"Why did you leave?" Fred demanded. "I am not permitted to remain in the company of an uncovered Earthwoman ... unless she directs me to do so." While Vicki fled behind the French door to dress herself, Fred asked, "Are there any other restrictions to your behavior in the presence of Earthwomen?" "Many." "Recount some of them." "An Earthwoman may not be touched, regardless of her wishes, unless danger to her life requires it." "Looks like you wash your own back, Vicki," I chuckled. "What else?" she asked, poking her head out. "I mean what other things can't you do?" "There are many words I may not utter, postures I may not assume, and certain duties I may not perform. Certain answers to questions may not be given in the presence of an Earthwoman." Fred whistled. "The Ollies have mastered more than our language ... I thought you said they were noted mainly for their linguistic talents, Cliff." I was surprised, too. In the space of a few hectic months our alien visitors had probed deeply into our culture, mores and taboos--and then had had the genius to instill their compounded discretions into their Soths. I said, "Satisfied, Vicki?" She was still arranging herself. Her lips curled up at the corners impishly. "I'm almost disappointed," she said. "I do an all-out striptease, and no one looks but my husband. Of course," she added thoughtfully, "I suppose that's something...." * * * * * Fred stayed with us until Sunday evening. I went down to the pier to smoke a good-night pipe with him, and get his private opinion. "I'm buying a hundred shares of Worldwide stock tomorrow," he declared. "That critter is worth his weight in diamonds to every well-heeled housewife in the country. In fact, put me down for one of your first models. I wouldn't mind having a laundry sorter and morning coffee-pourer, myself." "Think he's safe, do you?" "No more emotions than that stump over there. And it baffles me. He has self-awareness, pain-sensitivity and a fantastic vocabulary, yet I needled him all afternoon with every semantic hypo I could think of without getting a flicker of emotion out of him." He paused. "Incidentally, I made him strip for me in my room. You'll be as confused as I was to learn that he's every inch a man in his format." "What?" I exclaimed. "Made me wonder what his duties included back on his home planet ... but as I said, no emotions. With the set of built-in inhibitions he has, he'd beat a eunuch out of his job any day of the week." A few seconds later, Fred dropped into his little two-seater and skimmed off for home, leaving me with a rather disturbing question in my mind. I went back to the house and cornered Soth out in the kitchen alone. Vicki had him polishing all the antique silverware. "Are there female Soths?" I asked point-blank. He looked down at me with that relaxed, pink look and said, "No, Mr. Collins," and went back to his polishing.