Thin tendrils of slimy fluid stretched from the carapace as she lifted it with the thin blade, exposing the delicate organs that were once protected. It was resistant at first, but like all things of late, slowly gave into the inevitable. She lay the piece down on a metal tray beside it, it rocking on its domed shape, glistening where the connective tissue met the candlelight, the outer iridescent casing contrasting it with its indigo and green hues. It was a dead thing, yet even death held a modicum of beauty. With care she separated the internal organs, the creature, once happily living in the undergrowth, now scattered among various jars. Focus, her work kept her mind occupied although there were many concerns that dwelled there.
Was it dangerous? Was she so arrogant to believe she was untouchable? Perhaps. He though was charming, and unnervingly aware of her, more than she cared to admit, though she would play his game, lead or follow the merry dance, in hopes that whatever she gained from such encounters would bear fruit. She was warned, yet it did not deter her. When she adopted a cause, a reason, a purpose, she embraced it.
He knew of her profession, he tried to place fear in her heart, all while offering a charming smile and a convincing ruse. She in turn was unable to resist but to offer her own little flare, a threat barely concealed though by no means associated to her oh so sweet character.
The equipment was set. A small glass tube held firm by a thin metal tripod, and placed within the thick walled, sand lined tank. She found this satisfying, even though the risk was great. Using delicate metal tongs, she grasped the creature within the tank by its tail and gently placed the stinger within the tube, milking naught but a tiny, tiny amount of its potent poison, a solitary colourless droplet falling from the stinger. Some women desire gifts of jewels, silks and the like, yet this gift brought her more than all of those riches combined.
She looked forward to their next meeting, for she knew far more of the man now. Of his trickery, his violent ways. Her friend explained of why he was there, of what he was capable of. Jaded perhaps, she was without fear. Fear kept a person alive, she knew this, yet with every passing season, it faded. Her new toys would be deadlier than the last, be they creatures slithering, crawling, or be they men.
