"That was Imry. You see, many times our agents are handicapped by the very lives they lead. In order to learn about people, one has to live with them; when our agents do this, they have to get jobs and settle down in one area. Imry picked Danson because he's a footloose artist who paints illustrations for magazines. All he had to do was snatch Danson, work a little plastic surgery on you and put you in Nick Danson's place. You then, would not be confined and could roam all over the planet without being questioned." "That's crazy," Lors told him. "I couldn't take Danson's place for the rest of my life. He was gambling on a hell of a lot." Narvi grunted. "You're a good spacer, Lors. You follow orders, even when they're dictated by a madman. When you left the ship, you _were_ Danson. You were processed so beautifully that no one could tell the difference. When you cracked up, a blow on the head, or something, must have created a temporary amnesia and you thought you _were_ Danson. We certainly had a time locating you. Anyhow, you're to go back to the ship as soon as you can. The new commander wants to talk with you." Narvi grinned slyly. "I imagine you'll want to talk to him too. It's Zark, our old friend from Thista." "Zark. Yes. I remember him." Lors stood up and paced the room in thought. He remembered grey haired, friendly Zark, but more than that, he remembered Commander Zark's beautiful, blond daughter, Jela. "I remember a lot now, Narvi. It's too bad they didn't send him sooner. Things wouldn't be so messed up." "It's not so bad." "No?" "No. You'll probably be going back to the home planet now." "I can't go back," Lors mused. "I have to stay and see this through. It's personal, now." "Personal?" Narvi was clearly puzzled. "What can be personal about a Spacer and an alien race?" He looked at his friend levelly. "I can't leave this planet, Narvi, because of Beth Danson. I'm in love with her." "Love!" Narvi exploded. CHAPTER TWELVE In the heavy silence that followed, the two men stared at one another. Lors regarded his friend with matter-of-fact calmness, but Narvi's mouth was open in astonishment. The situation wasn't covered in the manual. "Love," Narvi choked finally. "With an alien? You must be joking." "I'm serious." "That blow on the head must have been solid as a rock." Thesa just stared, without speaking. "Beth is a wonderful woman and I'm in love with her. If the blow on the head did that ... well then, I'm glad the ship cracked up." "But, Lors! She's an alien! It's like a farmer, falling in love with his stock! It's crazy! You couldn't live on this planet the rest of your life, and she couldn't live with you!" Lors shrugged. "What about Jela," Narvi demanded swiftly.