See that little black thing sticking up?" Gurgeh looked. There was a little black bulb poking up through the surface of the red mud. "Yes." "That's his dick." Gurgeh looked suspiciously at the other man. "How exactly is that going to help him?" "The Uhnyrchal can breathe through their dicks," Za said. "That guy's fine; he'll be fighting in another club tomorrow night; maybe even later this evening.
In "The Player of Games" by Iain M. Banks, an unusual conversation takes place regarding a creature called the Uhnyrchal. The character Gurgeh observes a small black protrusion emerging from red mud, leading to a perplexing exchange with Za. Za clarifies that the Uhnyrchal can breathe using this part of its anatomy, implying the creature's survival despite its current predicament.
This exchange highlights the bizarre aspects of the game's universe, where unconventional biological traits play a role in the creatures' endurance and capabilities. Gurgeh's initial skepticism reflects a common theme in the book: navigating and understanding a complex and often strange world, particularly in the context of competition and survival.
