diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 202855 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866-h/32866-h.htm | 1968 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 0 -> 87792 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 0 -> 83243 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866.txt | 1759 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32866.zip | bin | 0 -> 30019 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
9 files changed, 3743 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32866-h.zip b/32866-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..266eac2 --- /dev/null +++ b/32866-h.zip diff --git a/32866-h/32866-h.htm b/32866-h/32866-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..45f0694 --- /dev/null +++ b/32866-h/32866-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1968 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Beyond The Thunder, by H. B. Hickey. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.linenum { + position: absolute; + top: auto; + left: 4%; +} /* poetry number */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 { + display: block; + margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 { + display: block; + margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 { + display: block; + margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beyond The Thunder, by H. B. Hickey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Beyond The Thunder + +Author: H. B. Hickey + +Release Date: June 17, 2010 [EBook #32866] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE THUNDER *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h1>BEYOND THE THUNDER</h1> + +<h2>By H. B. Hickey</h2> + +<p>[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories December +1948. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. +copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="sidenote">What was this blinding force that came out of a hole in the +sky, and was powerful enough to destroy an entire city? Case thought he +knew....</div> + + +<p>Ten thousand persons in New York looked skyward at the first rumble of +sound. The flash caught them that way, seared them to cinder, liquefied +their eyeballs, brought their vitals boiling out of the fissures of +their bodies. They were the lucky ones. The rest died slowly, their +monument the rubble which had once been a city.</p> + +<p>Of all that, Case Damon knew nothing. Rocketing up in the self-service +elevator to his new cloud-reaching apartment in San Francisco, his +thoughts were all on the girl who would be waiting for him.</p> + +<p>"She loves me, she loves me not," he said to himself. They were orchid +petals, not those of daisies, that drifted to the floor of the car.</p> + +<p>"She loves me." The last one touched the floor softly, and Case laughed.</p> + +<p>Then the doors were opening and he was racing down the hall. No more +lonely nights for him, no more hours wasted thumbing through the pages +of his little black book wondering which girl to call. Case Damon, +rocket-jockey, space-explorer, was now a married man, married to the +most beautiful girl in the world.</p> + +<p>He scooped Karin off her feet and hugged her to him. Her lips were red +velvet on his, her spun gold hair drifted around his shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Box seats for the best show in town, honey," he gloated in her ear.</p> + +<p>He fished around in his pockets with one hand while he held her against +him with the other. They'd said you couldn't get tickets for that show. +But what "they" said never stopped Case Damon, whether it was a matter +of theatre tickets, or of opening a new field on a distant airless +planet.</p> + +<p>"Turn off that telecast," he said. "I'm not interested in Interplan news +these days. From now on, Case Damon keeps his feet on terra firma."</p> + +<p>And that was the way it was going to be. His interest in the uranium on +Trehos alone should keep him and Karin in clover for the rest of their +lives. They'd have fun, they'd have kids, they'd live like normal +married people. The rest of the universe could go hang.</p> + +<p>"If you'd stop raving, I might get a word in edgewise," Karin begged.</p> + +<p>"The floor is yours. Also the walls, the building, the whole darned city +if you want it," Case laughed.</p> + +<p>"That telecast is ticking for you. Washington calling Case Damon. +Washington calling Case Damon. Since you left an hour ago it's been +calling you."</p> + +<p>"Let it call. It's my constitutional right not to answer."</p> + +<p>But his mood was changing to match Karin's. His lean, firm-jawed +features were turning serious. Tension tightened his powerful body.</p> + +<p>"It must be important, Case," Karin said. "They're using your code call. +They wouldn't do that unless it was urgent."</p> + +<p>He listened to the tick of the machine. Unless you knew, it sounded only +like the regular ticking that told the machine was in operation. But +there were little breaks here and there. It <i>was</i> for him.</p> + +<p>Three long strides took him to the machine. His deft fingers flicked +switches, brought a glow to the video tubes.</p> + +<p>"Case Damon," he said softly. "Come in, Washington."</p> + +<p>It was Cranly's face that filled the screen. But a Cranly Case barely +recognized. The man had aged ten years in the last three days. His voice +was desperate.</p> + +<p>"Good grief, man! Where've you been? Get down here fast. But fast!"</p> + +<p>"Listen, Cranly. I'm on my honeymoon. Or have you forgotten? Remember +three days ago you were best man at a wedding? Well, the fellow at the +altar was Case Damon."</p> + +<p>That should have gotten a smile out of Cranly. But it didn't. He was +even a little angry now.</p> + +<p>"This is an order, Case! I'm giving you the honor of being the first +non-official person to know about it. Supreme Emergency Mobilization and +Evacuation Order. New York was blasted out of existence an hour ago!"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>All flights grounded, the skyport in a turmoil, but that little silver +card got him and Karin through. Nobody knew yet what was going on. They +were readying for something big, but they didn't know what as yet.</p> + +<p>Case hurried Karin to his own hangar, bustled her into the small +speeder.</p> + +<p>"The fishing cabin on the Columbia, honey. Stay there! And don't worry +if you don't hear from me."</p> + +<p>He didn't even wait to see her take off. Karin would be safe enough. The +cabin was a hundred miles from any possible military objective. All he +had to do was sit tight until things were straightened out. New York +blasted! That could have been an accident. It <i>must</i> have been an +accident. The only alternative would be war. And there were no more +wars. Somebody at Supreme Council must have lost his head to issue the +E.M.E. order.</p> + +<p>Sure, that was it. Leave it to the politicos to get excited and jump out +of their skins. Below him the glistening towers of Kansas City flashed +and faded and were replaced minutes later by the towers of St. Louis. +Chicago was batting out a "clear the sky order."</p> + +<p>All three of those cities would have been gone by now if there were +really a war, Case told himself. But Cranly was no politician. And he +wasn't the kind that scared easily.</p> + +<p>It was Cranly who met him at Washington skyport. Cranly was scared, all +right. He was more frightened than he'd been the time their ship had +started to tear loose from their mooring on that moon of Jupiter. His +face was gray.</p> + +<p>"I'll fill you in as we go," he said. The official car jerked into high +speed and Cranly talked. "It was no accident. Get that straight. New +York was hit from the outside."</p> + +<p>"But how? By what? Under the Unified Council there's no one who'd have +anything to gain by war. There isn't even anyone on Earth with the power +to make war."</p> + +<p>"That's why we wanted you here. It figures to be an enemy from another +planet."</p> + +<p>"That doesn't make sense." Case swivelled around to face Cranly. "You +and I know our system as well as anyone alive. Cut out the guessing and +give me the facts."</p> + +<p>"All right. Enough people saw the thing from Jersey so that we know what +happened. They say there was a rumble like thunder. Out of a clear sky, +mind you. Then—get this—the sky seemed to open! There was a blast of +light. That's all. New York was gone."