"Protection?"

"Perhaps. More likely, tradition. We are evolved from a race which carried on its life beneath the surface of the ground, so I suppose we feel more comfortable there. Then, by now, there are many advantages. For example, we are able to get twice the yield on crops that we would on the surface."

"How? I should think the lack of sunlight...."

"We plant on both the floor and the ceiling of the underground farm. As for sunlight, we grow many crops that don't require it at all, and for those that do we have methods of piping sunlight in underground—do you find the idea of living underground unpleasant?"

"Why should I?" Manning asked, shrugging. "Then that one house on the surface is our Ambassador's?"

"Yes. He flatly refused to live in Zeloha, the city to which we are going. The Ambassadors from the other Federation planets are all living in the city, although I suspect that some of them don't relish it either. You wonder, perhaps, why I tell you this?"

"I imagine you have your reasons," Manning said, "and when you're ready you'll tell them to me."

Xelia Zon nodded and the tiny fingers of the star on his nose flushed a darker pink.[3] "It is related to the reason you're here," he said. "I shall soon explain the connection."

[3] Whenever a Regulusian is pleased his nose blushes. Since the Regulusians are the least meddlesome race in the Galaxy, this led to Professor Horatio Schlemozel offering the facetious explanation that the Regulusians' noses blushed with pride because they weren't being thrust into anybody else's business.

The elevator stopped and the door slid noiselessly open. Manning followed Xelia Zon out onto a broad strip of concrete, brightly illumined by indirect lighting. Near the exit, there was a long, stream-lined vehicle which Manning guessed was a Regulusian car. This turned out to be correct for Xelia led the way directly to it and they climbed in. Xelia pressed a number of buttons and the car leaped forward. Manning could feel the pull of a powerful motor, but there was practically no sound.

Xelia turned the car into a broad street and they picked up speed. After a while, they began to see other cars on the street.

Within a few minutes they had reached the edge of the city. There were a number of buildings on 

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