans.

"However, despite all of that, despite being the deadliest insects in the world, they are still not the most resilient ones. That title goes to their long-standing rivals." He motioned to the farm again. "These little fellows. The Ardoran angel ant."