Speaker-to-Animals

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Speaker-to-Animals (or later Chmee) is a lead character in the Ringworld series of books, written by Larry Niven.

Speaker is a Kzin and a diplomat. His name is a polite manner for Kzin to refer to non-Kzin races. He is recruited in 2850 by Nessus to be part of an exploratory party to the Ringworld.

Following their return to Known Space, he is given the name of Chmee and given breeding rights by the Kzinti Emperor.

He is a noted character in the follow-up books The Ringworld Engineers and The Ringworld Throne.

As a member of the dangerous Kzin species, Speaker-to-Animals is extremely dangerous and always ready to fight. He was the one that caused the most damage to the village of Zignamuclikclik and were he not a part of the Docile Kzinti project, he probably would have leveled the village to the ground. He is also responsible for the expedition's safety on Ringworld and therefore is in charge most of the time.

[edit] Physical Description

The Kzin are large catlike beings. They range in size from 6 to 9 feet in height and 300 to 600 pounds in weight. They are covered with a thick coat of long fur that comes in various combinations of orange, yellow, and black. Their tails naked and are similar an appearance to a rat's tail. Kzin are extremely powerful creatures with uncanny athletic ability. They have large retractable claws, usually black, on each of their four fingers and toes. Combat is a way of life for the Kzin and they have expanded a feudal society across many worlds through conquest. The Kzins' combat ability is only matched by their aggressiveness and avarice. The Kzin philosophy can best be summed up as "Scream and Leap."

[edit] Trivia

• There is only one person on the massive Ringworld that Speaker-to-Animals considers to be an equal of his strength: the native known as Seeker.
• Many readers like to compare Speaker to Domovoi Butler, a fictional character from the Artemis Fowl series of books. Both have threatening appearances and are dedicated to protecting their respective charges.