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I observed their antennae and the general posturing and
carriage of their long, graceful bodies. They stalked about one another and some
of their motions were almost whiplike. Upon occasion, undoubtedly as a sign of
irritation, the tips of the forelegs were inverted, and I caught my first
glimpse of the bladed, hornlike structures therein concealed. I would learn to
interpret the emotions and states of Priest-Kings by such signs. Many of these
signs would be far less obvious than the ones now displayed in the throws of
anger. Impatience…is often indicated by a tremor in the tactile hair on the
supporting appendages, as though the creature could not wait to be off; a
wandering of attention can be shown by the unconscious movement of the cleaning
hooks from behind the third joints of the forelegs, suggesting perhaps the
creature is thinking of grooming….the subtlety of these signs might well be
illuminated if the indications for a wandering of attention, mentioned above,
are contrasted with the superficially similar signs which give evidence that a
Priest-King is well or favorably disposed toward another Priest-King, or other
creature of any type. In this case there is again the unconscious movement of
the cleaning hooks but there is in addition an incipient, but restrained,
extension of the forelegs in the direction of the object toward which the
Priest-King is well disposed; this suggests to me that the Priest-King is
willing to put its cleaning hooks at the disposal of the other, that he is
willing to groom it."
"Hunger…is indicated by an acidic exudate which forms at the edges of the
jaws giving them a certain moist appearance; thirst…is indicated by a certain
stiffness in the appendages, evident in their movements, and by a certain
brownish tarnish that seems to infect the gold of the thorax and abdomen. The
most sensitive indicators of mood and attention…are the motions and tenability
of the antennae."
Priest-Kings
Pages 85-86
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