"It isn't funny, Tom!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest as he pursed his lips, each giving the other a challenging gaze. He had finally decided to show her another talent of his, one that she could not- and would not- be able to replicate. The snake sat coiled at his feet, his yellow scales bright against the drab gray of Tom's uniform. She had been impressed with it, with his ability to speak with the serpent. He had asked it questions for her, had requested it dance and move about to her delight, her laugh peeling like a bell in the small courtyard.