Starport. George R.r. Martin
VITAL
IMPORTANT, OF
FLIGHT ACHIEVEMENT
DESTINATION,
PARAMETERS
FUNCTION WORKING
TOP TIPS.
JUST
HUMOR US,
OKAY?
AHHHH!
HUMOR
FUNNY HA-HA.
HOKAY!
SPECIES 26,
91, AND 214
WALK INTO TAVERN
SALOON BAR.
SALOON
TENDER PROPRIETOR
SPEAKS REMARKS,
SAYING...
DID YOUR
SPORE FALL FROM
ITS BRANCH BEFORE
SUN’S ZENITH? YES!
ENJOYMENT!
THE POLICE
ARE HERE!
STEP ASIDE,
PLEASE. MOVE
ASIDE.
WHAT’S THE
PROBLEM?
WHAT THE
HELL TOOK YOU
SO LONG?
THE POLICE...
THANK YOU,
JESUS!
UH-OH.
ANGELS.
WORSE.
MAROON
CADRE.
DO YOU
CHAMPION THESE
THIEVES?
UH, YES.
WE DO. WHAT
SEEMS TO BE THE
PROBLEM?
SHE’S
CRAZY!
SHE PULLED
THAT LASER KNIFE
THINGY ON MY
HUSBAND, THEN
TRIED TO TAKE
OUR PHONE!
STILL YOUR
TONGUE, HUMAN...
OR DIE BESIDE
YOUR MATE!
YOU HEARD
HER. ARREST
THEM!
HOW
DARE
THEY?
EARTH
FIRST!
CAREFUL,
SHE’S GOT ONE
OF THEM SWORD-
STICKS!
SETTLE DOWN,
ROOKIE. NOW, DO
ME A FAVOR AND
HANDLE THE
CROWD.
WILL
EVERYBODY
JUST SHUT UP AND
CALM DOWN FOR
A MOMENT?
HI THERE,
SIR. I’M OFFICER
ERNIE MANNING. MAY
I SEE YOUR PHONE,
PLEASE?
VERY NICE.
WHERE YOU FOLKS
FROM?
I...IOWA.
WE’RE ON
VACATION...
AND HOW
CLOSE DID YOU
GET WHILE TAKING
PICTURES OF
THEM?
I...THEY’RE
SO TALL AND
COLORFUL! AND
WE’VE NEVER
SEEN...
ALIENS
BEFORE.
NO.
AH.
THERE
IT IS.
LOOKS LIKE YOU FOLKS
DIDN’T GET THROUGH YOUR
NEW-SPECIES-INTERACTION
PAMPHLET AT THE AIRPORT, HUH?
MISSED THE BIT ABOUT HOW
SERIOUSLY THESE GUYS
TAKE THEIR PERSONAL
SPACE?
DO YOU
MIND IF I ERASE
YOUR PHOTOS AND
TURN OFF YOUR
PHONE, SIR?
YES! YES, OF COURSE! WHATEVER YOU NEED, OFFICER.
THERE, I’VE
ERASED ALL
THE IMAGES. THEY
ARE TOTALLY
IRRETRIEVABLE.
IS HONOR
SATISFIED?
NO. THE
THEFT IS UNDONE,
YET THE INSULT
STILL STANDS.
TELL THE
NICE LADY
YOU’RE SORRY.
I DIDN’T...
THESE ARE
NHAR, SIR. ANGELS.
IF YOU HAD READ
YOUR PAMPHLET,
YOU’D KNOW THAT BY
STEPPING INTO HER
PATH AND TAKING THAT
UNFLATTERING PHOTO,
YOU’VE INADVERTENTLY
STOLEN HER SPACE
AND “BESMIRCHED”
HER IMAGE.
I DIDN’T
KNOW! I DIDN’T
MEAN TO...I’M SORRY!
SO SORRY. I’LL READ
THE PAMPHLET AT
THE HOTEL. I
PROMISE!
YOU HEARD
HIM. HE DIDN’T MEAN
ANYTHING. HE’S SORRY.
AND HE’S NOT EVEN
ARMED. LOOK
AT HIM!
THIS APOLOGY
IS A POOR THING,
AND YET I WILL
HEAR IT.
BUT,
SHOULD IT
HAPPEN
AGAIN...
NAH-TO!
TREASURE
THIS