eans, but it wasn't bad at all. "What do I do next?" I
inquired affably._

_"My dear fellow," the chap said, whipping out a notebook from the
recesses of his costume, "how long have you had this delusion that
you are a bird--or is it a bat?"_

_"Sir," I said as haughtily as my position permitted, "I am neither
a bird nor a bat. I am a Fizbian. Surely you have heard of
Fizbians?"_

_"Yes, yes, of course. They come from another country or planet or
something. Frankly, politics is a bit outside my sphere. All I'm
interested in is people--and Fizbians are people, aren't they?"_

_"Yes, certainly. If anything, it's you who.... Yes, they are
people."_

_"Well, tell me then, Mr. Liznig, when was it you first started
thinking you were a bat or a bird?"_

_I tried to control myself. "I am neither a bird nor a bat! I am a
Fizbian! I have wings! See?" I fluttered them._

_He peered at me. "I wish I could," he said regretfully. "Without
my glasses, though, I'm as blind as a bat--or a bird."_

_Well, the long and the short of it is that the natives are
planning to certify me as insane and incarcerate me, pending the
doctor's decision as to whether my delusion is that I am a bird or
a bat. They are using my privacy waiver as commitment papers._

_Save me, Senbot Drosmig, for I feel that if I have to wait for the
doctor's glasses to be delivered, I shall indeed go mad._

_Distractedly yours,_

_Tgos Liznig_

"I'll handle this myself," Stet said crisply. "I'll tell the consul to
advise the Terran State Department that this man should be deported as
an undesirable alien. That'll solve the problem neatly. We can't have
this contaminating the pure stream of Terrestrial literature with--"

"But aren't you going to explain to them that he's perfectly sane?" Tarb
gasped.

"No need to bother. He'll be grateful enough to get off the planet.
Besides, how do I know he is perfectly sane?"

"Stet Zarnon, you're perfectly horrid!"

"And you, Tarb Morfatch, are disgustingly drunk. Now you go right home
and sleep it off. I know I was too harsh with you--my fault for letting
you go out alone with Griblo in the first place when you've been here
only a few months. Might have known those Terran journalists would lead
you astray. Nice fellows, but irresponsible." He flicked out his tongue.
"There, I've apolo