James diGriz, known as “Slippery Jim”, is a former master swindler, forcibly recruited by the Special Corps, a secret police force that operates among the stars. He is bored filing records when he discovers that a small, peaceful planet, Cittanuvo, is secretly building a giant battleship of a type that vanished a thousand years ago. Disguised as an admiral, he sets off to investigate alone.
A humorous science fiction adventure, told by a hero who is as clever as he is cheeky.
Lively and ironic, this short story can be read in one sitting in the language you are learning.
