Stein hung back, not out of fear, but to allow Birkin to work without his unwitting interference. Birkin was the master here, after all - he knew the creature's capabilities, and how to keep it incapacitated.

Besides, it let him take in its horrific beauty all at once, as it were. A panoramic view.

Only when Birkin had injected the sedative and the Licker grew quiescent did he enter the room and move up to stand beside the other man. He did indeed see its exposed organs, and the lack of skin. He saw the claws, and the tongue as it lolled out of its grotesque mouth.

"Beautiful," he agreed wholeheartedly. He gave the creature one of his penetrating looks, reaching up to rotate the bolt sticking out of his head as he fished out a cigarette with the other and stuck it in his mouth. The bolt clanked a little as it turned, then seemed to click into place.

He could see Birkin's attachment to it in their souls, and he offered the man a smile. "Did you create it?"