"You've got to stop stealing this organization's money, diGriz. It sets a bad example for the troops. You will have paid back your last embezzlement by now or you wouldn't be listening to this message. It's only because of our interest in ParaisoAqui that I am talking to you now." "What is Paraiso-Aqui?" I said aloud.

The image nodded sagely. "By now you are asking yourself what is Paraiso-Aqui. " The smugness and self-assurance of the man. How easy it is to hate your boss. Particularly when he is one jump ahead of you. "Well I'll tell you. It is the home world of the murdered man you asked the lab to track down. I want you to go there and have a look at this planet. Then come and report to me. If you will read the document enclosed hprp vnii will niiirklv [f"p whafr niir intprpt i" The image vanished and the screen went dark. I flipped the screen back into its well and took up the envelope that had been concealed beneath it.

"This is very interesting," I said, quickly flipping through the printed sheets. "In what way?" "Because not only don't I know the man who was trying to see me-but I have never in my life heard of his home world before." "Well... we are just going to have to do something about that, aren't we?" "We certainly are!" I said, smiling in return. "We are just going to have to grit our teeth and obey Inskipp's instructions. Like it or not we will have to visit this mysterious planet." Angelina nodded and we just stood there grinning like fools. Knowing-without knowing how we knew-that the present period of peaceful boredom was at an end. The future was already looking brighter. I felt it in my bones. Something very unusual and highly interesting was about to begin.