The letter came down the slot too early that morning to bethe regular mail run. Pete Greenwood eyed the New Phillyphotocancel with a dreadful premonition. The letter said:
Peter:
Can you come East chop-chop, urgent?
Grdznth problem getting to be a PRoblem, need
expert icebox salesman to get gators out of hair fast.
Yes? Math boys hot on this, citizens not so hot.
Please come.
Tommy
Pete tossed the letter down the gulper with a sigh. He hadlost a bet to himself because it had come three days later thanhe expected, but it had come all the same, just as it always didwhen Tommy Heinz got himself into a hole.
Not that he didn't like Tommy. Tommy was a good PR-man,as PR-men go. He just didn't know his own depth. PRoblemin a beady Grdznth eye! What Tommy needed right now wasa Bazooka Battalion, not a PR-man. Pete settled back inthe Eastbound Rocketjet with a sigh of resignation.
He was just dozing off when the fat lady up the aisle let outa scream. A huge reptilian head had materialized out of nowhereand was hanging in air, peering about uncertainly. Ascaly green body followed, four feet away, complete with longrazor talons, heavy hind legs, and a whiplash tail with a needleat the end. For a moment the creature floated upside down, legsthrashing. Then the head and body joined, executed a horizontalpirouette, and settled gently to the floor like an eight-footcircus balloon.
Two rows down a small boy let out a muffled howl andtried to bury himself in his mother's coat collar. An indignantwail arose from the fat lady. Someone behind Pete groanedaloud and quickly retired behind a newspaper.
The creature coughed apologetically. "Terribly sorry," hesaid in a coarse rumble. "So difficult to control, you know.Terribly sorry...." His voice trailed off as he lumbered downthe aisle toward the empty seat next to Pete.
The fat lady gasped, and an angry murmur ran up and downthe cabin. "Sit down," Pete said to the creature. "Relax. Cheerfulreception these days, eh?"
"You don't mind?" said the creature.
"Not at all." Pete tossed his briefcase on the floor. At adistance the huge beast had looked like a nightmare combinationof large alligator and small tyrannosaurus. Now, atclose range Pete could see that the "scales" were actually tinywrinkles of satiny green fur. He knew, of course, that theGrdznth were mammals—"docile, peace-loving mammals,"Tommy's PR-blasts had declared emphatically—but with oneof them sitting about a foot away Pete had to fight down awave of horror and revulsion.
The creature was most incredibly ugly. Great yellow poucheshung down below flat reptilian eyes, and a double row of longcurved teeth glittered sharply. In spite of himself Pete grippedthe seat as the Grdznth breathed at him wetly through dampnostrils.
"Misgauged?" said Pete.
The Grdznth nodded sadly. "It's horrible of me, but I justcan't help it. I always misgauge. Last time it was the chancelof St. John's Cathedral. I nearly stampeded morning prayer—"He paused to catch his breath. "What an effort. The energybarrier, you know. Frightfully hard to make the jump." Hebroke off sharply, staring out the window. "Dear me! Are wegoing east?"
"I'm afraid so, friend."
"Oh, dear. I wanted Florida."
"Well, you seem to have drifted through into the wrongairplane," said Pete. "Why Florida?"
The Grdznth looked at him reproachfully. "The Wives, ofcourse. The climate is so much better, and they mustn't bedisturbed, you know."
"Of course," said Pete. "In their condition. I'd forgotten."