Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Abbr. BY FRANK RILEY _Brevity was the new watchword. Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd._ [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttle had passed Venus. As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet, abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitable worlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minutes his long pilgrimage would be over. Soon he would walk down the ramp and set foot on Earth--the almost mythical homeland of his people. Walther was young enough, and old enough, not to be ashamed of the sudden choking in his throat, the moisture in his eyes. A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to the shuttle ship. The pert stewardess smiled at his start. "Wyslgsr," she asked pleasantly. Or at least that's what it sounded like to Walther, whose ears were still ringing from the take off at the Cyngus III shuttleport. "I beg your pardon," he began. "I'm afraid...." For a moment she looked startled, then her full, red lips parted in another bright smile. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't realize ... I just asked, Sir, whether you had been sleeping." She spoke with the mechanical, stilted perfection he had first noted when transferring from the Aldebaran liner at the shuttleport. He had wondered, briefly, about the source of the accent, but had been too polite to ask. The stewardess put a small pillow in his lap, then placed a tray on it. The recessed compartments of the tray held a cup of steaming black coffee, a piece of pastry that reminded Walther of apfelstrudel, and a paper-covered booklet entitled: "Easy Earth Dictionary and Orientation Manual". Stamped on the cover, in the manner of an official seal, were the words: "Prepared under the authorization of Happy Time, Ltd." "Thank you," said Walther, then he grinned buoyantly, eager to share these moments of excitement at being so close to Earth. "But I don't think I'll need the dictionary!" Tiny frown lines appeared between the stewardess's carefully arched eyebrows. "Hg su'v rthsr?" she inquired uncertainly. "I don't understand...." The stewardess managed a professional smile that was edged with just the faintest touch of impatience. "That's what I thought. What I asked, Sir, was how long since you've been on Earth?" "This is my first visit!" "Then you had better study the dictionary," she said firmly.