"You're going to move," Mr. Aldenrood said, "at the earliest possible instant." His face was apoplectic. "I'm giving you notice right now--thirty days!" He turned and went out, muttering, "The idea of anybody committing to paper--" and slammed the door. Two days later, I was seated at the typewriter, smoking a cigarette and waiting for Trlk as he paced back and forth on the rug, tiny paws clasped behind his back, talking to himself and working out a story angle at the same time, when suddenly there appeared on the carpet next to him a whole host of creatures just like him. I nearly gulped down my cigarette. Trlk let out a high-pitched screech of joy and ran over to them. They wound their long tails around each other, clasped and unclasped them, twined them together. It seemed a sort of greeting. Meanwhile, they kept up a jabber that sounded like a 33-1/3 rpm record being played 78 rpm. Finally, the biggest one detached himself from the group and gave Trlk a tongue-lashing that would have done justice to a Phipps. Trlk hung his head. Every time he tried to say something, the big one would start in again. * * * * * At length the leader turned to me. "My name is Brknk, pronounced burk-neck and spelled b-r-k-n-k." "And I'm Larry Weaver," I said, hoping they weren't relatives who were going to stay. "That's pronounced Lar-ree--" "I know. We're from Sybilla III. Tourists. We include Earth in our itinerary. It has some of the quaintest customs of all the inhabited planets we visit. We're terribly sorry for all the inconveniences our wayward Trlk here has caused you." "It was nothing," I said with a lightness I didn't feel. "Trlk had threatened to run off many times. He has a craze for self-expression and your literature fascinates him. He has an insatiable thirst--" "I know." * * * * * He turned to Trlk. "It's against the rules of the Galactic Tours to make yourself visible to any of the inhabitants along the way. You know that. And it's a prime offense to interfere with their lives. Do you realize how many rules you have broken, how long we have been looking for you?" "He did the best he could," I said hopefully. "As a matter of fact, we were having considerable success with his--a literary project." "I understand you lost your job because of him. Is that right?" "Yes, but I encouraged him." I hoped there was some way I could ease the sentence. "Trlk has committed grievous wrongs, Mr. Weaver. We must make it up to you." "Oh?" Here was an angle I hadn't expected. "What can we do for you?" I considered a moment. "You mean a wish or something?" Brknk laughed. "Nothing like that. We're not magicians." "Well, I could stand a little cash." "I'm sorry," he said, and did look pained. "We can't interfere in business. We don't have any of your currency and we are forbidden to duplicate or steal it."