</p> + +<p>"Atom blast?"</p> + +<p>"Hardly. No mushroom cloud. Accident? No, and you'll learn why I'm so +sure shortly."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Case Damon had met some of these men before. A few others he recognized +from their pictures. The Supreme Council. They were plenty worried. +Strogoff was chewing his mustache; Vargas drummed nervously with thick +fingers. Cunningham and Osborn were pacing the floor.</p> + +<p>"Thank heaven for one thing," Osborn said. Vargas looked up at him +quickly, his dark eyes slits in his swarthy face.</p> + +<p>"For what?" Vargas asked bitterly.</p> + +<p>"That there has been no panic. Urban evacuations are proceeding +quietly."</p> + +<p>"I still think it could have been some natural phenomenon," Case +interrupted. "Even a terrific bolt of lightning."</p> + +<p>Cranly's big shoulders lifted as a recorder was wheeled into the room. +He indicated where the machine was to be set down.</p> + +<p>"We've wasted a little time in letting you make these guesses," he told +Case. "All for a reason. We want you to realize fully what sort of +weapon we are up against. Now listen to this message that was beamed +onto the Council's private line a few minutes after the blast."</p> + +<p>He went to the recorder and tripped a lever. The instrument settled to a +low whine that soon disappeared as the recording tape entered the +converter. The voice might have been in the room with them.</p> + +<p>"To the Supreme Council of the Planet Earth: What happened to New York +was only a token of what can be done to your entire planet. Our terms +are complete and unconditional surrender, to be telecast within one +week. To hasten your decision, there will be other tokens at twelve-hour +intervals."</p> + +<p>"Now you know," Cranly said heavily. "Either give up or be destroyed. +And that ultimatum from an enemy which has no compunction about +murdering ten million people to prove its power."</p> + +<p>A thousand questions jumped to Case Damon's mind. The horror of the +thing stilled most of them. He checked over possibilities quickly.</p> + +<p>"You say many people outside of New York saw the flash. What about +skyports, observatories, the fleet base on the Moon? Did they try to get +a triangulation?"</p> + +<p>"I can see why Cranly wanted you here," Vargas said, smiling faintly. +His own people had been the last to join the Unified Council. He had +held out to the last, had demanded and received concessions, but he was +considered one of the Council's ablest men.</p> + +<p>"Naturally there were attempts at fixing the source of the flash," he +continued. "Had those attempts met with success the fleet would already +be on its way."</p> + +<p>"I don't get it," Case said bluntly. "If they attempted triangulation, +they must have got it."</p> + +<p>"Precisely," Cranly interjected. "They got it. The source of the flash +was an <i>empty space</i> between Mars and Venus!"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Case was rocked back on his heels by Cranly's disclosure. This was +<i>something</i>. An enemy who loosed his blasts out of unoccupied space, who +could cut into the Council's own line at will!</p> + +<p>"What about a fast moving asteroid? That could have been gone before it +was observed."</p> + +<p>"Not a chance," Cranly said.</p> + +<p>And Cranly should know. So should the rest. Every one of them was in +charge of a department of the Earth's services. But there was that +emphasis on Mars and Venus. Strogoff interrupted that line of thought.</p> + +<p>"I say we might as well give in." Even his thick mustache drooped in +despondency. "Why have millions more killed?"</p> + +<p>"Never!" Osborn thundered.</p> + +<p>"I should hesitate to admit defeat," Vargas shrugged. "But how can we +defend ourselves?"</p> + +<p>Outside the chambers, in the corridor, Cranly gripped his friend's +shoulder hard. "That's been going on for an hour," he said, "this one +for, and that one against."</p> + +<p>"And meanwhile the fleet can't do a thing," Cranly added.</p> + +<p>"Exactly. Whoever blasted New York is doing it from an invisible base. +That's my guess. It's an invader from space. My job will be to stay here +and keep the Council from giving up. Your job is to find the base."</p> + +<p>"Are you sure the attack was from space?"</p> + +<p>"Positive."</p> + +<p>"Well," Case mused, "I've found uncharted planets, even discovered a +city on Mars that the experts said didn't exist. Maybe I can get beyond +the thunder, through a hole in the sky."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>It was night, and that was a good break. Cranly had been sure he could +hold the Council together another twelve hours. Even through a second +attack. Fine. For a job like this, Case thought, twelve hours of night +were better than twenty of daylight.</p> + +<p>He grabbed an aero-cab for the skyport. The pilot looked twice at the +silver tab, finally nodded. Case had a few minutes with his thoughts. +He'd wanted to talk to Karin, but Cranly had turned thumbs down.</p> + +<p>"You can talk to her if and when you get back," he'd said. Fine stuff +for a guy who was supposed to be enjoying a honeymoon.</p> + +<p>"Hey!" the pilot blurted, cutting into Case's thoughts. He pointed out +the window.</p> + +<p>Case saw a red streak cut through the sky toward them. A rocket ship, +and moving fast. It flashed closer. No mistake about this, it was aiming +right for them. They were a couple of dead ducks.</p> + +<p>"Look out," Case said.</p> + +<p>His big hands flung the pilot out of his seat. Case took over the +controls. A whoosh of fire swept past the cabin, missed them as Case +sent the ship into a dive.</p> + +<p>"Break out the glider chutes," he called back over his shoulder.</p> + +<p>Luckily, the pilot didn't try to argue. He was too scared. He snapped a +chute around his own shoulders, fought his way forward and got the other +one around Case. Another blast cut past the cabin, then another. The +rocket ship was using all guns now. They were over the Potomac, then +over a wooded area.</p> + +<p>"We'll jump at a hundred feet," Case yelled.</p> + +<p>A streak of flame caught the cab's right edge, and Case told himself +they'd be lucky to jump at all. The little craft was almost out of +control. His pretended spin was turning into the real thing. Keeping his +eyes glued on the plummeting altimeter, he got his left foot up and +kicked out the side window. A flash melted the dial and singed his +sleeve. One-fifty.</p> + +<p>"Go!" Case barked.</p> + +<p>The pilot's heels vanished out the window and Case banked sharply to the +right and flung himself out of the seat. Hard earth of a clearing looked +like it was going to smack him right in the face.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h3>The chute billowed out as he hit the ground, and he +pulled hard at the cords to get his footing</h3> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>Then the small chute billowed and pulled out glider wings. Case pulled +cords and dropped leftward. The cab hit the ground to his right, the +rocket ship on its tail for a final blast. He saw that, and then got his +hands in front of him and hit the ground in a rolling fall.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The pilot was a still shape near him in the gloom. Case got out of the +chute and ran to him, slid expert hands over the man, and felt the messy +pulp that had once been a face. The pilot hadn't known how to fall +properly.</p> + +<p>Case took a quick look upward. His trick hadn't worked. The rocket was +making a tight curve for a landing. Smart operators; they weren't taking +any chances. Case cursed them, whoever they were, even as he dug his +silver identification plate out of his pocket and slid it into the dead +pilot's flying jacket.</p> + +<p>Then he ran. Maybe he'd fool them. Maybe he wouldn't. They'd probably +take a few minutes to think it over. He skipped around a bush and heard +voices and the pound of running feet behind him.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>So Cranly was wrong. This wasn't strictly a space job. There was a +tie-up on Earth, and the tie-up had to be on the very inside of the +Supreme Council! Nobody else knew Case Damon was in on this deal. He +ought to head back and warn Cranly.