go that every young man on
Earth yearns for a job that will send him shuttling from one planet to
another. To achieve it they study, they sweat, they make all out efforts
to meet and suck up to anybody they think might help. Finally, when and if
they get an interview for one of the few openings, they spruce up in their
best clothes, put on their best party manners, present themselves as the
sincere, high I.Q., ambitious young men that they are--and then flunk their
chance. I decided I might as well be what I am."

Ross Metaxa looked at him. "O.K.," he said finally. "We'll give you a
try."

Ronny said blankly, "You mean I've got the job?"

"That's right."

"I'll be damned."

"Probably," Metaxa said. He yawned. "Do you know what Section G handles?"

"Well no, but as for me, just so I get off Earth and see some of the
galaxy."

-------------------------------------

Metaxa had been sitting with his heels on his desk. Now he put them down
and reached a hand into a drawer to emerge with a brown bottle and two
glasses. "Do you drink?" he said.

"Of course."

"Even during working hours?" Metaxa scowled.

"When occasion calls."

"Good," Metaxa said. He poured two drinks. "You'll get your fill of seeing
the galaxy," he said. "Not that there's much to see. Man can settle only
Earth-type planets and after you've seen a couple of hundred you've seen
them all."

Ronny sipped at his drink, then blinked reproachfully down into the glass.

Metaxa said, "Good, eh? A kind of tequila they make on Deneb Eight. Bunch
of Mexicans settled there."

"What," said Ronny hoarsely, "do they make it out of?"

"Lord only knows," Metaxa said. "To get back to Section G. We're
Interplanetary Security. In short, Department Cloak and Dagger. Would you
be willing to die for the United Planets, Bronston?"

That curve had come too fast. Ronny blinked again. "Only in emergency," he
said. "Who'd want to kill me?"

Metaxa poured another drink. "Many of the people you'll be working with,"
he said.

"Well, _why_? What will I be doing?"

"You'll be representing United Planets," Metaxa explained. "Representing
United Planets in cases where the local situation is such that the folks
you're working among will be teed off at the organization."

"Well, why are they members if they don't like the UP?"

"That's a good question," Metaxa said. He yawned. "I guess I'll have to go
into my speech." He finished his drink. "Now, sh