his vicinity. He is thin and long jointed, and he goes “creak, creak,” in a weird, sing-song fashion as he dances. It is a shameful, ludicrous sight.

Then there was DC-5, who tore down the 300 feet long equipment hangar of the Builders one night. He had over-indulged.

I do not feel responsible for these things. If I had not sold them the Moon Glow, someone else would have done so. Besides, I am only a wholesaler. Benny buys everything that I am able to produce in my little laboratory hidden out in the Dumps.

I do

Just now, by Benny’s attitude, I knew that something was very wrong. “What is the matter?” I said. “Is it the revenue agents?”

“I do not know,” said BNE-96 in that curious, flat voice of his that is incapable of inflection. “I do not know, but there are visitors of importance from Earth. It could mean anything, but I have a premonition of disaster. Jon tipped me off.”

He meant Jon Rogeson, of course, who was the peace officer here in Argon City, and the only one of the Builders I had ever met who did not look down upon a metal person. When sober he was a clever person who always looked out for our interests here.

“What are they like?” I asked in some fear, for I had six vials of Moon Glow with me at the moment.

“I have not seen them, but there is one who is high in the government, and his wife. There are half a dozen others of the Builder race, and one of the new type metal persons.”

I had met the she who must have been the wife. “They hate us,” I said. “We can expect only evil from these persons.”

“You may be right. If you have any merchandise with you, I will take it, but do not risk bringing more here until they have gone.”

I produced the vials of Moon Glow, and he paid me in Phobos credits, which are good for a specified number of refuelings at the Central fueling station.

Benny put the vials away and he went into the bar. There was the usual jostling crowd of hard-bitten Earth miners, and of the metal people who come to lose their loneliness. I recognized many, though I spend very little time in these places, preferring solitary pursuits, such as the distillation of Moon Glow, and improving my mind by study and contemplation out in the barrens.

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