"What can you expect when you ballot yourself a salary raise every year?" the old one whistled. The other two made animal noises. Clarey must not jump; he must learn to laugh like a turshi if he hoped to be the life of any Damorlant party. * * * * * The big one stood up as well as he could in the swaying cart. "Guess I'd better introduce myself," he said, holding out a sturdily shod foot. "I'm Malesor, headman of Katund. This is Piq; he deals in blots and snarls. And Hanxi here's the inn-keeper." "My name is Balt," Clarey said. "I am honored by this meeting." And he went through the conventional toe-touching with each one. "Guess you'll be putting up with me until you've found permanent quarters, Til Balt," Hanxi said. "Not that you could do much better than make your permanent home at the Purple Furbush. You'll find life more comfortable than if you lodge with a private fam'ly. Bein' a young unmarried man--" he twisted his nose suggestively--"you'd naturally want a bit of freedom, excitement." "Remember he's a librarian," Piq whistled. "He might not appreciate as good a time as most young fellers." Clarey was glad when a cluster of domes appearing over the horizon indicated that they'd reached Katund. He looked about him curiously. The countryside he'd been able to equate with a park, but this small aggregate of detached dwellings bore no relationship to anything in his experience. His kit was dexterously removed from his hand. "Guess you'll want to check in first," Hanxi said, "so I'll just take your gear over to the inn for you." He pointed out a small dome shading from lavender at the bottom to rose pink on top. Over the door were glittering symbols which Clarey was able to decipher after a moment's concentration as "Dordonec District Public Library--Katund Branch," and underneath, in smaller letters, "Please Blow Nose Before Entering." Hesitantly, he touched the screen that covered the portway. It rolled back. He went inside. At his first sight of what filled the shelves from floor to topmost curve of the dome, Clarey became charged with fury. The ancient books in the glass cases back on Earth were of a different shape and substance, but, "My God," he cried aloud, "it's nothing but another archive!" The female in charge glared at him. "Silence, please!" Suddenly the anger left him, and the fear. He was no longer a stranger on a strange world. He was an archivist in an archive. She took a better look at him and the local equivalent of a bright smile shone on her face. "May I help you, til?" she asked in a softer, sweeter voice. "I am Balt, til," he said. "I am the new librarian."