"Be glad this is no sacred place, kaffir, or I would rip your throat out," he growled. Then he turned to Tom, at whom he gazed long and hard. Sensing that this was some kind of staring-down contest, the troll looked back into the Zulu’s eyes, refusing to yield. The elf’s face hardened for an instant, and then a playful smile spread over his angular face. The expression might have been that of a cat playing with its helpless prey.