No-Risk Planet
Sam had sold life insurance to every race
in the galaxy. But on Halcyon he found a people
who not only didn’t want it—but didn’t need it!
Interstellar Hotel
Halcyon City
Halcyon
Mr. Herman Spottsworth
Interstellar Division
Terran Insurance Co.
Baltimore, Md., Earth
Dear Boss:
The natives got a big kick out of it when I told them what the name of their planet means in English. It means peaceful. From what I could gather, the first Terran to land here fifty years ago was so impressed with the balmy climate and pleasant rolling terrain and almost tideless oceans that he named the planet Halcyon. The only catch is, the natives have all the food they want and all the natural resources and just about everything. So, they have nothing to keep them occupied except fighting wars. They haven’t been able to string three peaceful years together since the beginning of recorded history here, two thousand years ago. It’s kind of like a game with them.
That being the case, I ought to establish a new record for the Interstellar Division. I’ve got to sign off now because the air-raid bell just rang. Regards to Joanie.