d. Even if that tells them nothing about us in particular
at least it tells them, or so they believe, all about our mission to
Mert. Because the moment our ship touched the ground was the birth
date of our business here."

He paused and regarded Travis with woeful sympathy.

"With us, luckily, it was all right. The Mapping Command just happened
to hit here on a good day. But you? Trav, old buddy, for once you came
just too damn fast--"

"Oh my God," Travis breathed. "We landed on a bad day."

"Bad?" Horton sighed. "Man, it's _terrible_."

* * * * *

"You see," Horton said as they drove into the town, "not a soul on the
streets. This is not only a bad day, this is one for the books.
To-morrow, you see, there is an eclipse. And to these people there is
nothing more frightening than an eclipse. During the entire week
preceding one they won't do a darn thing. No business, no weddings, no
anything. The height of it will be reached about tomorrow noon. Their
moon--which is a tiny little thing not much bigger than our first
space station--is called Felda. It is very important in their
astrology. And for all practical purposes the eclipse is already in
force. I knew you were riding in down the base so I checked it out. It
not only applies to you, other things cinch it."

He pulled a coarse sheet of paper from his pocket and read from it in
a wishful voice: "With Huck, planet of necessity, transiting the 12th
house of endings and things hidden, squaring Bonken, planet of gain,
in the ninth house of travellers and distant places, it is
unquestionable that the visit of these--uh--persons bodes ill for
Mert. If further proof is needed, one need only examine the position
of Diomed, which is conjunct Huck, and closely square to Lyndal, in
the third house of commerce, etc, etc. You see what I mean? On top of
this yet an eclipse. Trav, you haven't got a prayer. If only you
hadn't been so close. Two days from now would have been great. Once
the eclipse ends--"

"Well, listen," Travis said desperately, "couldn't we just see the
guy?"

"Take my advice. Don't. He has expressed alarm at the thought that you
might come near him. Also his guards are armed with blunderbusses.
They may be a riot to look at, but those boys can shoot, believe me.
Give you a contract? Trav, he wouldn't give you a broom to sweep out
his cellar."

At that moment they drew up before an enormous marble building vaguely
remi