Kendell Foster Crossen

“ The garden was the biggest surprise of all. For a moment after stepping into it he could have sworn he was on the Achernarian planet. It was filled with the flowering shrubs and trees native to Achernar and the air was heavy with the scent of the blossoms. Above, it extended for the full twelve storeys. At the very top there was a transparent container in which there was a small nuclear machine creating subatomic energy. ”

“ The Vegan patrolman drew a large-barrelled gun from his holster and fired. Velmar Shonda threshed around inside a force-net that held her prisoner.
"Boy," exclaimed the young patrolman, "am I glad I saw that!"
"Saw what?" Manning asked.
"I was on patrol just above this planet," the Vegan explained, "and I was watching the visicast from here when she ran out and attacked you. I blasted down and got here as fast as I could, but I don't mind admitting I was scared she'd get away."
"Attacked me?" Manning said. "I'm afraid you've made a mistake, officer. All she did was kiss me." ”

“ But why?"
"I want to become a candidate for the Regulusian Senate seat," Manning said. "How do I go about this?"
"Why?" asked the astonished Xelia. "Tomorrow is election day. Even if you could overcome my people's antipathy to Terrans, there isn't enough time to reach all the voters. You forget that we have no visicasting system."
"I could get enough votes if I were the only candidate."
"You're going to challenge Dtilla Raishelle?"
"Something like that," Manning admitted. "Actually, whether I'm elected or not is only a by-product. How do I become a candidate?" ”

“ Whenever a Regulusian is pleased his nose blushes. Since the Regulusians are the least meddlesome race in the Galaxy, this led to Professor Horatio Schlemozel offering the facetious explanation that the Regulusians' noses blushed with pride because they weren't being thrust into anybody else's business.
The elevator stopped and the door slid noiselessly open. Manning followed Xelia Zon out onto a broad strip of concrete, brightly illumined by indirect lighting. Near the exit, there was a long, stream-lined vehicle which Manning guessed was a Regulusian car. ”

“ Manning knew he had no more than about two and a half minutes in which to act—and he'd really be out of luck if his guess was wrong. Manning began a peculiar dancing motion of his own and suppressed a grin as he caught sight of the announcer's face in the emergency booth. Manning was doing a rough imitation of an ancient Terran tribal dance he had once seen on an ancestor-film. He knew that the announcer had been gaily explaining the ceremonial dance of the Acruxian, but was being completely baffled by the prancing of his fellow Terran. ”

“ It was evident in his eye-stalks and the slight trembling of his tentacles. "That will be fine," he said. "You understand that should you survive, defeat still forces you to withdraw as a candidate?"
"Oh, I understand it," Manning said cheerfully. "Do you?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and marched toward the house. Xelia joined him when he was about half way across the garden. Out of the corner of his eye, Manning saw Velmar Shonda leave the group she was with.
"Can you walk a little faster?" he said to Xelia in an undertone. ”

“ The Alpha Actuary came out of magnidrive and dropped slowly down toward the surface of Regulus II. Manning Draco stared at the landing screen and wondered if someone had been kidding him. On the entire planet there was only one building in sight and it was a modest dwelling no larger than the average mansion anywhere in the Federation. It certainly wasn't large enough to hold the population of a planet. Besides, its architecture was pure Terran. ”

“ The advantages which evolution had granted the Achernarians had been accompanied by certain disadvantages. One had been a weakening of their many-faceted eyes, so that the Ambassador, like most of those from his planet, wore glasses. What had been gained in intelligence had been lost in physical strength; in spite of this, they were among the most ferocious of Federation citizens, the Achernarian soldiers wearing atomic-powered armor which made them almost invincible. ”

“ Manning nodded. "I was pretty sure earlier that I knew what Dtilla was up to," he said. "Now, I'm positive. I think this is about the only way to stop him safely."
"But do you know what you're getting into?" persisted Xelia. "If those blade-guns can amputate all three legs of an Acruxian at one shot, you can imagine what it will do to you. You don't even know how to use the weapon!"
"No, but I can learn tonight."
"Do you really think," Xelia asked in amazement, "that you can kill him or cripple him first?"
"I don't think anyone will be killed or crippled," Manning said lightly. ”

“ Manning said. "How is it possible for an Acruxian to run for a Regulusian office? Acrux is not even a part of the Federation."
"True," Xelia said. "We, however, still have many antiquated laws on our statute books. In the old days, no one from other planets ever came to Regulus. So our laws state that anyone who owns property on Regulus is considered a citizen and may run for political office. Dtilla Raishelle bought a house when he arrived here a month ago." ”

“ Why, they've always eaten my kind and we Achernarians are not fooled by their claim that they've given up this horrible practice. They should never have been admitted to the Federation and I'm warning you—you may report this to Terra—that my planet is fully prepared to protect its citizens. An act of aggression will not go unanswered."
"Sure," Manning said soothingly. "Say, do you have a visiscreen here?"
"Of course, I do. Do you think I'm a primitive? I'm tired of your questions, Terran. Go away. But don't forget to tell your Regulusian friends what I've said. ”

“ It is also permitted for a candidate to challenge an opposing candidate to any sort of a personal test, or duel. When this happens, the loser, if still alive, must automatically withdraw from the political race. There is no choice. You cannot refuse the challenge and a loser cannot remain a candidate."
"The Acruxian challenged you to a duel?"
"If you know anything about Acruxians, you know of their fabulous strength. I had no chance. The duel was held last night in the Shaun Arena. Dtilla Raishelle is now the only candidate for Regulusian Senator." ”

