Eric Frank Russell (1905-1978) was born today, January 6. His work primarily featured government bureaucracies getting their comeuppance. Tonight’s tale, “Into Your Tent I’ll Creep” is a brief story of an expedition from Altair making contact with Earth. They want to form an alliance because humanity is the only species they’ve encountered that has attained space travel.

But there’s one member of the expedition who has developed a form of telepathy that allows him to read the minds of the dominant life form on Earth. And it isn’t mankind.

To say more would spoil the twist.

“Into Your Tent I’ll Creep” was first published in the September 1957 issue of Astounding. It is currently available in Major Ingredients, a large hardcover collection from NESFA Press. The Best of Eric Frank Russell contains the story, and used  copies are available online for a lower price. Russell’s short fiction isn’t currently in print in electronic format.