er chick nor child on Fizbus, I have nothing to look
forward to upon my return to the Home Planet some day._

_Accordingly, I decided to adopt a child to cheer my declining
years. I dispatched an interstellargram to a reliable orphanage on
Fizbus, outlining my hopes and requirements in some detail. After
they had satisfied themselves as to my income, strength of
character, etc., they sent me a fatherless and motherless egg in
cold storage, which I was supposed to hatch upon arrival._

_However, when the egg came to Earth, it was impounded by Customs.
They say it is forbidden to import extrasolar eggs. I have tried to
explain to them that it is not at all a question of importation but
of adoption; however, they cannot or will not understand._

_Please tell me what to do. I fear that they may not be keeping the
egg at the correct Fizbian freezing point--which, as you know, is a
good deal lower than Earth's. The fledgling may hatch by itself and
receive a traumatic shock that might very well damage its entire
psyche permanently._

_Frantically yours,_

_Glibmus Gluyt_

"Oh, for the stars' sake!" Stet exploded. "This is really too much! Viz
our consul, Miss Snow. That egg must go back to Fizbus at once, before
any Terrestrials hear of it! And I must notify the government back on
the Home Planet to keep a close check on all egg shipments. Something
like this must certainly not occur again."

"Why shouldn't the Terrestrials hear of it?" Tarb asked, outraged. "And
I think it's mean of you to send back a poor little orphan egg like that
when it has a chance of getting a good home."

"An egg!" Miss Snow repeated incredulously. "You mean you really...?"
She gave me one mad little hoot of laughter and then stopped and
strangled slightly. Her face turned purple in her efforts to restrain
mirth. _Really_, Tarb thought, _she looks so much better that color_.

Stet's crest twitched violently. "I hope--" he began. "I do hope you
will keep this ... knowledge to yourself, Miss Snow."

"But of course," she assured him, calming down. "I'm dreadfully sorry I
was so rude. Naturally I wouldn't dream of telling a soul, Mr. Zarnon.
You can trust me."

"I'm sure I can, Miss Snow."

Tarb almost choked with indignation. "You mean you've been keeping the
facts of our life from Terrestrials? As if they were fledglings ... no,
even fledglings are t