A "Living" Gift!

A sickly, obsessive gleam flickered in the eyes of Taneleer Tivan, the Collector.

He made no attempt to hide his desire to possess Link. To him, a perfect life-form that combined several of the universe's greatest powers was worth more than all the rare creatures in his collection put together.

He was like a fan who had spotted a limited-edition collectible and couldn't wait to put it in the most prominent display case, where he could admire it day and night.

Faced with a probe that barely concealed its true purpose, Link's smile did not change.

"Mr. Tivan, I'm flattered by your enthusiasm," he replied calmly, as though he had missed the greed in the Collector's words. "As someone who has only just ventured into the universe, I'm honored to earn the approval of a senior like you."

Old bastard. A bit heavy-handed with the act, aren't you? But you want to collect me? This little museum of yours couldn't hold me.

The thought flashed through Link's mind. It was time to play his card and take control of the negotiation.

"To show my respect, I've prepared a little welcome gift for you."

Link snapped his fingers.

A miniature Boom Tube glowing deep blue opened silently beside him. He reached inside and pulled out an energy container the size of a briefcase, made of high-strength alloy.

The container was translucent. Inside lay a mass of gray-black biological tissue that looked like rotting sludge.

"What is this...?" The Collector frowned slightly, puzzled. Why had Link brought him an unremarkable lump of rotten flesh as a gift?

"Don't rush. The show's just getting started."

Link set the container on the floor, took a high-purity energy crystal from his coat, and tossed it into the feed port.

"Glug... glug..."

The instant the crystal