Not only did you handle the matter so that the Acruxians can't make any complaint, since Dtilla escaped, but the Achernarians were so impressed by the visicast that most of them voted for our party instead of their own. It was a Republocrat victory by a landslide."

"That's nice," Manning said hurriedly. "Now, will you tell—"

"I knew the minute I heard of the problem," J. Barnaby said expansively, "that Manning Draco was the boy who would soon have the situation well in hand."

"He had it well in hand, all right," Vega said.

"J. Barnaby," Manning said desperately, "you've got to tell Vega about that Aldebaranese. She refuses to believe me and—"

"All I know," J. Barnaby said blandly, "is what I seen on the visiscreen."

"Ha!" said Vega.

Manning Draco stared at his father-in-law in amazement. Then anger took over. "So," he said, "you owe me more than you can ever pay me, do you, you old, double-crossing Spican termite. I've put up with a lot from you, J. Barnaby Cruikshank, but I'll get you for this where it hurts if it's the last thing I do. I'm a member of the Senate now and when I take office I'm going to start a campaign to get a new Secretary of Planets."

"That's what I dropped in about," J. Barnaby said. "It seems that you are no longer a Senator."

"What?"

"My boy," J. Barnaby said paternally, "while you were on Regulus, you should have paid more attention to the—er—sexual habits of the Regulusians."

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Everything. Regulusians consider sex as a very serious game, sort of a battle of the sexes as it were, just as they do everything else. It is not a separate part of their lives. Therefore, a sexual challenge is judged just the same as any other challenge. It is known all over Regulus that this Aldebaranese—Velmar Shonda, or some such name—constantly challenged you in a sexual way and that you just as constantly refused to accept the challenge. Why, you even blatantly shoved her away from you in the Arena—calling on two attendants to help you in this unmasculine action—in full view of several hundred thousand Regulusians."

"What of it?" Manning 

 Prev. P 49/50 next