A dozen or so small spiders who could hear his thoughts burst from the grass at once. Swift and coordinated, they raced up the silk ladder their mother had spun, scrambling to sink their tiny fangs into the chameleon's tongue.
But the chameleon's tongue—able to lash out and retract within mere microseconds—was several times faster than they were. With a sharp whoosh, the slender whip of flesh snapped back at a speed invisible to the naked eye—human or spider alike.
As it recoiled, the flower-like fangs hidden within it tore through flesh, sending blood spraying into the air.
The little spiders were hurled away by the tremendous impact. Two failed to dodge in time and were on the verge of being dragged straight into the chameleon's mouth by the retracting tongue.
"Mom!" they shrieked.
