O golpe do quebra-nozes por Janet Kagan .
Marianne Tedesco é a representante da Terra para o planeta Rejoicing, e o superior embaraçoso é Clarence Dogget:
Clarence Doggett was Super Plenipotentiary Representing Terra to Rejoicing and today he was dressed to live up to his extravagant title in striped silver tights and a purple silk weskit. No less than four hoops of office jangled from his belt. Marianne had, since meeting him, conceived the theory that the more stylishly outré his dress the more likely he was to say yes to the request of a subordinate. Scratch that theory
Os Rejoicers comem um tipo de madeira chamado sweetwood e também o esculpem com os dentes para fazer presentes. O feriado de Martin Luther King é, no entanto, a ideia do amigo de Marianne, Esperanza:
This time it's not my fault. This time it's Esperanza's doing. Esperanza decided, for her contribution to our round of holidays, to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. (All right—if I'd known about Martin Luther King I'd probably have suggested a celebration myself but I didn't. Look him up; you'll like him.) And she invited a handful of the Rejoicers to attend as well.
O pouco sobre o corte da cabeça é:
Marianne couldn't help but grin. She ran a hand through her pale white hair. "I've had my head shaved—that was long ago and far away—and it was intended to shame me."
"Intended to?
"I painted my naked scalp bright red and went about my business as usual. I set something of a new fashion and, in the end, it was the shaver who was—quite properly—shamed."