PARTS, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG. OTHER HUMANS WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED US DEVOURING YOU AND WOULD HAVE PERHAPS REACTED IN A HOSTILE WAY."

  "Am I talking to ants?"

  "HUMANS THAT KNOW OF US CALL US JANTS. WE EXCHANGE THOUGHTS WITH YOU, GEORGE. WE ARE TOO SMALL TO DETECT SOUND OF THE FREQUENCIES THAT YOU VOICE."

  "I think I heard about you in the news. The Government says that you are harmless."

  "WE LIKE THEM TO THINK THAT."

  "Are you one of those mutant invasive species driven here by climate change from the south or north? Like those big alligators and vampire bats in the sewers that they can't get rid of?"

  "WE ARE NOT MUTANTS IN THE SENSE THAT THE TERM IS TYPICALLY USED. THAT TERM IS COMMONLY APPLIED TO INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY UNUSUAL FEATURES THAT ARE DUE TO NORMAL RANDOM VARIATIONS IN GENETIC STRUCTURE ARISING AS