This was by all odds the strangest beast he had ever seen.

Yesterday it had not harmed him, except to put him into the bag.
And now it did not offer to harm him.

More than that, the talk it made was not unpleasant, or threatening.

His eyes took in Miki.

The pup had squeezed himself squarely between Challoner's knees and was looking at him in a puzzled, questioning sort of way, as if to ask: "Why don't you come out from under that root and help get breakfast ?" Challoner's hand came nearer, and Neewa crowded himself back until there was not another inch of room for him to fill.