Then at long and exasperating last, the door opened gingerly and a serving woman entered. "Well!" exploded Sandra. "Where have you been?" The woman said something clear and articulate, which meant she was very sorry but which meant nothing to Drake. That made Drake boil merrily. "Can't you speak Terran?" stormed Sandra. The woman came into the room, followed by another. "Who are you?" shouted Sandra. "Where's that other one--I can hardly tell you apart." The first Telfan woman turned to her friend and said: "She's throwing another fit." "She wants the Lady Thani. Thani is the only one who can speak much of her language." "If I were Thani, I'd slip a thumb into each eye and pry." "I wouldn't waste my time on that," returned the second woman. "I'd just make away with her and forget about it. I wouldn't care to have my sleep disturbed by blood, screams, and torture." Sandra huffed up tall. "Will you two creatures stop gabbling at one another and get me Thani. Where is that creature?" "Yes, she wants Thani. I heard her mention her name." "If Thani isn't here, get me Tet'h. Or Gormal. Or Elyon." "How can we tell her that Thani, Tet'h, Gormal, and Elyon went to meet the other Terrans?" Sandra heard the names and the word _Terrans_. "Did they run off and leave me here?" she yelled. They shook their heads. "Go ... yes?" asked Sandra. "Go ... yes!" answered Delya. "I want to go, too." "I ... go ... no," said Delya. "Not you, me." "You ... no?" "Me ... yes." "Me ... yes!" agreed Delya. Sandra put both palms against her cheeks and gave vent to a yell of sheer frustration. Then she calmed once more. "Did every one of you that knows a word of Terran go?" "Tonla, I think she's asking about Thani and the rest." "But how can we tell her?" "Do we want to? If all are like her--this Terra must be a bad, bad place indeed. And she is but a female. What must the males be?" * * * * * At this point it must be recorded that the first Interstellar incident was averted by Sandra Drake's refusal to work in learning the Telfan language. Drake's possible actions if she had been able to understand Delya's remark might have led to the First Interplanetary War. Amicable relations resulted from Sandra Drake's ignorance. "After all," said Tonla, "they went because there isn't much of her language between all of them. All together they may be able to converse with the Terrans." "And Elyon says that she is quite uninformed as to the technicalities of this device which will not work on Telfu. She inferred that these others know much about it. They are the ones to contact if Telfu is to gain. Why shouldn't they all go?" "Had I the right, I'd have sent them," said Tonla. "We'd better get out of here before this woman gets violent. I think she's about to start throwing things." "She should throw a fit," sneered Delya. "Only the very beautiful can behave in that arrogant manner." "Or the very rich."