 What is ironic about Taphetta's contempt for mating among species?
In repose, Taphetta the Ribboneer resembled a fancy giant bow on a package. "Outside of your own world, there's nothing like your species, except superficially, and that's true of all other creatures, intelligent or not, with the sole exception of mankind. "And so, to account for the unique race that can interbreed across thousands of light-years, you've brought in the big ancestor," commented Taphetta dryly. It would do no good to explain that Taphetta wasn't a worm, that his evolution had taken a different course, but that he was in no sense less complex than Man. "That's what I don't like," said Taphetta, curling.
 Taphetta is biologically unable to mate with other species
 Taphetta can only survive if they mate with another species  Taphetta is actually jealous about other species' ability to intermix  Taphetta is likely a result of mating among species  Taphetta is biologically unable to mate with other species