do things rike
mair your retters, for candy or cookies, which I are not supposed to eat
much of, but Princess Ryra say not too many wirr hurt me--"

"Mail letters?" Hunter's animosity vanished. "I'm sorry I was rude,
Alonzo--all my fault. I may write a letter to my dear old mother
tonight, and if you would mail it for me in the morning--"

* * * * *

Rockford left ahead of Hunter and it was a minute past the appointed
time when Hunter reached the meeting hall. He heard Narf's loud voice
inside:

"... Boran must have stopped to watch the sunset. Told him I wanted
everyone here on time--"

The low voice of Lyla said something and Narf said, "Not necessary for
you to defend him, my dear. I made it plain to him."

A new voice spoke from behind Hunter:

"It seems I have annoyed Lord Narf."

He was a tall, black-eyed man, with the dark, saturnine face of an
Indian. There was a strange, indefinable air of sadness about him which
reminded Hunter of the sombre little Princess Lyla.

"You're Val Boran, sir?" he said. "I'm Lieutenant Hunter--"

Inside, Narf sat at the head of the table. On his left was Lyla, then
Rockford. On his right was a spidery little man of about fifty, his
slick-back hair so tight against his skull that it gave his head the
appearance of a weasel's. His lips were paper-thin under a long nose,
like those of a dry and selfish old maid, but the round little eyes
darting behind thick glasses were cold and shrewd and missed nothing. He
would be Verdam's Special Envoy Sonig. Hunter appraised him as a man
very dangerous in his own deceptive way.

A servant showed them to their places at the table. Rockford and Val
Boran exchanged greetings. The moment everyone was seated, Narf said,
"Dinner tonight will--"

"Excuse me," Lyla said, "but Mr. Sonig hasn't yet met--"

"Oh ... the young fellow there--" Narf gestured with his hand.
"Rockford's aide. Now, ring the chime, Lyla. Those forest stag steaks
are already getting cold. I killed the beast myself, gentlemen, just
this morning; a long-range running shot that required a bit more than
luck...."

The dinner was excellent, but no one seemed to notice. Narf was absorbed
in the story of his swift rise to eminence in the Vestan Space Guard.
There were humorous incidents:

"... Can't understand why, but I seem to attract women like a magnet.
I'm strictly the masculine type of male and I approve of this but it can
be a blas