"And with ingrained racial conditioning, you couldn't respond to a
thin, sallow alien."
"I don't know," she said hesitantly.
"I do!" Mel said. "The oldest story in science fiction; it's true; I
can't write it."
"Why not?"
"No editor in right or wrong mind would buy the beautiful Earth damsel,
after whom lusts the Monster from Venus--"
Frank snapped: "He isn't a monster! And his manners are better than many
writers' I could name ..."
Her voice trailed off with awareness of Mel's tiny smile--a smile that
widened. He pulled her toward the door. "What a story! We'll hold the
wedding in a Turkish Bath."
Alone, I sighed, comfortable again after three years. I was grateful to
the GG, and would do anything, within limits, for them. Yet, my newly
adopted planet needed protection. Babes in the woods, they'd be torn to
pieces outside.
Fortunately, the GG didn't know my meaning of "policeman", my home's
highest order of intellect. I'd assure the group finally getting
anti-gravity and use of planetary lines of force. But not the hyperspace
drive, not for a good long while.
I certainly couldn't destroy the GG's confidence. I couldn't hurt them.
They were so sure about me--so sure they were never wrong. How could I
explain I'd been looking for a decent, habitable planet like Venus to
discharge my captive, that I was from another galaxy?