
Part 1
Part 2
A routine bureaucratic assignment quickly turns into a lively lesson in interstellar diplomacy when a seasoned administrator is left in charge of a massive student exchange program. The exchange is meant to channel the aggressive tendencies of a war‑prone alien faction into peaceful cultural study, sending thousands of their youths to a modest industrial world known for its honest labor and simple comforts.
When a boisterous farmer from the distant planet Lovenbroy arrives with a quirky agricultural dilemma—a wine‑vine harvest that only matures every dozen years—our protagonist must balance the mundane with the political. The encounter reveals the absurdities of galactic paperwork, the charm of alien customs, and the subtle art of keeping peace while navigating eccentric personalities. Listeners will be drawn into a witty, character‑driven tale that blends humor with a thoughtful look at how cultural exchange can reshape even the most hardened societies.
Language
en
Duration
~38 minutes (37K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Jan 28, 2020
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1925–1993
Best known for the sharp satire of his Retief stories and the giant war machines of the Bolo series, this American science fiction writer brought a rare mix of military action, wit, and political savvy to his fiction. Before writing full time, he served in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Foreign Service, experiences that gave his adventures an unusually grounded edge.
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