Ves repeated the short excursion with each recalcitrant chief technician. Each time, he commanded Ketis to throw them into Qilanxo's maw, who spat out the panicking fellows after a minute of imagining all sorts of horrors.
Despite returning them unharmed, their spirit and confidence essentially broke. The trauma of residing inside the maw of a giant monster became imprinted in their minds. The parting words from Ves also didn't help hem them get over their ordeal.
Every time they returned to camp, Ves patted their shoulder with mock-friendliness. "I hope I won't hear any complaints about you again. If I do, then don't blame me for tossing you back inside QIlanxo's mouth. She's well-behaved for now, but don't forget that she eats natives for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's a chance she'll slip up and confuse you for a snack. I pray that doesn't happen to you, but you never know."
