f civilization." He gestured toward
the horizontal building arrangements visible through the window. "Why,
you could almost call those streets. As a matter of fact, the natives
do."

At the moment, she could take an interest in Terrestrial civilization
only as it affected her personally. "But I'll be able to relax in the
office, won't I?"

"To a certain extent," he replied cautiously. "You see, we have to use a
good deal of native help because--well, our facilities are limited...."

"Oh," she said.

Then she remembered that she was on Terra at least partly to demonstrate
the pluck of Fizbian femininity. Back on Fizbus, most of the _Times_
executives had been dead set against having a woman sent out as
Drosmig's assistant. But Grupe, the Grand Editor, had overruled them.
"Time we broke with tradition," he had said. He'd felt she could do the
job, and, by the stars, she would justify his faith in her!

"Sounds like rather a lark," she said hollowly.

Stet brightened. "That's the girl!" His eyes, she noticed, were emerald
shading into turquoise, like his crest. "I certainly hope you'll like it
here. Very wise of Grupe to send a woman instead of a man, after all.
Women," he went on quickly, "are so much better at working up the human
interest angle. And Drosmig is out of commission most of the time, so
it's you who'll actually be in charge of 'Helpfully Yours.'"

She herself in charge of the column that had achieved interstellar fame
in three short years! Basically, it had been designed to give guidance,
advice and, if necessary, comfort to those Fizbians who found themselves
living on Terra, for the Fizbus _Times_ had stood for public service
from time immemorial. As Grupe had put it, "We don't run this paper for
ourselves, Tarb, but for our readers. And the same applies to our
Terrestrial edition."

With the growing development of trade and cultural relations between the
two planets, the Fizbians on Earth were an ever-increasing number. But
they were not the only readers of "Helpfully Yours." Reprinted in the
parent paper, it was read with edification and pleasure all over Fizbus.
Everyone wanted to learn more about the ancient and other-worldly Terran
culture.

The handbook, _A Brief Introduction to Terrestrial Manners and Mores_,
owed much of its content to "Helpfully Yours." A grateful, almost
fulsome, introductory note had said so. But the column truly deserved
all the praise that had been lavished upon it