The Duplicators / No Truce with Terra

THE DUPLICATORS by Murray Leinster THE DO-IT-YOURSELF PLANET Link Denham had spent most of his adult life trying to avoid boredom. But sometimes there can be too much adventure for any man. One morning Link awoke, battling a fierce hangover, to find himself aboard a rickety old spaceship, with a strange little man named Thistlethwaite. It seemed they were bound for an unexplored planet to collect unexplained riches. The last ship that had tried to land on Sord III, their unprepossessing destination, had been warned off at risk of destruction. And Link was about to encounter a strange welcome. First, there were the small pink piglike animals, who spoke in a surprisingly human, insultingly sarcastic manner. But the second half of the reception committee was a good deal. NO TRUCE WITH TERRA by Philip E. High From: The Shaldron Race To: The Human Race Greetings: Your presence on this planet has been noted and the reason for your visit analyzed by our instruments... We have, therefore, taken the liberty of selecting one of your party for first contact, one whom we feel is best suited to grasp the motivations of both our races and arrange for future group contacts. Peter Collard stared at the message with a cold feeling of foreboding. He felt pity for the poor devil. "Who is this selected contact?" "Ah, now," Dyson became suddenly interested in the papers on his desk. "Well, I'm sorry and all that, but, as a matter of fact, they want you.