The Ambassador sighed heavily. "Perhaps if I made a larger contribution," he murmured. "Is there anything I can do for you, Mr.—ah—what was your name?"

"Don't even try to remember it," Manning said. "I wouldn't want you to suffer any mental strain. Now, you just run along."

"I suppose this—ah—native is waiting to see you," the Ambassador said. He sniffed audibly. "Well, I really must be getting back." He turned and trotted rapidly in the direction of the house.

Manning grinned as he saw him go, then turned for his first look at a Regulusian.

The creature who faced him stood upright and was almost as tall as Manning. He wore a one-piece suit roughly similar to those worn by Terrans, although it was cut in the back to accommodate a long, round tail which was covered with short, silky hair. His hands, although still bearing a resemblance to paws, were very human-like and were also covered with silky fur. His face was rather pointed, with a receding forehead. The nose was by far the most prominent feature. Not only was it long, but on the very tip of it there were twenty-two light-pink fleshy fingers growing in the form of a star.[2]

[2] Primitive Regulusians had been closely related to the Terran family Talpidae, species Condylura cristata, sometimes known as the Star-Nosed Mole. Present day Regulusians are, however, as far advanced over their ancestors as Terrans are over Pitchecanthropus erectus.

"Hello," Manning said. "I'm Manning Draco. Are you here to meet me?"

"Yes," said the Regulusian, finally advancing. As he continued to speak, Manning noticed that he spoke Terran with almost no accent. "I would have introduced myself sooner, but your Ambassador is fond of the formal approach—through channels—and I did not wish to anger him. I am Xelia Zon, Mr. Draco."

"Call me Manning. I'm glad to know you, Xelia." He put out his hand and was somewhat surprised to find that the Regulusian had whipped his tail around and coiled it about his hand.

"I see you are surprised," said the Regulusian. "This is your first trip to Regulus?"

Manning admitted that it was.

"So few of your people come here," Xelia Zon said. "Like you Terrans, we have the custom of establishing a physical contact on being introduced. You do this by shaking hands; we do it by shaking tails. I imagine that this developed because the tail is an 

 Prev. P 8/50 next