"It's wearing a spacesuit. And it's wandering all over the ship, snooping around. I caught it in the drive section and up front with the charts. I don't like it, Chief."
"No. Neither do I." I was wide awake all at once. There had been something fishy about this pet business all along and now I was suspicious. Suppose the pet were a little smarter than a cat? Suppose it was snooping around innocently enough--and actually soaking up vital secret information about the workings of a Terran spaceship?
But I didn't know what to do. My orders stressed the fact that I had to handle the Ambassador with kid gloves--but on the other hand, was I supposed to let that creature roam all over the ship?
"Get me a hookup with Home Base," I said. "And in the meantime keep an eye on that cat. Don't let it catch wise but try to follow it around. And _don't_ stop it from roaming. These aliens may be touchy about the funniest things."
I got in touch with Home Base in jig time. Commander Mahoney was the man I spoke to.
"That's why I'm calling, sir. You see--the Ambassador's pet is creeping all around the ship. It's sort of a cat but I wonder whether maybe it's doing a very neat job of spying on us."
Mahoney thought for a moment. "I suppose it would be all right to speak to the Ambassador about this and tactfully request that he keep the creature in his own quarters. But be _tactful_ about it, Martin. Remember, we don't want to offend these aliens."
It was the middle of the "night" aboard ship, so I didn't think it would be particularly tactful to call the Ambassador just then.
I waited until morning, by which time my men reported that the cat had completed its survey and had promptly returned to the Ambassador's room.
When the television came on, the Ambassador and his pet were again reclining leisurely on their bunks.
"Sorry if I'm disturbing you," I said hesitantly.
"That's quite all right. What can I do for you?"
"A matter of shipboard procedure I'd like to point out. It seems last night your pet left your cabin and explored the ship, or so some of my men reported. I'd appreciate it if you'd restrain the animal to quarters from now on. It upsets shipboard routine--and, besides, my instructions request that I keep the operating sections of the ship under security wrap."