"Good lord! Retief, he's talking about cutting off our ears and sending us home mutilated! What a barbaric proposal!"
"It wouldn't be the first time a Terrestrial diplomat got a trimming," Retief commented.
"It should have the effect of stimulating the Terries to put up a reasonable scrap," Qorn said judiciously. "I have a feeling that they're thinking of giving up without a struggle."
"Oh, I doubt that," the blue-and-flame Qornt said. "Why should they?"
Qorn rolled an eye at Retief and another at Magnan. "Take these two," he hooted. "I'll wager they came here to negotiate a surrender!"
"Well," Magnan started.
"Hold it, Mr. Magnan," Retief said. "I'll tell him."
"What's your proposal?" Qorn whistled, taking a gulp from his goblet. "A fifty-fifty split? Monetary reparations? Alternate territory? I can assure you, it's useless. We Qornt like to fight."
"I'm afraid you've gotten the wrong impression, your Excellency," Retief said blandly. "We didn't come to negotiate. We came to deliver an Ultimatum."
"What?" Qorn trumpeted. Behind Retief, Magnan spluttered.