"I'm making no assumptions," Erin says in a pleasantly casual tone. "After all, my perspective is inescapably human-centric, and what is alien isn't the same as what's monstrous. Monster...it comes from a word in another language, a word which meant 'to warn', an omen, a sign of divinity. It came to mean something else later, but I don't forget." She clicks her tongue thoughtfully. "...No, I'm thinking more of, say, telling you about my buddy Siffleur who lairs over in the clothing store, a true monster in every sense of the word. A portent, a threat, something divine, something unholy. He's a classy guy, very respectful, fascinating to talk to, and also he kills and eats people. A cannibal, too, in every sense of the word. You should meet him."