as the reply. And, when Bliss
motioned that it was all right, "My mission is not a happy one,
excellency. Due to overpopulation on Mars, I have been sent to inform
the government of Earth that room must be made to take care of our
overpopulation."

"I see," Bliss leaned back in his chair, trying to read the situation
correctly. "That may take a little doing. You see, we aren't exactly
awash with real estate here."

The reply was rigid and harsh. Captain Yaelstrom said, "I regret to
remind your excellency that I have circled this planet before landing.
It is incredibly rich in plant growth, incredibly underpopulated. And I
assure your excellency that my superiors have not sent me here with any
idle request. Mars must have room to emigrate."

"And if we find ourselves unable to give it to you?"

"I fear we shall have to take it, your excellency."

Bliss studied the visitor from space, then said, "This is rather sudden,
you know. I fear it will take time. You must have prospered amazingly on
Mars to have overpopulated the planet so soon."

"Conditions have not been wholly favorable," was the cryptic reply. "But
as to time, we are scarcely in condition to move our surplus population
overnight. It will take years--perhaps decades--twenty-five years at a
minimum."

Twenty-five years! That was too soon. If Captain Yaelstrom were a
typical Martian, there was going to be trouble. Bliss recalled again
that Earth had sent only its most aggressive young folk out to the red
planet. He made up his mind then and there that he was somehow going to
salvage for Earth its final half-century of peace.

He said, "How many people do you plan to send here, Captain?"

The ambassador hesitated. Then he said, "According to the computations
of our experts, taking the population curve during the next twenty-five
years into account, there will be seventeen million, three hundred
thirty-two thousand five hundred--approximately."

The figure was too large to be surplus, Bliss decided. It sounded to him
as if humanity were about to abandon Mars completely. He wondered what
the devil had gone wrong, decided this was hardly the time to ask. He
offered Captain Yaelstrom a drink, which was refused, then asked him if
he wouldn't like to wash up.

To his mild surprise, the ambassador nodded eagerly. "I shall be
grateful," he said. "You have no idea how cramped spaceship quarters can
be."

"I can imagine," said Bliss dryly. He led the way into