"I'll have to investigate further, but I'm sure my hunch will be confirmed. You see, we Martians have stood in awe of Earthmen. And since for a long time there's been very little contact between the two planets except the purely official, impersonal sort, there's been nothing to disabuse us. It's certainly true that our organizations can't compete with yours, because your whole society is based on organizations. But now, by the same token, I wonder if your individuals can match ours. Ever hear of the Third Moon? No? The whipsaw play? The aqueduct squeeze? Good Lord, can't you even load a derrel set?" Matheny licked his chops. "So there's our Martian export to Earth. Martian con men. I tell you this under security, of course--not that anyone would believe you, till our boys walk home with the shirt off the Terrestrial back." He waved an imperious pipe-stem. "Hurry up and pay me, please. I've a date tonight with Peri. I just called her up and explained the situation and she really _does_ seem to like Martians." End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Innocent At Large, by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson