definitely singular, but with a tonal implication that the plural would have been more natural, and decided that a knowing wink would overdo his act. “I would have been quite satisfied to finish the cruise with her . . . her ship.” He shrugged again, and gave a deep sigh. “And then I find myself shipped out here, just because I have had contact with the Seti before, without arousing an incident, I suppose, to spend days making carefully polite inquiries to which they will make carefully impolite replies. That is all I know, except that if I had an enemy at headquarters, he could hardly have changed my plans in a way I would like less.”

That came out with a touch more force than he’d intended, but it seemed to convince the fellow that he was sincere. The man’s face did not change but he could feel a subtle lessening of tension.

“Well. I suppose I can introduce you to the Seti Commissioner of Commerce. That’s a cabinet level position in the Sek’s court. It’ll know where else you should go.”

“That would be very kind of you,” said Dupaynil. He never minded handing out meaningless courtesies to lubricate the daily work.

“Not at all,” the other said, already looking down at the pile of work on his desk. “The Commissioner’s a bigot of the worst sort, even for a Seti. If this is a plot of your worst enemy at headquarters, he’s planning to make you suffer.”

The conventions of Seti interaction with other races had been designed to place the inferior of the universe securely and obviously in that inferior position and keep them there. To Seti, the inferior of the universe included those who tampered with “Holy Luck” by medical means (especially including genetic engineering), and those too cowardly (as they put it) to gamble. Humans were known to practice genetic engineering. Many of them changed their features for mere fashion— the Seti view of makeup and hair styling. Very few wished to gamble, as Seti did, by entering a room through the Door of Honor which might, or might not,