</p> + +<p>No, that wasn't right. He had to trust Cranly to handle his end. Only +nine hours now till the next blast, and if he took time out to reach +Cranly he wouldn't ever make it. Besides, his stunt might have worked. +Why tip them off he was still alive?</p> + +<p>Brilliant headlights came up the road and Case stepped out onto the +highway. The lights came on at two hundred miles an hour, caught him and +made him blink. Then there was the hiss of automatic brakes.</p> + +<p>"Hey!" a man yelled "What if those brakes hadn't worked?"</p> + +<p>Case jerked the car door open and saw that the man was alone. A young +fellow, and plenty frightened at sight of Case's torn clothes and +scratched and dirty face.</p> + +<p>"Don't take your hands off that wheel," Case said sharply. "Head for +Washington skyport and keep your foot on the floor all the way."</p> + +<p>The young fellow's hand fell away from the dash compartment. He gulped, +nodded, and threw the car into gear. He got his foot all the way down +and kept it there. They took a sweeping curve at full speed.</p> + +<p>Washington was a dot of light, then a haze, a glare. All departments +working overtime tonight, Case thought. They hurtled toward the city, +smack toward Pennsylvania Avenue.</p> + +<p>"Slow down," Case said. "I don't want to be picked up."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The young fellow slowed down. He must be thinking he's got a desperate +character next to him, Case mused. If he only knew how desperate! The +skyport was less than a mile away now.</p> + +<p>"Take the side road around to where the hangars are," Case directed.</p> + +<p>The young fellow took the side road. They swept past the main gate, +along the ten-mile fence, slid without lights now behind the row of +hangars. The hangars looked like rows of cigars standing on end, the +ships inside them pointing up and ready to go.</p> + +<p>"This is where we get out," Case said. He shoved the driver out of the +door and followed him. His fist came up in a short arc and cracked +against a jaw-bone.</p> + +<p>"Sorry," Case told the inert figure. "I just can't take any chances."</p> + +<p>He dumped the unconscious man beside the road and then went back to the +car. Wheeling it around so it pointed back toward the main gate, he left +the motor whirring and stepped out. One hand depressed the accelerator +button, the other held the motor release.</p> + +<p>When he jumped clear, the car spurted. With lights off in the darkness +the automatic brake wouldn't work. A hundred yards down the car slowed, +swerved, hit a concrete abutment. Quite a crash, Case thought. That +ought to turn a few heads the wrong way for a while.</p> + +<p>He was at the high fence in a flash. His fingers searched for and found +crevices. Those fingers were strong as steel. They hauled Case Damon +upward and over the top. He grinned into the darkness.</p> + +<p>Men were running from the hangars toward the site of the crash. With no +incoming traffic slated, the control tower had swung all lights that +way. Somewhere a crash siren sang its song.</p> + +<p>Case dropped completely relaxed. His feet hit first as he fell forward. +His hands hit next, then his head was down between his shoulders and he +was rolling forward onto the back of his neck and then onto his feet +again. He came up running.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>It was going to be a slow start without rocket-boosters. But rockets +made light and sound. This had to be a silent takeoff.</p> + +<p>He knew his way around this tiny ship even in complete blackness. He had +designed it himself, and it was completely functional. Case Damon had +wanted no comforts; those came at the end of a journey. When there was a +race for a newly discovered ore field, it was the man who got there +first, not most comfortably, who won out.</p> + +<p>A sharp click told Case that the anti-grav was on. He was looking +through his forward visalloy plate straight up into a starlit sky. That +wasn't too good. Small as the ship was, it still would make a dark blot.</p> + +<p>His eyes roved, discovered a few wisps of cloud. He prayed them closer. +Now!</p> + +<p>This wasn't the first time he'd taken off in darkness, depending on +spring power to lift him silently out of the hangar cradle. He'd beaten +them all to Trehos only because they'd figured to catch his takeoff by +the rocket flashes. They'd figured to tail him that way, too, only by +the time the competition had found out he was gone, he'd been half way +there.</p> + +<p>Cranly hadn't called him in on this without good reason. Together, he +and Cranly had made many a rocket jaunt to distant and dangerous places. +They'd been a good team before Cranly had sought election to the +Council. Cranly was the cautious kind; but when he knew exactly where he +stood, he could move fast enough.</p> + +<p>Case slid the ship behind a cloud and felt his speed slacken. He had to +risk a short burst of the jets. The odds were against anyone seeing the +flash now.</p> + +<p>At his present low speed, it would be a while before he was out of range +of detection apparatus. He had time to wonder whether he ought to buzz +Karin on the telecast. Better not; there was always the chance his call +might be picked up.</p> + +<p>He was sorry now that he hadn't thought to shoot cross-country to get +Karin. Who knew for certain where the next blast would hit? He could +have dropped her off at the moon base.</p> + +<p>The moon was full in his vision plates now. He was close enough to tune +in their local telecast to the moon colonies. The machine was ticking +away and Case switched it onto the pitted satellite's local beam.</p> + +<p>They had the news all right, and they were making preparations for an +attack. The fleet base was assuring all colonists that it would furnish +them all possible protection.</p> + +<p>A fat lot of good that was going to do! Case had had enough time now to +think this over, and he was beginning to see the ramifications of the +thing.</p> + +<p>Someone on Earth, someone <i>inside the Council</i>, wanted to take over. But +with Earth supervision of military manufacture so thorough, he hadn't a +chance to get started. So he must have enlisted the aid of some power +from outer space.</p> + +<p>But how? And what power? And who was the traitor inside the Council?</p> + +<p>Case wasn't going at this blindly. That first question, for instance. +There had been in the last year several strange disappearances. Two +space liners from Mars to Venus had utterly vanished, without a trace. +Smaller ships, too, had never reported back. They had last been heard +from in that same area.</p> + +<p>But space liners just didn't vanish. They had equipment for any +emergency, were able to contact Earth at a moment's notice.</p> + +<p>A hole in the sky, observers of the flash had said. Between Mars and +Venus, Cranly had told him. It was beginning to add up. It was Case +Damon's job to figure the total.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Now the moon was far behind. Case looked at his watch and saw that he +was making real time. Another couple of hours was all he'd need.</p> + +<p>He got out the chart Cranly had given him, set it up alongside his own +navigation map, figured the time element and aimed his ship at a +blankness in space. He would hit that empty space at exactly the right +time.</p> + +<p>After that? Case didn't know. But he wasn't the kind to cross bridges +before he got to them.</p> + +<p>What if Cranly was the traitor within the Council? That was hard to +believe, but you could never tell what lust for power might do to a man. +Cranly wasn't the type. Yet, there was a planet to be won. They said +every man had his price. And Cranly was in charge of Earth's +intelligence services.</p> + +<p>The ticking of the telecast broke into his thoughts. There were breaks +in the steady sounds. His code call.</p> + +<p>Case switched on the video and got a blank. What the devil! +Automatically he reached for his transmitter switch. And caught himself +in the nick of time. It might be a trick to get him to reveal his +position. Instead, he turned up the audio.</p> + +<p>"Damon," a voice said. "Case Damon." It was not the same voice he had +heard in the Council chambers. This was vaguely familiar, but definitely +disguised.</p> + +<p>"Better turn back, Damon," the voice said. "You almost tricked us. Don't +let a small success go to your head. We cannot be defeated. Why +sacrifice your life for a lost cause?"