Tamara stops circling around the human and his girl when Jaku puts his hand on her shoulder, and she nods at him, casting him a quick glance that carries out all the feelings she has about this whole set-up, and they're not good feelings.<br/><br/>She listens to what Mac Dierty has to say with attention, yet her whiskers twitches and her ears swivels slowly around, following noises and smells, keeping ehrself aware of what's around, and she realizes that they're being watched. That what's going to happen in this room will have a big influence on what the crew will think of them. And, in a moment of clarity, she understands what the woman sailor, Julie, meant, when she said she'd join her only 'if you are who we hope you are'.<br/><br/>Tamara makes eye contact with every naga: Jaku first, then Kellus and finally Arkain. Her concern about this mirrors Jaku's, and her dislike of this whole rigged deal is as easily obvious in her emerald slitted eyes. Then she turns to the humans again.<br/><br/>"I'll be blunt: I don't like this whole situation, and I do not like you, Mister Mac Dierty. And you, Captain Valerian, have lost some of the respect I had for you, after you took us in, sheltered us and even fought for us, with your crew as well, while we were unable to do so. I am... very disappointed. What I thought to be an act of kindness, a proof that some Humans still had a heart and care for other living creatures, was only meant to ensure completion of the plan laid out by Mister Mac Dierty here. None of you, is who I hoped you were," she adds, casting a sideways glance towards Julie, who is observing among the crowd on the upper deck.<br/><br/>"Tell me," she continues, looking back to Mac Dierty, raising on her serpentine body enough to be able to look him in the eyes, "what happens if we refuse? For the sake of argument, and knowing where you really stand, what if we say no? What if we decide that we won't be coerced like this, that we won't abide by the rules you laid out, and decide to leave you and your granddaughter to look for another solution, and go on our way, continuing to fend ourselves as we did for quite some time now. As you've seen during the naval battle, we are not without resources," she said, flashing him a very predatory, some would even say a bit evil, grin.<br/><br/>Tamara pauses just enough to take a breathe, and speaks as Mac Dierty opens his mouth to reply. "There's another, even more important, question to ask: have you asked her? Have you asked your granddaughter what she wants? You say you'd get used to her being half-snake, but what if she doesn't? What if she finds it repulsive? What if she prefers to die, rather than be turned into a freak of nature than will be forever shunned away from all of mankind? Forever an outcast, forced to hide in shadows? You say she's a brilliant biologist, but she'll never be recognized by her peers if she looks like us."<br/><br/>"What if she wants to join us? Stay with us and that island you wish to give us, or, even better, stay inside us? Enjoy life inside us, in that very special place that we all have, where everyone can live, safe and happy forever," she finishes her sentence having slowly come closer and closer to him, her voice lowering until only Mac Dierty can hear her almost whisper the last words, her nosepad only inches from his nose. "What would you do? You can't force us to give birth to anyone once they're inside us," she whispers.<br/><br/>"Besides," she continues as she turns away from him, her voice level back to normal, slithering back to Jaku and the others, "we never take and transform anyone who hasn't specifically said that is what they want. We never ever take someone unwilling, because there is no turning back. So, answer me: what would you do?"