Synopsis

A day in the office of a govenment official who makes sure that interstellar shipments will meet with acceptance from the different races that handle them.

History

First publication: Analog, March 1968

First sale of James Tiptree, Jr.

Review

Interesting that Tiptree was first published by John W. Campbell in Analog. He isn't given much credit after the 1940s, but he did publish Dune first and he bought this first story. This exhibits Tiptree’s style right out of the gate. The story is wryly humorous. If you think our world is difficult with trying to make diverse cultures and subcultures happy, try keeping multiple extraterrestrial cultures happy as products ship through their systems! A funny and enjoyable story with good characters. Recommended.