</p> + +<p>"You know where you can go, brother," Case said aloud.</p> + +<p>It had been bad psychology to use on a man who had never feared death +anyway. Besides, if they were so omniscient, why bother to try to stop +him with words?</p> + +<p>The voice had tried to impress him with power. It had only succeeded in +disclosing a weakness. They didn't know where Case Damon was, and they +were worried.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Hours had become minutes, and the minutes were ticking away with the +sweep of the hand on Case's watch. Ten minutes more to go. Using +Cranly's figures and chart, he was only a thousand miles from that point +in space.</p> + +<p>He swung the ship around and cut speed, but held his hand ready at the +throttle. There might not be much time to act. And the telecast was +using his signal again. He didn't want to turn it up, but he wanted to +hear that voice again.</p> + +<p>"Damon," the voice said. "Case Damon. This is your last chance."</p> + +<p>"Change your tune," Case snarled at the instrument.</p> + +<p>But the voice was going on. "If your own life means nothing, perhaps you +value another more. Turn on your video and you will see something of +interest to you."</p> + +<p>That got him, brought him bolt upright in his seat. The voice could mean +only one thing—Karin! Somehow they had got to her!</p> + +<p>Maybe this was a trick. Only five minutes or less now. They might be +trying to distract him. But he couldn't take the chance. With fingers +that were icy cold, Case Damon flicked on the video.</p> + +<p>A wall was what he first saw. Only a wall. It was a trick. But wait. +That wall was familiar, rough, unpainted. The focus was shifting to a +section that showed a mounted fish. Now down the wall and across to a +familiar couch. The fishing cabin!</p> + +<p>"Karin!" Case blurted.</p> + +<p>Then he was mouthing incoherent curses. Her figure had been flung across +the screen, on the couch. She had put up a fight. Her face was +scratched, her blouse ripped. There was a gag in her mouth and her hands +were tied behind her.</p> + +<p>"She dies unless you turn back!" the voice said. It meant every word.</p> + +<p>Karin had guts. She was shaking her head, imploring him with her eyes +not to turn back.</p> + +<p>If he only had time to think! What did the rest of the world mean to +Case Damon? Nothing, if it was a world without Karin. Yet, she was his +own kind, this girl he had married. Were their positions reversed, it +would have been Case who shook his head. Better to die than live in a +world dominated by a murderous, merciless power.</p> + +<p>And yet, she was ... Karin. Without her there was nothing. Already +Case's hands were busy, throwing switches that would cut in the +retarding jets, swinging the responsive craft about. He had to give in. +He didn't have time to think.</p> + +<p>"All right," he started to say.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>His right hand reached out to turn on his transmitter. His lips framed +the words again. But it was too late!</p> + +<p>The video was distorting into a mass of wavy lines, the audio brought +nothing but a jumble of sound. Interference was scrambling the telecast +waves beyond hope of intelligibility. He couldn't get through. The first +rumble rose to audibility and made the ship shiver.</p> + +<p>"Too late," Case said, and was beyond cursing.</p> + +<p>Too late to turn back now. But not too late to go ahead. Air waves were +pitching the ship like a cork. He fought to control, and finally swung +back on course.</p> + +<p>Case took a last quick look at Cranly's chart, and flicked his eyes +ahead to the vision plate. Only blackness yet, but the sound was growing +and rising in pitch past the point where he could hear it. There was the +sense of enormous strain, of the tug of unbelievably powerful and +overwhelming contending forces.</p> + +<p>And then the blackness split!</p> + +<p>First, he could see only a pinpoint of light. It grew larger, widened, +spread until it became a cleft in the void. Case flung his ship forward.</p> + +<p>The last rumble of thunder was fading. He kept his eyes on that cleft in +space, knowing what would come. Yet, when it came, he was almost +blinded. A blast of light, a light so intense that it was a tangible, +solid thing, roared through the cleft and hurtled Earthward.</p> + +<p>Then the bolt was gone and the cleft was closing. The tug of forces was +growing less. He had just seconds left to reach that diminishing crack +in the blackness.</p> + +<p>Like a streak of vengeance itself, Case sent his ship across the void. +His lips moved in silent prayer. There were only seconds now. The crack +was growing smaller, and that meant his speed was not great enough. To +risk more power might blow the ship apart. But he had to get through. He +must, he must....</p> + +<p>He <i>was</i> through!</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Case was through, through the cleft and beyond the thunder. He was +hurtling out of blackness into a world of light. Frantically, he cut +down his speed, not knowing whether he was going into open space or the +side of a mountain, whether in this new world he would be going up or +down.</p> + +<p>His altimeter had switched on automatically. That was a relief. A quick +glance showed the dial at 90,000 feet. The retarding jets were slowing +his drop, and Case had time for a look at strange terrain below.</p> + +<p>From his present height, it looked like rolling country. There were +hills, valleys, a checkerboard of green and tan that might be cultivated +ground, a river.</p> + +<p>But most important of all, there was a city, a city of towers and +pinnacles more impressive than any on Earth. Three of those towers +interested Case. They stood apart, the center tower hundreds of feet +higher than the two which flanked it, and all three were like fingers +pointing directly at the place where the cleft had been.</p> + +<p>Case made decisions rapidly. He had to get the ship out of the air +before someone saw it. First, though, he'd have to make sure it would be +air he stepped into when he got out. He had a space suit in the forward +locker, but putting that on would slow him up.</p> + +<p>An intake valve hissed away. Soon, there would be something to test. +Then the hissing stopped. That was a good sign. Pressure outside the +ship was almost the same as inside. There was an atmosphere.</p> + +<p>But of what was that atmosphere composed? That was now the big question. +Case set the controls and turned to the intake tank. With the turn of a +petcock, there came another hiss. Case got out his cigarette lighter and +flicked it into flame.</p> + +<p>He held his breath as the flame wavered. The air in the ship was being +forced away from it. But the flame did not die. Case sighed with relief. +If the atmosphere supported combustion, it would support breathing.</p> + +<p>With that important question answered, Case turned to others. Where the +devil was he? He couldn't answer that, but perhaps he might discover a +clue. The telecast was one way.</p> + +<p>But the telecast had stopped ticking. Case ran the thing over the entire +frequency range and got nothing. If that was a clue, it was a negative +one.</p> + +<p>He had to think it over even as he swung the ship into a long glide for +a hill which looked like it might have a good deal of growth on it. +Coming in low, Case saw that vegetation was sparse. But there was not +another ship in these strange skies. He had to land soon.</p> + +<p>Running his eyes over the landscape below, Case discovered tall +vegetation along the base of another hill. It would have to do. He came +in low over the green, and swooped in for a landing. Luckily, this ship +could land on a handkerchief.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Strange trees, these which encircled the tiny clearing. They were all +shades of green, taller and broader than sequoias, and yet more like +ferns in the delicacy of their gigantic fronds.</p> + +<p>Case stepped through the forward hatch into a warm, humid atmosphere +that was quite comfortable. He had thought of waiting for darkness, but +there was no way of knowing whether darkness ever came to this strange +world which seemed to exist in nowhere.</p> + +<p>Too bad his compass was no good here. There seemed to be no magnetic +polarity. He'd have to trust to his sense of direction.