Read the following passage and questions, then choose the right answer from options, the answer should be one of A, B, C, D.

<passage>:
BY KEITH LAUMER Sly, brave and truculent, the Qornt held all humans in contempt—except one! Ambassador Nitworth glowered across his mirror-polished, nine-foot platinum desk at his assembled staff. "Gentlemen, are any of you familiar with a race known as the Qornt?" There was a moment of profound silence. Nitworth leaned forward, Retief kicked it. Qorn's chin hit the floor with a hollow clack. He wilted, an ungainly tangle of over-long limbs and gay silks. looking solemn. Qorn got a leg under him "But, sir," Second Secretary Magnan offered. "That's uninhabited Terrestrial territory...." "Indeed, Mr. Magnan?" Nitworth smiled icily. "It appears the Qornt do not share that opinion." He plucked a heavy parchment from a folder before him, harrumphed and read aloud: His Supreme Excellency The Qorn, Regent of Qornt, Over-Lord of the Galactic Destiny, Greets the Terrestrials and, with reference to the presence in mandated territory of Terrestrial squatters, has the honor to advise that he will require the use of his outer world on the thirtieth day. Then will the Qornt come with steel and fire. Receive, Terrestrials, renewed assurances of my awareness of your existence, "But we must select a leader!" "What good would that do? Qornt are Qornt. It seems there's always one "When estivating time comes there'd be no burrows for us. Anyway, with the new Qornt stepping on our heels—" "I've lost the thread," Magnan said. "Who are the new Qornt?" "After estivating, the Verpp moult, and then they're Qornt, of course. The Gwil become Boog, the Boog become Rheuk, the Rheuk metamorphosize "Very likely. 'The milder the Verpp, the wilder the Qorn,' as the old saying goes." "What do Qornt turn into?" Retief asked. "Hmmmm. That's a good question. So far, none have survived Qornthood." "Have you thought of forsaking your warlike ways?" Magnan asked. "What Qornt Qornt personally." Magnan's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. "Not afraid of a few Qornt, are you, Magnan?" among bushy green hair above a great bone-white beak. The crest bobbed as the creature cocked its head, listening. Magnan gulped audibly. The Qornt froze, head tilted, beak aimed directly at the spot where the Terrestrials stood in the deep shade of trussing Qorn up for me." A second great green-clad figure rose up to block his way. He spun, darted to the left. The first Qornt pounced, grappled Magnan to its "Please, restrain yourself. I was merely somewhat astonished—" a small whistle escaped—"at being taken for a Qornt." "Aren't you a Qornt?" look like Qornt." "Oh, not at all—except perhaps to a Terrestrial. The Qornt are they do nothing but quarrel. A drone caste, actually." "A caste? You mean they're biologically the same as you?" "Not at all! A Verpp wouldn't think of fertilizing a Qornt." "Why, the Qornt are argumentive, boastful, lacking in appreciation for the finer things of life. One dreads to contemplate descending to their "How many Qornt would you say there are at Tarroon?" "Oh, a very large number. Perhaps fifteen or twenty." "Fifteen or twenty what?" Magnan looked perplexed. "Fifteen or twenty Qornt." "You mean that there are only fifteen or twenty individual Qornt in all?" Another whistle. "Not at all. I was referring to the local Qornt only. There are more at the other Centers, of course." "And the Qornt are responsible for the ultimatum—unilaterally?" mating—such a tedious business—and of course the Qornt are tied up with their ceremonial feasting. I'm afraid no one will take any notice of you." high-pitched screeching. "Softly, now. We approach Qornt Hall. They can be an irascible lot when disturbed at their feasting." intricate-patterned dance, unnoticed in the shrill uproar as each of the magnificently draped, belted, feathered and jeweled Qornt carried on a shouted conversation with an equally noisy fellow. "A most interesting display of barbaric splendor," Magnan breathed. "Now we'd better be getting back." "Ah, a moment," Zubb said. "Observe the Qornt—the tallest of the feasters—he with the head-dress of crimson, purple, silver and pink." "Twelve feet if he's an inch," Magnan estimated. "And now we really comprise the fleet? And where they're based at present?" "They're fully automated twenty-thousand-ton all-purpose dreadnaughts. They mount a variety of weapons. The Qornt are fond of that sort of thing. Each of the Qornt has his own, of course. They're virtually identical, except for the personal touches each individual has given of the Qornt when presented with the news that two peaceful Verpp have been assaulted and kidnapped by bullying interlopers. If there's anything that annoys the Qornt, it's Qornt-like behavior in others. Now step along, please." "Rest assured, this will be reported!" Qorn looked Retief over in silence, then belched. There was a momentary silence from all sides. "I guess so," grunted a giant Qornt in iridescent blue with flame-colored plumes. Qorn's eyes bulged. He half rose. "We've been all over this," he thought I'd made my point!" "Oh, sure, Qorn." "You bet." "I'm convinced." us." "And you're the one, eh, Qorn?" Retief commented. Magnan cleared his throat. "I sense that some of you gentlemen are not anyway," he added. "They do whatever I convince them they ought to do." "But I'm sure that on more mature consideration—" "I can lick any Qornt in the house." Qorn said. "That's why I'm Qorn." He belched again. A servant came up staggering under a weight of chain, dropped it with a an Ultimatum." "That's all right. They don't have one." "But—" "We'll take you on!" Qorn French-horned. "We're the Qorn! We glory in battle! We live in fame or go down in—" "Hogwash," the flame-and-blue Qorn cut in. "If it wasn't for you, Qorn, Retief watched as Qorn's aides helped him out of his formal trappings. "I wouldn't worry too much, Mr. Magnan. This is a light-Gee world. I doubt if old Qorn would weigh up at more than two-fifty standard pounds here." "But that phenomenal reach—" Retief moved out to meet him, watching the upraised backward-jointed arms. Qorn stalked forward, long lean legs bent, long horny feet clacking against the polished floor. The other aliens—both servitors and bejeweled Qornt—formed a wide circle, all eyes unwaveringly on the combatants. Qorn struck suddenly, a long arm flashing down in a vicious cut at the narrow back, seized Qorn's neck in a stranglehold and threw his weight backward. Qorn fell on his back, his legs squatted out at an awkward angle. He squawked and beat his free arm on the floor, reaching

<question>:
What was Qorn before the next to last time he estivated?

<options>:
A a verpp
B a rheuk
C a boog
D a qornt

<answer>:

B