shed to the floor
with a ponderous slam.

Whitish soup splattered across the terrazzo. A couple of odd bowls
rolled across the room. Cries rang out from the Yill, mingling with a
strangled yell from Ambassador Spradley.

Retief walked past the wild-eyed members of the mission to the
sputtering chief. "Mr. Ambassador," he said. "I'd like----"

"You'd like! I'll break you, you young hoodlum! Do you realize----"

"Pleass...." The interpreter stood at Retief's side.

"My apologies," Ambassador Spradley said, mopping his forehead. "My
profound apologies."

"Be quiet," Retief said.

"Wha--what?"

"Don't apologize," Retief said. P'Toi was beckoning.

"Pleasse, arll come."

Retief turned and followed him.

The portion of the table they were ushered to was covered with an
embroidered white cloth, set with thin porcelain dishes. The Yill
already seated there rose, amid babbling, and moved down the table. The
black-clad Yill at the end table closed ranks to fill the vacant seats.
Retief sat down and found Magnan at his side.

"What's going on here?" the second secretary said angrily.

"They were giving us dog food," Retief said. "I overheard a Yill. They
seated us at the bottom of the servants' table----"

"You mean you know their language?"

"I learned it on the way out. Enough, at least."

The music burst out with a clangorous fanfare, and a throng of jugglers,
dancers and acrobats poured into the center of the hollow square,
frantically juggling, dancing and back-flipping. Black-clad servants
swarmed suddenly, heaping mounds of fragrant food on the plates of Yill
and Terrestrials alike, pouring a pale purple liquor into slender
glasses. Retief sampled the Yill food. It was delicious.

Conversation was impossible in the din. He watched the gaudy display and
ate heartily.

III

Retief leaned back, grateful for the lull in the music. The last of the
dishes were whisked away, and more glasses filled. The exhausted
entertainers stopped to pick up the thick square coins the diners threw.

Retief sighed. It had been a rare feast.

"Retief," Magnan said in the comparative quiet, "what were you saying
about dog food as the music came up?"

Retief looked at him. "Haven't you noticed the pattern, Mr. Magnan? The
series of deliberate affronts?"

"Deliberate affronts! Just a minute, Retief. They're uncouth, yes,
crowding into doorways and that sort of thing...." He looked at Retief
uncertainly.

"They herd