</p> + +<p>The city Case had seen was at least fifty miles away and past a couple +of low-lying hills that hid it from sight. That made it a good hike, +even for Case Damon's long and muscular legs.</p> + +<p>And after he got there, if he got there? Case shrugged. Another bridge +to be crossed later. He hitched at his holstered gun and started moving +through the ferns.</p> + +<p>He'd have to be careful; on closer scrutiny from a low level the land +had proved to be cultivated. And that meant people about.</p> + +<p>A humming drew his eyes skyward. Huge ships of weird design were +crisscrossing the air above, obviously looking for something. Probably +himself, Case thought grimly. They must have cleared the air for that +blast. Now they're out in force. Still, there was a chance they'd +thought him one of their own pilots who'd disobeyed. He'd come in too +fast for anyone to have had a good look at his ship, he hoped.</p> + +<p>He jumped five feet at an ear-splitting roar, whipped out his gun and +had the stud under his fingertip for a quick blast. He felt foolish when +the source of the roar turned out to be a purple bird that soared up out +of the foliage overhead.</p> + +<p>There were other sounds now, from small animals that scooted about on +six legs and looked like fur-bearing armadillos. Then the ferns were +behind him, and he was out onto a road that came over the hill.</p> + +<p>Case got off the road in a hurry. Well tended fields lay on either side +of it with spaced rows of grain that was taller than he. He could walk +between the rows and be out of sight of the road.</p> + +<p>He took a few quick steps, pushed aside a stalk of grain, and tripped. +His gasp was involuntary but loud. For a second he lay still, then got +to his feet. He had tripped over a root.</p> + +<p>"Natsa!" a voice shouted. There was the thump of heavy feet behind him.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Case whirled. Just in time. A big orange-skinned man in a metallic suit +came bursting out of the next row of grain. He took one look at Case, +and reached for the holstered weapon at his side.</p> + +<p>But few men could outdraw and out-shoot Case Damon. A flash of green +played about his opponent's head. And then there was no head.</p> + +<p>"Natsa to you," Case grunted at the body.</p> + +<p>He was used to death in many forms, and it upset him not at all to +handle the body. The fellow had been about his own size. At least he +would now have a suit that wouldn't attract attention. He decided to +keep his own gun rather than trust a strange one, but he exchanged +holsters with the corpse.</p> + +<p>"Now, if only Natsa doesn't show up, I'll make tracks out of here," Case +said to himself.</p> + +<p>But the Damon luck was wearing thin. There were shouts from along the +road. More than one voice now, and all using a strange language. They +must have come over from the field across the way, Case thought.</p> + +<p>He flattened himself against the last row of stalks and took a deep +breath. With the first sight of somebody coming through the row of +grain, he stepped out and onto the road.</p> + +<p>There were three of them, all big men, and none were looking his way. By +the time their cries of consternation rose at sight of the body, Case +was across the road and into the grain on the other side.</p> + +<p>He ran until his heart began to hammer, and then he slowed to a fast +walk. When the field curved around a bend, he breathed easier.</p> + +<p>Along the road there was activity now, and the sound of vehicles moving +fast. They were looking for him. Then the field ended, and Case was in a +grove of wild fruit. Heavy brush caught at his face, but he stuck close +to the road.</p> + +<p>Voices drifted in toward him. He had to chance a look. Stretching +himself full length, Case parted thick brambles and peered out. More +men, all wearing the same metallic suits. This group was walking slowly, +munching on the same sort of fruit that grew overhead.</p> + +<p>Case thought it over. He didn't have a chance. His own tanned skin would +stand out like a sore thumb against the orange brightness of these +people.</p> + +<p>But he was not without resources. The fruit had given him an idea. It +dripped an orange liquid. If the stuff was good enough to eat, it +certainly couldn't hurt to smear a little over his face and hands!</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>When he hit the road again, Case Damon was as orange as any man he'd so +far seen in this new world. Maybe he wouldn't get away with it, but he +had to try.</p> + +<p>Vehicles sped by and nobody gave him a second glance. So far, so good. +When he passed the group he had seen from the grove without drawing +undue attention, he relaxed.</p> + +<p>A long row of chugging trucks rumbled by, apparently loaded with produce +for the city. Case looked up and a man on the back of the last one waved +and shouted to him. Case waved back and the truck slowed.</p> + +<p>He wished now that he hadn't waved. The truck had stopped, and the man +in back was waiting to give him a hand up. Too late to back down now. +Case took a short run and swung aboard and the truck moved on. The man +who'd helped him up said something.</p> + +<p>"Hmmm?" Case hummed. If this fellow made a suspicious move he'd have to +slug him.</p> + +<p>"Kanato?" the man said. It was a question. They came over the brow of a +small hill and the man pointed to the city in the distance. He was +asking if Case was bound for the city.</p> + +<p>Case bobbed his head. He was going to play dumb. He pointed at his mouth +and shook his head. His companion nodded understandingly, but wanted to +get chummy anyway. Then he looked down and saw Case's holster and +changed his mind.</p> + +<p>Small cars of a strange sort were buzzing past them, going away from the +city. They were filled with orange-skinned men carrying shoulder arms. +Probably Kanato police on their way to investigate a very recent +killing. Case gave silent thanks he had got this ride.</p> + +<p>There was a tense moment at the gate of the city. Heavily armed men +swarmed about. But produce trucks seemed to be exempt from close +scrutiny.</p> + +<p>Case's companion traded jeers and coarse laughter with the gendarmerie, +and the truck rolled on down a wide avenue. The old feud between city +dweller and rustic, Case guessed. He noticed that the citizens of Kanato +wore clothing of high lustre and fine mesh.</p> + +<p>They must be a scrappy people. Almost every male citizen carried a gun. +His own wouldn't be noticed, then.</p> + +<p>Before a huge building, the truck stopped. The end of the journey. Case +hopped off, nodded his thanks for the lift and started walking.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Those three towers were at the edge of the city. Case made his way +through a crowded square, turned down a fern-lined street and headed for +them. From behind him a light breeze came, wafting a familiar aroma to +his nostrils.</p> + +<p>Cigarette smoke! But until now he had seen nobody smoking. Acting on +impulse, Case drifted over to one side of the walk and bent as though to +tie his shoe.</p> + +<p>Men walked past. Case straightened up, got a look at the backs of their +necks, and gasped. White—as white as his own skin. These were no +inhabitants of this world, but men of his own kind!</p> + +<p>There were three of them. And now, as they finished lighting up, they +were talking plain Earth English with as little concern as though they +were strolling down the street of any Earth city.</p> + +<p>"By the time we get back, there ought to be news," one of the men said.</p> + +<p>"Yeah. That last one should have brought them around."</p> + +<p>The second voice was another surprise. It stirred memories. Somewhere, +Case had heard that coarse tone before. He thought hard.</p> + +<p>Sure, now he had it. Pete Engels, hotshot engineer cashiered out of the +space fleet and turned adventurer bum. The other two men Case didn't +know.</p> + +<p>"I'd give plenty for a look at Davisson's face now," Engels was saying. +Davisson was commander of the moon base, to which Engels had been +attached.</p> + +<p>"He's probably running around in circles," one of Engels' companions +laughed.</p> + +<p>"Yeah. And don't think he ain't number one on my list when we take +over."