She winces in sympathy. Most non-foundlings aren't accustomed to dealing with conditions such as the ones in that cell, so those three months can't have been comfortable for him. And it's disconcerting to think that he'd been stewing down there for as long as she'd been in this universe.

"He's sweeter than he looks," she says with a wry smile. The Beast wags its clubbed tail a few times and lets out a cheerful "Quark!" Jennifer continues, "Quarkbeasts are nonevolutionary animals - one of several invented by wizards in a sort of contest." Even with the increasing crackle, it's hard to imagine having enough to just invent animals. "The Mighty Shandar invented Quarkbeasts - and he won."