D’ssah had no hair but his skin fanned out to create an impressive hood that framed his head. He wore a thick, fur-lined jacket not unlike Silva’s old parka and around his waist was a pleated skirt. Instead of legs, a long snake’s tail protruded from the bottom of the skirt and curled up behind him on the ground. He swayed slightly as he balanced on his tail and the very tip of it flicked back and forth as if it were keeping time.
He looked like a cross between a Terran man and a very big cobra.
D’ssah extended a long arm; his thick, strong, scaly hand clasped Silva’s in greeting. She expected his skin to be cold and slimy; instead, it was warm, dry, and smooth as polished glass. She had no idea if all snakes, or snake-people, felt the same; she’d never held a snake before.
“Pleasssed t