</p> + +<p>A sudden humming filled the air as they drew closer to the three towers, +and Case stopped listening to the conversation for a moment. The man +ahead had paused briefly, but they were now moving on.</p> + +<p>Pedestrian traffic had fallen off, Case noticed. He and the three ahead +were the only ones heading for the towers. It looked like the towers +were out of bounds for most citizens. A moment later he was certain of +that, when he saw the number of armed guards around the entrance gate.</p> + +<p>But the guards didn't stop Engels and the pair with him. They jerked +their heads in a brief greeting and walked right through the cordon. +Case paused, let them get inside the building.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Here goes, he thought. Nothing like a bold front in a spot like this. He +stepped forward briskly.</p> + +<p>But the bold front wasn't working. Hostile eyes swung his way. Fingers +came down to rest on triggers that could send death winging.</p> + +<p>Case looked up, pretended to be startled. A foolish grin spread over his +face. Would they believe he'd been day-dreaming? They would. He was +turning around and walking back the way he'd come and nobody was +stopping him.</p> + +<p>He cursed under his breath. Somehow he had to get inside that tower Pete +Engels had entered. But how?</p> + +<p>An inviting doorway yawned back along the avenue, and Case stepped +inside. He looked at his watch. A few hours left until the next blast. +He'd have to move fast.</p> + +<p>Fighting his way into the tower was absolutely out of the question. He'd +never get past the guards. Maybe not, but he was sure going to try. This +time the grin on his face was far from foolish.</p> + +<p>Case Damon had an idea, and he wasn't one to let time slip by before he +acted on it. The idea was simple, so simple it might even work.</p> + +<p>An orange dye had gotten him into Kanato. But it would never get him +into that tower. Yet, Pete Engels and his pals had walked right in. +Maybe that was one place where an Earth complexion would turn the trick.</p> + +<p>Case got out his handkerchief, spit on it a few times and started +rubbing. It was slow work, but he'd better not leave any telltale +streaks.</p> + +<p>When he came out of the doorway a few minutes later, he had left behind +him a handkerchief and as much of the dye as he could remove. Lucky he'd +always been an outdoor man. Whatever was left would be too faint to show +against his tan skin.</p> + +<p>His walk was not too slow, not too fast. His step was the step of a man +who knew he wasn't going to have any trouble. The guards looked up and +saw him coming.</p> + +<p>Case kept his head down as though in deep thought. They could see his +color, but not his face. His right hand swung close to his holster. Now +a booted foot came into his line of vision.</p> + +<p>The foot moved toward him. Case bobbed his head up and down briefly, +much as Engels had done, and kept walking. The guard hesitated, stepped +out of his way. He was through the cordon and going up through the +entrance.</p> + +<p>Then the yelling came from behind him. They had caught on.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>One leap took Case through the doorway. Over his head, a pellet burst. +They were shooting now. Somewhere in the building, a warning whistle cut +loose.</p> + +<p>He ran down a long corridor, saw figures pop out of a room ahead. But +there was a corridor running crossways. Case skidded, made a fast turn +and pounded along that one. Plenty of shouting now. It sounded like he +had an army after him.</p> + +<p>These halls were too long. He was a dead pigeon if he didn't find a +place to hide soon. There were plenty of doors, but he didn't know which +one to try. Then a series of the deadly pellets broke around him and +made up his mind. The next door was the one.</p> + +<p>It opened into a big room filled with electrical equipment. Case barged +around something that looked like a big transformer, and headed for a +door at the other end. The door swung toward him, disclosing a mass of +men.</p> + +<p>His gun was in his hand now and spitting death. But there were too many. +Their corpses blocked the doorway. He couldn't get around them.</p> + +<p>Something heavy cracked against the base of his skull and knocked him to +his knees. Half dazed, he turned and tried to fire and was buried +beneath an avalanche of charging men. The gun was knocked out of his +hand.</p> + +<p>"Hey!" A startled voice came through the roaring in Case Damon's ears. +"Hey! This guy is white!"</p> + +<p>Rough hands twisted his arms behind Case and other hands hauled him to +his feet. He shook his head to clear it and found himself facing Pete +Engels. There was instant recognition.</p> + +<p>"Case Damon. Well, I'll be! I told Yuna to warn those guards, but I +didn't really think you'd make it."</p> + +<p>"I didn't, did I?" Case said bitterly.</p> + +<p>"What is it?" A voice said from behind Engels. "What is going on?"</p> + +<p>That was in Earth English, but with a heavy accent. The voice belonged +to an orange skinned man who came through as the guards parted. This was +someone of importance, Case realized. His metallic suit gleamed with the +lustre of spun gold, and it filled his big body as though it had been +moulded to it.</p> + +<p>"Meet Case Damon," Engels said with mock ceremony. "Damon, this is Yuna, +ruler of Kanato and soon to be half ruler of the Earth."</p> + +<p>Haughty yellow eyes flashed at Engels and stilled his tongue. Then the +eyes swung back to Case and gave him a thorough scrutiny.</p> + +<p>"So this is the one of whom we were warned," Yuna said. "I can see why +the Earthlings do not surrender so quickly."</p> + +<p>"They'll surrender all right," Engels snarled.</p> + +<p>Case saw an opening and lashed out with his foot. The kick caught Engels +low in the belly and drew a yell of pain. A fist thudded against Case's +jaw.</p> + +<p>"You rat," Case said through drawn lips. "You'd sell out your own +mother."</p> + +<p>"For the right price," Engels admitted, cheerfully. He turned to Yuna. +"What'll we do with him?"</p> + +<p>"Put him with the rest. We can dispose of them later."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>As a cell it was not too bad. But there was a stench that was +nauseating. Case adjusted his eyes to the gloom and looked about.</p> + +<p>There were bunks along one wall, a few of them occupied. With the +shutting of the door behind Case, men stirred. Two thin legs swung over +the top of a bunk, followed by an equally thin body.</p> + +<p>"Take your gloating elsewhere, Engels," a sharp voice said.</p> + +<p>"The name is not Engels. It's Case Damon."</p> + +<p>"Huh?"</p> + +<p>There were more legs now, four pairs. Men were spluttering excitedly. +Thin bodies slid out of bunks and feet came toward Case. There was one +man he knew, Burnine, the pilot of the Mars-Venus liner which had +vanished.</p> + +<p>"Case Damon! I knew sooner or later someone would get through."</p> + +<p>"Don't let your hopes run away with you," Case said. "I'm the only one, +and it looks like I'll be the last."</p> + +<p>Burnine was crying, definitely and without shame. He fought to bring +himself under control.</p> + +<p>"They're going to get away with it," he said, brokenly. Long +imprisonment had broken him down.</p> + +<p>"Maybe," Case said. "It all depends on what the chances are of getting +out of this cell before the next blast. The Council hasn't given up +yet."</p> + +<p>"I know. But that humming means they're building up voltage for the next +shot. It won't be long."</p> + +<p>"How do you know?"</p> + +<p>"Engels. He comes down here every couple of days to tell us we're chumps +for not coming over to his side. Meanwhile, we've learned what goes on. +In a year you can learn a lot if you keep your ears open."</p> + +<p>"A year," Case mused. "Since those liners disappeared."</p> + +<p>"Yeah. Engels and his pals were on the one I was piloting. They stuck +guns in our ribs and took over and brought us here."</p> + +<p>"There are a couple of things I've got to know," Case said. "First, what +kind of weapon are they using? Second, where are we?"</p> + +<p>"I can't quite answer the first. And I don't know exactly where we are, +but I know how we got here. Maybe that will help.</p> + +<p>"It seems that someone on Earth was experimenting with a new force. He +discovered that he could put a crack in the curvature of space. Once he +got through that crack and found Yuna, he realized that with this weapon +of Yuna's he could take over the Earth. I don't know who this person is, +but Engels is working for him. So are a lot of other people."