already instructed the astrogator about our next destination and he had whipped up the course.

We did some hundred thousand miles on ion-drive and then, safely clear of the Earth's grav-field, converted over and popped into warp. Aldebaran lay three weeks ahead of us through hyperspace.

Earth and Aldebaran had first contact about 10 years before. I didn't know anything particular about the planet or its people—there are enough worlds in the galaxy so you don't get to know each type of alien there is. We had a special cabin ready aboard the ship for the Aldebaranian ambassador and his pet. Instructions told us to prepare a special fluorine atmosphere, which meant the Aldebaranians couldn't be much like us.

But they had agreed to negotiate a treaty of friendship with Earth and were sending an ambassador. That was good news, I thought.

We popped out of warp right on schedule and there was the giant hazy red sun that was Aldebaran, staring us right in the face. It seemed to fill the entire sky.

Our astrogator plotted a course rapidly for Aldebaran VII, which was then at perihelion and a good ways across the heavens from where we were. The Aldebaran system is a huge one—31 planets spread out over six or seven billion miles of space.

Most of them were dead worlds, though. It was only Aldebaran VII that had any sort of intelligent life, or so our survey teams reported.

It took three days more to get within hailing distance of the seventh planet. It spun beneath us, a pretty blue-green ball about the size of Earth.

We came within about a million miles and set up an orbit as per instructions. No sooner had we done that than we found ourselves surrounded by a flock of alien warships.

I went to the radio room and made contact.

"State name and object here," I was ordered in a crisp, business-like voice.

"I'm Johnny Martin, Captain of the Terran vessel 13-XV-1, with no hostile intent. We're here to pick up an ambassador from Aldebaran to Earth, along with his pet."

I heard some hasty conferring going on and then someone said, "Hold on, Terran ship. We'll check with the home planet."

Five tense minutes passed—minutes in which I half expected to be blown out of the sky by a sudden 

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