zoo, with her
put right in the bird-house. Oh, they had a time putting that one up!"

Mr. Greypoole chuckled and sipped at his drink.

"It's people like Mrs. Dominguez who put the--the life?--into Happy
Glades. Or do you find that disrespectful?"

Captain Webber shook his head and tossed down his drink.

Mr. Greypoole leaned back in his chair and crossed a leg. "Ah," he
continued, "you have no idea how good this is. Once in a while it does
get lonely for me here--no man is an island, or how does it go? Why, I
can remember when Mr. Waldmeyer first told me of this idea. 'A grave
responsibility,' he said, 'a _grave_ responsibility.' Mr. Waldmeyer has
a keen sense of humor, needless to say."

Captain Webber looked out the window. A small child on roller skates
stood still on the sidewalk. Mr. Greypoole laughed.

"Finished your wine? Good. Explanations are in order, though first
perhaps you'd care to join me in a brief turn about the premises?"

"Fine. Friden, you stay here and wait for the men." Captain Webber
winked a number of times and frowned briefly, then he and Mr. Greypoole
walked out onto the porch and down the steps.

Mr. Friden drummed his fingers upon the arm of a chair, surveyed his
empty glass and hiccoughed softly.

* * * * *

"I do wish you'd landed your ship elsewhere, Captain. Mr. Bellefont was
quite particular and, as you can see, his park is hopelessly
disfigured."

"We were given no choice, I'm afraid. The fuel was running out."

"Indeed? Well then, that explains everything. A beautiful day, don't you
find, sir? Fortunately, with the exception of Professor Carling, all the
Guests preferred good weather. Plenty of sunshine, they said, or crisp
evening. It helps."

They walked toward a house of colored rocks.

"Miss Daphne Trilling's," said Mr. Greypoole, gesturing. "They threw it
up in a day, though it's solid enough."

When they had passed an elderly woman on a bicycle, Captain Webber
stopped walking.

"Mr. Greypoole, we've _got_ to have a talk."

Mr. Greypoole shrugged and pointed and they went into an office building
which was crowded with motionless men, women and children.

"Since I'm so mixed up myself," the captain said, "maybe I'd better
ask--just who do you think _we_ are?"

"I'd thought you to be the men from the Glades of course."

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. We're from
the planet Earth. They were going to h