“ Manning returned politely. Glancing around, he saw Xelia and another Regulusian, who was obviously the host, going to a small stand in the garden. Manning thrust his way through the group that stood around Dtilla Raishelle. As he offered his hand, he glanced down and made sure that the same box reposed on the ground beside the Acruxian.
Dtilla reached out and coiled a tentacle about Manning's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet a political observer so astute," he said. ”

“ He led the way around the Alpha Actuary and toward a small kiosk which Manning had not previously noticed. They entered the kiosk, walked down a few steps and then into an elevator. The door closed as soon as they were in it and they lunged smoothly downward.
"Underground, eh?" Manning said. "All of your cities?"
Xelia Zon nodded. "Not only our cities, but also our farms, and every other part of our civilization."
"Protection?"
"Perhaps. More likely, tradition. We are evolved from a race which carried on its life beneath the surface of the ground, so I suppose we feel more comfortable there. ”

“ As Manning would have learned if he hadn't been so impatient to turn off the encyclotape, the inhabitants of Aldebaran Four, while also belonging to the order of Chiroptera, are evolved from the genus Desmodus rotundus, vulgarly known on Terra as the Vampire Bat. They are exclusively blood eaters, preferring the blood of primates and in modern times having a special preference for the blood of humans. For this reason, their planet had been in strict quarantine, but Velmar Shonda had somehow escaped and hid out on Regulus. ”

“ Xelia asked again.
"An Acruxian pet," Manning said. "It's native to Acrux and every Acruxian has at least one for a pet. Normally, they fill themselves with just enough air to float around. But if they're removed from Acrux, they become ravenous for air. [8] Only they can't suck up enough unless they find some sort of container with a hole about the size of its mouth. I guess these modern, air-tight rooms are perfect for them."
[8] The Heliumitis Acruxa is a small animal indigenous to the planets in the system of Acrux. It is a very simple organism, deriving all of its nourishment from air. ”

“ Manning shook his head. "According to the encyclotape, Acruxian psychology doesn't work that way. They're very apt to make some clever attempt at assassination over the slightest suspicion that you're an enemy, but if that fails—and it doesn't very often—they believe it constitutes a judgment from their gods and then they sit back and wait for you to make the next move. When you do, they're usually more than ready and they seldom fail on the second try—which then proves that the gods have changed their mind. So Dtilla is waiting to see what I intend to do. ”

“ At first, it was thought that perhaps the Acruxian had murdered them, but then some of them vanished at times when he couldn't possibly have had anything to do with them."
"Maybe they were just murdered," Manning murmured, going back to reading the reports.
"Not unless they were murdered by outsiders," Xelia said. "We have no crime of any sort on Regulus. There has never been a murder committed by a Regulusian in the history of our race."
"Really?" Manning said, momentarily interested. "No wonder you have trouble fitting into the Federation." ”

“ This was a new experience for Manning. In the past, he had always met such advances more than half way. He knew what to do when a woman said no; he'd never learned how to say no himself.
"I—I'm married," he said defensively.
"I like married men," Velmar Shonda declared. "Then, too, they are not so apt to become all squishy if there's a slight accident, and insist on marrying you."
"Er—" said Manning, which was not a brilliant beginning, but was all he could think of at the moment. Fortunately, he didn't have to think any further for Xelia Zon arrived at that moment. ”

“ The Achernarians of today are quite different from the insects my ancestors found so delectable, and we have also changed. The protein life which we still eat has been carefully bred from a type of insect found only on Regulus. It is not an intelligent form of life and might be compared to the cattle you Terrans have bred for food."
Manning nodded. As an insurance investigator he had traveled over enough of the Galaxy to be familiar with the many prejudices that existed. "The Achernarians have sent an Ambassador here, haven't they?" ”

“ Figuring n! (not to mention (n-k) and k!) is quite a chore even for Manning Draco.
"All right," Xelia said glumly, turning his car around.
To Manning's unpracticed eye, the house to which they went looked exactly like the one they had gone to the day before. Again they were met by a butler who escorted them to an elevator and when they reached the lower floor they were met by another servant who led them to a garden with piped-in sunlight. There seemed to be the same crowd there, clustered in little groups. ”

“ Xelia said, "there are several ways. Let's see...." He raised one hand to glance at the finger-time. "One method is to have a supporter declare your intention at any organized political meeting. There is one being held very shortly at the home of Brono Pia."
"Do you think Dtilla Raishelle will be there?"
"Probably. Brono Pia is one of his supporters. But—but, Manning, you can't be serious about this. You must know that no Terran has a chance against an Acruxian. Do you have a plan?" ”

“ As an independent. Because of opposition to Regulus, the only other candidate for the office is a Republocrat. A native named Xelia Zon. In order to defeat the Acruxian, you may have to do something which will help the Republocrat candidate."
Manning frowned. "So that's why you can't use the cops," he said. "It's illegal for any government official, in that capacity, to help one candidate over another."
"That's it," J. Barnaby admitted. "If we used the police, it might provide the Achernarians with enough ammunition to defeat us. ”

“ Although the dominant form in their system, the Denebians are a completely ruthless life form, especially destructive towards all form of insects. This Denebian was brought to Regulus by an Acruxian agent and kept concealed in that box. During the past few days, the Denebian was permitted no food. It was planned to turn the Denebian loose in the Achernarian Embassy here, believing that inevitably the killing of the Achernarians would be blamed on the Regulusians and cause civil war in the Federation. This—"
Suddenly there was an interruption which Manning Draco had not planned. ”