</p> + +<p>"What about these towers?"</p> + +<p>"They work automatically. Two of them contain the apparatus for building +up energy. The blast is fired from this one. It's all timed to fit with +the machine on Earth. That's why it takes exactly twelve hours."</p> + +<p>"Do you know where the main works are?"</p> + +<p>"On the level below this one. But what's the difference? We'll never get +out of here."</p> + +<p>"Maybe not. But we can sure try. Are you game?"</p> + +<p>Burnine stared at him, looked around at the other three. Their thin +shoulders had lost some of the sag. A spark had been kindled in their +eyes.</p> + +<p>"What can we lose?" Burnine said.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>They could tell when Engels started down the corridor outside their +cell. His feet made a heavy sound. There were several guards with him.</p> + +<p>"What do you guys want?" Engels shouted through the door.</p> + +<p>"I've got a message for your boss," Case shouted back.</p> + +<p>"Go ahead. I can hear you."</p> + +<p>"It's in writing," Case called.</p> + +<p>Engels laughed sourly. "This better not be a trick. You're a dead tomato +if it is. Back away from the door."</p> + +<p>He came through, closely followed by four guards. All of them carried +guns in their hands, but when they saw Case in the middle of the room +with the men behind him, they put up the weapons and moved forward.</p> + +<p>"Where is it?" Engels asked.</p> + +<p>"Here." Case put his hand out and Engels reached.</p> + +<p>Too late, Engels and the guards realized that there were only three men +behind Case. From behind the open door, Burnine's frail body hurtled and +crashed into the guards, knocking them off balance.</p> + +<p>Engels was thrown forward, his chin meeting Case's fist on its way +upward. There was the crack of a neck breaking. Case had put all his +strength into that punch.</p> + +<p>Burnine kicked at a guard's head, dropped down to one knee and came up +with a gun. The other guards didn't have a chance. Burnine peppered them +with pellets that ate away flesh wherever they hit.</p> + +<p>"Let's go," Case snapped. "You take the lead. And don't stop to argue if +anyone gets in our way."</p> + +<p>Then they were racing down the long corridor toward a heavy door at the +end. A pair of guards looked up and saw them coming and died before +their hands could reach their guns. Case paused to pick up a heavy +weapon that leaned against a wall.</p> + +<p>Another guard stuck his head out of a side room and popped it back in. +Within a second, warning whistles pierced the air. But over the whistles +Case could still hear a hum.</p> + +<p>"Not much time," Burnine panted. He was completely winded.</p> + +<p>A stairway made a dark opening and they plunged downward through it. The +sound of motors pounded up toward them. They were in darkness for long +minutes. And then the darkness gave way to light and they were racing +into a vast chamber filled with scurrying men.</p> + +<p>Case brought up the heavy gun he was carrying, triggered it and was +gratified by the streak of flame that issued from the muzzle. But other +guns were popping steadily. Behind Case, a man went down.</p> + +<p>There was a sharpshooter behind a bank of instruments, and Case took +steady aim. The sharpshooter dropped. Meanwhile, Burnine and the other +two had not been idle. They had both flanks cleared.</p> + +<p>"This is it," Burnine gasped. "Good thing Engels liked to brag. That big +panel is the converter."</p> + +<p>He reached out a bony hand for a maze of wires, but Case stopped him.</p> + +<p>"Wait. We don't want to do just a temporary job. And we don't want to +die here either. There's a debt I've got to settle on Earth. What are +our chances of getting a ship?"</p> + +<p>"Not much," Burnine told him. "The liner we came in is in a hangar +beyond the last tower."</p> + +<p>"Close enough," Case snapped. "You four watch the doors. They've got a +tank of atomic fuel here, and if I know my stuff I ought to be able to +rig up something that will do a permanent job on this installation."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Only two of them came up out of the lower level—Burnine and Case Damon. +Behind them, they left a pile of corpses. Burnine was kept going by +sheer strength of will, lugging a shoulder gun that weighed half as much +as he.</p> + +<p>The corridor on the main level was packed with armed men, but they +cleared it by keeping a blast of fire always before them. Men melted +away into side rooms, slid down intersecting halls. But at the entrance, +the big door was closed.</p> + +<p>"Looks like we're stuck," Burnine grunted. "We can't burn our way +through that. And if we move, we'll have a hundred men popping out again +behind our backs."</p> + +<p>"We'll try one of these rooms back here," Case said. "Always the chance +of it having a window."</p> + +<p>The first room they tried was a blank. So were the next couple. While +Case kept the corridor cleared, Burnine stuck his head inside and +investigated.</p> + +<p>"This one," he said at his fourth try. "Bars on the window, but maybe we +can burn them off. Looks like a council room."</p> + +<p>They darted inside, slammed the door behind them. Outside there was the +pounding of many feet. While Burnine watched the door, Case turned his +fire on the barred windows.</p> + +<p>One of the bars turned red, glowed bright and started to melt. But it +was going to be a long job. And they hadn't much time now. Case snatched +a quick look at his watch and saw there was but an hour left.</p> + +<p>"Damon!" That was from the corridor. Yuna's voice. Too calm, Case +thought. Yuma had a card up his sleeve. "Better give up!"</p> + +<p>"Make us," Case called.</p> + +<p>"There is a telecast machine in the room," came the reply. "Turn it on."</p> + +<p>Yuna wasn't just wasting time. He knew something. Case hesitated, looked +around and sighted the machine. It was the familiar kind, but with an +unfamiliar attachment. He fiddled with it, got it going.</p> + +<p>"Damon," said a voice he remembered but could not identify. "Turn up the +video."</p> + +<p>There was a threat in the words. But Case Damon was beyond being +frightened. He had nothing to lose. Only curiosity made him flick the +switch.</p> + +<p>There was that room again, with its unpainted walls. There was the +couch. And there was Karin!</p> + +<p>"We decided to save her on the chance you'd get through," said the +voice. A moment later, a man walked into view.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>It was Vargas. Somehow, Case was not surprised. It all made sense. +Vargas had not wanted to join the Council. He'd held out for +concessions, and those concessions had included a certain freedom from +supervision of his country.</p> + +<p>"Listen," Vargas said. "It is possible you have managed to do some harm +there. If so, undo it at once."</p> + +<p>His hand dipped into his pocket and came out with a gun. He calmly +pointed it at Karin's head. With a sinking heart, Case realized that +this time there would be no interference, this time Vargas would go +through with it.</p> + +<p>"All right," Case said. "You win."</p> + +<p>He turned away from the video, and swung his gun around at Burnine. He +hated to do this, but it had to be done. His eyes avoided Burnine's as +he said:</p> + +<p>"Open that door."</p> + +<p>But before Burnine could comply with the order, there was a shout from +the machine. Case whirled, startled. The room in the fishing cabin had +erupted into a maelstrom of struggling men. He saw Vargas go down, +smothered by blue-jacketed men of Earth Intelligence.</p> + +<p>And then there was Cranly, his broad back bent over Karin's figure on +the couch. He straightened with a length of rope in his hands. She was +free. Cranly turned and his face filled the screen.</p> + +<p>"Nice going, Case. I had a hunch Vargas was behind this, but I couldn't +move until I had him dead to rights. But it was you who helped me to +fight the Council for the time I needed."</p> + +<p>"How much time have I got?" Case wanted to know.</p> + +<p>"Not much. The Council can't take a chance on having another city +blasted. Within fifteen minutes they will destroy the machine Vargas +built."