By the time the delegates from every nation, tribe, religion, class, color, and race had gathered in New York to receive the message from the stars, the majority of Earth had decided that Dameri Tass was the plenipotentiary of a super-civilization which had been viewing developments on this planet with misgivings. It was thought this other civilization had advanced greatly beyond Earth's and that the problems besetting us—social, economic, scientific—had been solved by the super-civilization. Obviously, then, Dameri Tass had come, an advisor from a benevolent and friendly people, to guide the world aright.
And nine-tenths of the population of Earth stood ready and willing to be guided. The other tenth liked things as they were and were quite convinced that the space envoy would upset their applecarts.
Viljalmar Andersen, Secretary-General of the U.N., was to introduce the space emissary. "Can you give me an idea at all of what he is like?" he asked nervously.
President McCord was as upset as the Dane. He shrugged in agitation. "I know almost as little as you do."
Sir Alfred Oxford protested, "But my dear chap, you've had him for almost two weeks. Certainly in that time—"
The President snapped back, "You probably won't believe this, but he's been asleep until yesterday. When he first arrived he told us he hadn't slept for a decal, whatever that is; so we held off our discussion with him until morning. Well—he didn't awaken in the morning, nor the next. Six days later, fearing something was wrong we woke him."
"What happened?" Sir Alfred asked.
The President showed embarrassment. "He used some rather ripe Irish profanity on us, rolled over, and went back to sleep."
Viljalmar Andersen asked, "Well, what happened yesterday?"