"Asuah? Asuah? There exists no god by that name, thou deceitful human," it spake with venom.
"Ye wouldn't know a thing 'bout it, livin' in this cave like a barnacle clingin' to a rock, ye fool. If ye ever took a stroll outside, ye might've heard o' me. Why am I even wastin' breath on a lowly pest like ye?" he spat.
Surprisingly, the alpha, who had been cold, calculative, and cunning up until now, was behaving in a completely unexpected manner—arguing about religion as if it were a human, not a vicious creature.
Its sharp intelligence seemed momentarily overshadowed by the fervor of its beliefs, making it seem more vulnerable, almost relatable.
Eleanor, standing off to the side with Lyra clutched in her arms, watched the scene unfold in disbelief.
Though she couldn't understand the words exchanged between them, she was astonished by how easily Jack managed to talk his way out of a fight that had seemed inevitable.