Temptress of Planet Delight

Exerpt: 'When the alarm signalled the first whiff of the atmosphere of the next planet on his route, Herl Hofner stopped chinning by his strapping six-foot self and left the little gym. Slipping into the swivel chair at the desk he clipped the pile of loose papers into an empty niche at the side of the desk, spun the chair around to the instrument panel of the Krylla. Dialing with his left hand, he swept the bank for incoming signals while his right hand adjusted the microphone frequencies. 'Class M-for-Mary ship requesting permission to land. Do you have automatic beam landing device? Class M-for-Mary ship requesting permission to land. Do you have automatic beam landing?' His dial pointer swept back and forth. 'Come in, class M-for-Mary.' Herl's left hand moved to the autobeam switch. 'What band for M-for-Mary landing? What band for M-for-Mary landing?' 'Come in on seventy-three point eight, M-for-Mary. Come in on seventy-three point eight, M-for-Mary.'