Terrans. This was not unusual in the Galaxy, but what was unusual in such a modern city was that Manning had not seen another Terran since they'd left the Ambassador on the surface. He commented on this to Xelia.

"Yes," Xelia said soberly. "We have provided many typically Terran conveniences, but very few of your race ever comes here. Those who do mostly react as your Ambassador. Would you care to join me in a drink? We also have Terran beverages."

"I'll have whatever you're having," Manning said. He was always inclined to try native drinks despite a couple of bad experiences. Once, on Praesepe I, it had taken two days to recover his voice after such an adventure.

Xelia ordered the drinks over a plain audiphone attached to the wall of the room.

"No visiphone?" Manning asked.

Xelia shook his head. "We have no visicasts at all. I suppose that eventually we'll be getting sets since the Federation visicasts will now be beamed to us, but we Regulusians have always preferred actually being present at our entertainment instead of watching some reproduction of it." He smiled slightly. "We are, of course, considered backward because of this and because we have never tried to develop space flight."

A light blinked on the wall and a panel slid open, revealing their drinks. Xelia took the two glasses and handed one to Manning. It was filled with a cloudy purple liquid which was rather horrible to look at but which, Manning discovered, tasted very pleasant. He sipped the drink and waited for Xelia to speak.

"Since you've never been to Regulus," Xelia said finally, "I should like to explain something about my people. It has a bearing on the election and the Acruxian. As you know, our admission to the Federation was opposed by many, especially the Achernarians. Their feeling is based on the fact that Achernarians are evolved from various forms of insect life and there was a time when primitive Regulusians ate insects. That was, however, many generations ago. The Achernarians of today are quite different from the insects my ancestors found so delectable, and we have also changed. The protein life which we still eat has been carefully bred from a type of insect found only on Regulus. It is not an intelligent form of life and might be compared to the cattle you Terrans have bred for food."

Manning nodded. As an insurance investigator he had traveled over enough of the Galaxy to be familiar 

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