s if paralyzed.

"Retief, no!" Spradley yelped.

Retief walked directly to the Admirable F'Kau-Kau-Kau, stopped, raised
the sabre.

"Not the chief of state," someone in the Terrestrial mission groaned.

Retief whipped the sabre down. The dull blade split the cloth and clove
the hardwood table. There was utter silence.

The Admirable F'Kau-Kau-Kau rose, seven feet of obese gray Yill. Broad
face expressionless to any Terran eyes, he raised a fist like a
jewel-studded ham.

Retief stood rigid for a long moment. Then, gracefully, he inclined his
head, placed his finger tips on his temples.

Behind him, there was a clatter as Ambassador Spradley collapsed. Then
the Admirable F'Kau-Kau-Kau cried out and reached across the table to
embrace the Terrestrial, and the orchestra went mad.

Gray hands helped Retief across the table, stools were pushed aside to
make room at F'Kau-Kau-Kau's side. Retief sat, took a tall flagon of
coal-black brandy pressed on him by his neighbor, clashed glasses with
The Admirable and drank.

IV

Retief turned at the touch on his shoulder.

"The Ambassador wants to speak to you, Retief," Magnan said.

Retief looked across to where Ambassador Spradley sat glowering behind
the plain tablecloth.

"Under the circumstances," Retief said, "you'd better ask him to come
over here."

"The ambassador?" Magnan's voice cracked.

"Never mind the protocol," Retief said. "The situation is still
delicate." Magnan went away.

"The feast ends," F'Kau-Kau-Kau said. "Now you and I, Retief, must
straddle the Council Stool."

"I'll be honored, Admirable," Retief said. "I must inform my
colleagues."

"Colleagues?" F'Kau-Kau-Kau said. "It is for chiefs to parley. Who shall
speak for a king while he yet has tongue for talk?"

"The Yill way is wise," Retief said.

F'Kau-Kau-Kau emptied a squat tumbler of pink beer. "I will treat with
you, Retief, as viceroy, since as you say your king is old and the space
between worlds is far. But there shall be no scheming underlings privy
to our dealings." He grinned a Yill grin. "Afterwards we shall carouse,
Retief. The Council Stool is hard and the waiting handmaidens
delectable. This makes for quick agreement."

Retief smiled. "The king is wise."

"Of course, a being prefers wenches of his own kind," F'Kau-Kau-Kau
said. He belched. "The Ministry of Culture has imported several
Terry--excuse me, Retief--Terrestrial joy-girls, said to be top-notch
specimens.