Gambler's World & The Yillian Way

In the vast bureaucratic morass of the Corps Diplomatique, one man refuses to play the game. Retief is a Terrestrial diplomat stationed across the galaxy, and he'd rather get things done than fill out forms in triplicate. When interstellar negotiations go sideways, and they always go sideways, Retief reaches for his wits, his swagger, and occasionally his sidearm. "Gambler's World" sends him to a planet where the locals prefer their diplomats dead or dancing, while "The Yillian Way" throws him into a war of nerves with an alien empire that communicates through insults. These are short, vicious, funny tales of a man who treats protocol as optional and bureaucracy as the real enemy. If you've ever wanted to watch a smartass outmaneuver fools with authority, Laumer is your author.