I
should have been a-knowin' something was queer. All your weapons and
your strange ideas. Faith, I wouldn't be surprised if ye hadn't yet
established a planet-wide government. Sure, an' I'll go still further.
Ye probably still have wars on this benighted world. No wonder it is ye
haven't been invited to join the Galactic League an' take your place
among the civilized planets."

He hustled from the rostrum and made his way, still surrounded by
guards, to the door by which he had entered. The dog and the cat trotted
after, undismayed by the furor about them.

They arrived about four hours later at the field on which he'd landed,
and the alien from space hurried toward his craft, still muttering. He'd
been accompanied by a general and by the President, but all the way he
had refrained from speaking.

He scurried from the car and toward the spacecraft.

President McCord said, "You've forgotten your pets. We would be glad if
you would accept them as--"

The alien's face faded a light blue again. "Faith, an' I'd almost
forgotten," he said. "If I'd taken a crature from this quarantined
planet, my name'd be _nork_. Keep your dog and your kitty." He shook his
head sadly and extracted a mouse from a pocket. "An' this amazin' little
crature as well."

They followed him to the spacecraft. Just before entering, he spotted
the bedraggled horse that had been present on his landing.

A longing expression came over his highly colored face. "Jist one
thing," he said. "Faith now, were they pullin' my leg when they said you
were after ridin' on the back of those things?"

The President looked at the woebegone nag. "It's a horse," he said,
surprised. "Man has been riding them for centuries."

Dameri Tass shook his head. "Sure, an' 'twould've been my makin' if I
could've taken one back to Carthis." He entered his vessel.

The others drew back, out of range of the expected blast, and watched,
each with his own thoughts, as the first visitor from space hurriedly
left Earth.

... THE END

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _If Worlds of Science Fiction_ January
1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Off Course, by
Mack Reynolds (AKA Dalla