"Get out of here!" the office worker said in a tone that indicated he was through talking to us.

Ser Buldi began to reply but he was silenced by Ser Alaga, who wished to avoid any unnecessary incidents which could have proved embarrassing to the Earthmen. Instead, the elder statesman approached a young lady seated behind a desk.

"What can I do for you, little boy?" the girl asked with a smile.

Ser Alaga, with the aid of his hypno-tube, quickly convinced her to admit the delegates to the office of the Sub-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Then began a three day procession through the offices of many sub-secretaries, four under-secretaries and two deputy ministers. In each office our diplomats were received skeptically and passed on to the next.

Finally, in desperation, the delegation released the survivors of the Morning Star. Although Ser Alaga realized that their account of the incident probably would be distorted, he knew that it would serve to verify the delegation's identity.

The Abilene News of December 19, 2042, shouted at the top of its headline voice:

SPACE INVADERS HERE

The Bugle:

EARTH ATTACKED

The Times:

"MORNING STAR" DESTROYED

11 Survivors Of Space Liner Tell Story Of Attack

An immediate meeting was held between our delegation and the leaders of your government. After the formalities of greeting were over, the spokesman for the Earth government reviewed the facts of the Morning Star incident as they had been related by Captain Daniels and his crew. Venusian forces, they claimed, had been guilty of an unprovoked attack against the ship. We had barbarously murdered all of the ship's complement, save for the eleven "hostages" whom we had brought to Earth aboard the Tunn.

The government of Earth demanded an explanation. Ser Alaga spoke the truth. The Earthians were not satisfied.

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