Duke Harald dressed carefully but informally in the small three-room bachelor apartment he had taken near the Institute, and, scorning mechanical transport, set out on foot. A soldier, somehow, had to keep in training—and he had little use for the gracefully formalized and ballet like patterns that were Terran calisthenics!
His three-mile march took him down broad, tree-shadowed University Avenue to where it intersected at an angle the glitter of the fabled Martian Way. Despite himself, he paused there; fascinated anew by the brilliant, glowing spectacle of the most famous street in all the galaxy. And as he stared—like any provincial!—a stranger stepped from the colorful throng and stood before him. An out-spacer apparently, by his garb; and apparently lost, by the bewildered way in which he extended a tiny map case. Duke Harald saw—and to outward seeming ignored—the recognition signal which the other flashed to him in the Arkadian hand-language.
“Your pardon, sir,” said the stranger with a flustered smile, “but my feet seem to have been leading me in circles. I look for Kinseth Boulevard. Could you direct me?”
“Well,” said Duke Harald, taking and opening the map case, “I have but lately come to Terra myself. But perhaps I can help.”
Frowning, he studied the controls of the map’s tiny electro indexer; then reached into his belt pouch and brought forth a map case of his own.
“Your indexer is of unfamiliar make,” he grunted, comparing the two intently. “Ah yes, here we have it.”
He returned his own case to his pouch, set the pointers of the stranger’s map upon the named location, and handed it back.
“Ten thousand thanks!” exclaimed the outspacer, to which Duke Harald only inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. They parted. Duke Harald, the perfect picture of the haughty nobleman, marched off in brisk, uncompromising silence; while the stranger, half-embarrassed, called effusive gratitude after him. Nevertheless, within Duke Harald’s pouch there now rested a tiny plastic spool, wound with turn upon silvery turn of hair-fine wire!
The meal was good but informal. Apart from Duke Harald and old Count Godfrey, the ambassador, only two others were present : Terrans both, minor co-ordinators in the loosely organized government of Terra.