 How would Casey describe most of the scorpions he saw?
Sure, the crystals are deadly, but I was smuggling them legitimately, in a manner of speaking, for this doctor to experiment with. Insect-like creatures who manifestly migrated there from some other system and who inhabit the Red Spot of the planet, floating in some kind of artificial anti-gravity field in the gaseous portion of the atmosphere—" I snorted. How could any—" The senior judge rapped ferociously, and I skidded to a halt. We possess well-authenticated photographs of these inhabitants, and if you are prepared to visit them and in some way worm from them the secret of their anti-gravity field, the government stands ready to issue you a full pardon as well as a substantial monetary reward. Those inhabitants were charming, just charming if you like scorpions. Well, a cross between a scorpion and a grasshopper, to be accurate. "I just made a pass at the Killicut Emeralds, that's all, and got nabbed." Big as hen's eggs, an even dozen of 'em; and flawless, I'm a-shoutin', not a flaw!" Those emeralds were in the inner shrine of the super-sacred, super-secret temple of the cavern-dwelling tribe of Killicuts on Mars—the real aborigines. My jaw must've been hanging down a foot, because I'd just been playing along with him, not really believing him, and now all of a sudden I somehow knew that he'd really lifted those emeralds.
 terrifying yet peaceful
 intelligent and fierce  huge and curious  ugly yet caring  terrifying yet peaceful