"I meant in our system, sir."
"Of course you did," Extrone said, lazily tracing the crease of his sleeve with his forefinger. "I imagine these are the only farn beasts in our system."
Ri waited uneasily, not answering.
"Yes," Extrone said, "I imagine they are. It would have been a shame if you had killed the last one. Don't you think so?"
Ri's hands worried the sides of his outer garment. "Yes, sir. It would have been."
Extrone pursed his lips. "It wouldn't have been very considerate of you to—But, still, you gained valuable experience. I'm glad you agreed to come along as my guide."
"It was an honor, sir."
Extrone's lip twisted in wry amusement. "If I had waited until it was safe for me to hunt on an alien planet, I would not have been able to find such an illustrious guide."
"... I'm flattered, sir."
"Of course," Extrone said. "But you should have spoken to me about it, when you discovered the farn beast in our own system."