acknowledgment of our greetings. I have never
observed a more courteous nor a more courtly people than the Antrians;
their manners are as beautiful as their faces.

Last of all, their spokesman introduced himself. Bori Tulber, he was
called, and he had the honor of being master of the Council--the chief
executive of Antri.

* * * * *

When the introductions had been completed, the committee led our
little party to a small, cylindrical elevator which dropped us,
swiftly and silently, on a cushion of air, to the street level of the
great building. Across a wide, gleaming corridor our conductors led
us, and stood aside before a massive portal through which ten men
might have walked abreast.

We found ourselves in a great chamber with a vaulted ceiling of
bright, gleaming metal. At the far end of the room was an elevated
rostrum, flanked on either side by huge, intricate masses of statuary,
of some creamy, translucent stone that glowed as with some inner
light. Semicircular rows of seats, each with its carved desk,
surmounted by numerous electrical controls, occupied all the floor
space. None of the seats was occupied.

"We have excused the Council from our preliminary deliberations,"
explained Bori Tulber, "because such a large body is unwieldy. My
companions and myself represent the executive heads of the various
departments of the Council, and we are empowered to act." He led us
through the great council chamber, and into an anteroom, beautifully
decorated, and furnished with exceedingly comfortable chairs.

"Be seated, sirs," the Master of the Council suggested. We obeyed
silently, and Bori Tulber stood before, gazing thoughtfully into
space.

* * * * *

"I do not know just where to begin," he said slowly. "You men in
uniform know, I presume, but little of this world of ours. I presume I
had best begin far back.

"Since you are navigators of space, undoubtedly, you are acquainted
with the fact that Antri is a world divided into two parts; one of
perpetual night, and the other of perpetual day, due to the fact that
Antri revolves but once upon its axis during the course of its circuit
of its sun, thus presenting always the same face to our luminary.

"We have no day and night, such as obtain on other spheres. There are
no set hours for working nor for sleeping nor for pleasure. The
measure of a man's work is the measure of his ambition, or his
s