attractive. How could he have said such a thing? He'd hardly known this woman for a full minute.

"Your house? I'll admit your arms and legs are yours, and so no doubt is your hair, your teeth, your eyes and your ears. But how can you say this house is yours?"

Homer looked at the girl. She spoke perfect English although now that he noticed there was just a slight accent. She had something of an Italian grace, French fire, and the wholesome heartiness of Scandinavia in her, and yet she was different.

"It is my private property," said Homer. "I'll admit I do not own it, but I rent it. I have a year's lease."

"When I studied your customs and manners I must have overlooked a few things," she said. "But I can't see how you can own a dwelling."

Homer was horrified. Undoubtedly she was from behind the Iron Curtain. "This is America, ma'am," he said stiffly.

"I thought this was the earth," she said.

Again Homer's jaw dropped as if he had not heard correctly. "Do you mean that you are from Some Other Place?" His voice supplied capitals.

"I am assuredly not of this planet," she said. "I'm Qalith of Planet 12, star 10, Pleiades." Her smile was pleasant too, Homer observed. "I learned your language by telepathy but unfortunately I didn't go deeply into your economics and social customs."

Homer decided she must have tuned in on Russia, then he realized that English is not usually spoken there, so he assumed she had listened to some subversives somewhere. If she was from the Pleiades. More than likely she was a spy. "Do you think the Revolution will come during our life-time?" he asked.

"There is a revolution every twenty-four hours on this planet," she smiled. "On my planet the revolution is 26 hours, your hours."

This was a joke, Homer decided. A student trick, extremely in bad taste. Especially since it entailed a girl to expose herself in such a costume.

"I hope you didn't park your spaceship by a fire plug," he said sarcastically.

"Fire plug? I missed that when I learned your language. Something electrical, no doubt. But if you mean my space shuttle, it is in a desolate area south of here." She pointed in the direction of the Cambridge Manor Country Club. "We know that 

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