s well of
you, too!"

A large figure followed his grandfather in. A large figure with
snow-white hair. The amiable and relaxed Interstellar Ambassador to
Walden.

"Hard-gaited horses, Hoddan," he said wryly. "I want a chair and a
drink. I traveled a good many light-years to see you, and it wasn't
necessary after all. I've been talking to your grandfather."

"Glad to see you, sir," said Hoddan reservedly.

His Cousin Oliver brought glasses, and the Ambassador buried his nose in
his and said in satisfaction:

"A-a-ah! That's good! Capable man, your grandfather. I watched him loot
that town. Beautifully professional job! He got some homespun sheets for
your grandmother. But about you."

Hoddan sat down. His grandfather puffed and was silent. His cousins
effaced themselves. The Ambassador waved a hand.

"I started here," he observed, "because it looked to me like you were
running wild. That spacefleet, now ... I know something of your ability.
I thought you'd contrived some way to fake it. I knew there couldn't be
such a fleet. Not really! That was a sound job you did with the
emigrants, by the way. Most praiseworthy! And the point was that if you
ran hogwild with a faked fleet, sooner or later the Space Patrol would
have to cut you down to size. And you were doing much too good work to
be stopped!"

Hoddan blinked.

"Satisfaction," said the Ambassador, "is well enough. But satiety is
death. Walden was dying on its feet. Nobody could imagine a greater
satisfaction than curling up with a good tranquilizer! You've ended
that! I left Walden the day after your Ensfield raid. Young men were
already trying to grow mustaches. The textile mills were making colored
felt for garments. Jewelers were turning out stun-gun pins for
ornaments, Darthian knives for brooches, and the song writers had eight
new tunes on the air about pirate lovers, pirate queens, and dark ships
that roam the lanes of night. Three new vision-play series were to start
that same night with space-piracy as their theme, and one of them
claimed to be based on your life. Better make them pay for that, Hoddan!
In short, Walden had rediscovered the pleasure to be had by taking pains
to make a fool of one's self. People who watched that raid on
visionscreens had thrills they'd never swap for tranquilizers! And the
ones who actually mixed in with the pirate raiders-- You deserve well of
the republic, Hoddan!"

Hoddan said, "Hm-m-m," because there was nothi