</p> + +<p>"That's time enough," Case said. "Give me a look at Karin."</p> + +<p>He got his look, and then turned to Burnine. Yuna and his men had got +the news elsewhere, apparently, for they were hammering at the door. But +the lock was holding.</p> + +<p>Together now, Case and Burnine turned their guns on the bars of the +window. It went faster now. One bar melted away, another, still another. +There was room enough for Burnine, then room enough for Case's broad +shoulders.</p> + +<p>They dropped through and hit the ground, running. With Burnine leading +the way and Case keeping him covered from behind, they raced around the +edge of the tower, cut down a pair of surprised guards who weren't +expecting them here, and skirted the outside tower.</p> + +<p>Then the hangars were only yards away and they were sprinting toward +them. Now there were no more men to block their way. Only time was the +enemy.</p> + +<p>And time ticked away on Case's watch as he and Burnine strapped +themselves into their seats. Five minutes was all the time they could +hope for. With his own ship that would have been enough, but this space +liner was not built for speed.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Case had deliberately spoken with more confidence than he'd felt. If +that was to be his last look at Karin, he'd wanted her to have a smile +on her face.</p> + +<p>"All set," Burnine said. His skin was drawn tight over the long bones in +his face.</p> + +<p>They took off with all jets wide open. From stem to stern, the big liner +shuddered. Even with all power on, they lifted slowly. From overhead, a +small attack ship flashed in. Fire darted at them, slid harmlessly off +the liner's duralloy plates.</p> + +<p>"Wish that was our biggest worry," Case said. He could still grin +weakly.</p> + +<p>Now their speed was mounting steadily. The altimeter climbed past 60,000 +and kept going. Case kept his eyes glued to the vision plate.</p> + +<p>Now was the time. Thunder rumbled, roared in their ears. Far, far below +and behind them there was another roar. Then came the single blinding +flash that spelled the end of Kanato, and afterward a billowing mushroom +cloud. It was the end of Yuna and his devilish weapon.</p> + +<p>Over them, in the heart of the brightness, there was a black speck. It +grew larger as they roared toward it. It was a black cleft in the azure. +Case flashed a desperate glance at his watch. Seconds left, that was +all.</p> + +<p>With a prayer in their hearts, and with all jets blazing, they aimed for +the blackness. It grew smaller, almost too small. There was a rumble of +thunder. And they were through, into a black sky dotted with a myriad of +stars.</p> + +<p>Case reached up and flicked on the liner's telecast. It warmed up +slowly, first the click coming through, and then the audio. Last of all, +and best of all, the video.</p> + +<p>Karin's face filled the screen. She was smiling, none the worse for her +experience. Her hair was in disorder but it still looked like spun gold +to Case. He could almost taste those velvety lips.</p> + +<p>"Be with you soon, honey," Case said. "We've got a honeymoon to finish."</p> + +<p>Her face beckoned him Earthward.</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Beyond The Thunder, by H. B. Hickey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE THUNDER *** + +***** This file should be named 32866-h.htm or 32866-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/8/6/32866/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/32866-h/images/cover.jpg b/32866-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c90bfae --- /dev/null +++ b/32866-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/32866-h/images/illus.jpg b/32866-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..19aa754 --- /dev/null +++ b/32866-h/images/illus.jpg diff --git a/32866.txt b/32866.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2bd71bf --- /dev/null +++ b/32866.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1759 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beyond The Thunder, by H. B. Hickey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Beyond The Thunder + +Author: H. B. Hickey + +Release Date: June 17, 2010 [EBook #32866] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE THUNDER *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + BEYOND THE THUNDER + + By H. B. Hickey + +[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories December +1948. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. +copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + +[Sidenote: What was this blinding force that came out of a hole in the +sky, and was powerful enough to destroy an entire city? Case thought he +knew....] + + +Ten thousand persons in New York looked skyward at the first rumble of +sound. The flash caught them that way, seared them to cinder, liquefied +their eyeballs, brought their vitals boiling out of the fissures of +their bodies. They were the lucky ones. The rest died slowly, their +monument the rubble which had once been a city. + +Of all that, Case Damon knew nothing. Rocketing up in the self-service +elevator to his new cloud-reaching apartment in San Francisco, his +thoughts were all on the girl who would be waiting for him. + +"She loves me, she loves me not," he said to himself. They were orchid +petals, not those of daisies, that drifted to the floor of the car. + +"She loves me." The last one touched the floor softly, and Case laughed. + +Then the doors were opening and he was racing down the hall. No more +lonely nights for him, no more hours wasted thumbing through the pages +of his little black book wondering which girl to call. Case Damon, +rocket-jockey, space-explorer, was now a married man, married to the +most beautiful girl in the world. + +He scooped Karin off her feet and hugged her to him. Her lips were red +velvet on his, her spun gold hair drifted around his shoulders. + +"Box seats for the best show in town, honey," he gloated in her ear. + +He fished around in his pockets with one hand while he held her against +him with the other. They'd said you couldn't get tickets for that show. +But what "they" said never stopped Case Damon, whether it was a matter +of theatre tickets, or of opening a new field on a distant airless +planet. + +"Turn off that telecast," he said. "I'm not interested in Interplan news +these days. From now on, Case Damon keeps his feet on terra firma." + +And that was the way it was going to be. His interest in the uranium on +Trehos alone should keep him and Karin in clover for the rest of their +lives. They'd have fun, they'd have kids, they'd live like normal +married people. The rest of the universe could go hang. + +"If you'd stop raving, I might get a word in edgewise," Karin begged. + +"The floor is yours. Also the walls, the building, the whole darned city +if you want it," Case laughed. + +"That telecast is ticking for you. Washington calling Case Damon. +Washington calling Case Damon. Since you left an hour ago it's been +calling you." + +"Let it call. It's my constitutional right not to answer." + +But his mood was changing to match Karin's. His lean, firm-jawed +features were turning serious. Tension tightened his powerful body. + +"It must be important, Case," Karin said. "They're using your code call. +They wouldn't do that unless it was urgent." + +He listened to the tick of the machine. Unless you knew, it sounded only +like the regular ticking that told the machine was in operation. But +there were little breaks here and there. It _was_ for him. + +Three long strides took him to the machine. His deft fingers flicked +switches, brought a glow to the video tubes. + +"Case Damon," he said softly. "Come in, Washington." + +It was Cranly's face that filled the screen. But a Cranly Case barely +recognized. The man had aged ten years in the last three days. His voice +was desperate. + +"Good grief, man! Where've you been? Get down here fast. But fast!" + +"Listen, Cranly. I'm on my honeymoon. Or have you forgotten? Remember +three days ago you were best man at a wedding? Well, the fellow at the +altar was Case Damon." + +That should have gotten a smile out of Cranly. But it didn't. He was +even a little angry now. + +"This is an order, Case! I'm giving you the honor of being the first +non-official person to know about it. Supreme Emergency Mobilization and +Evacuation Order. New York was blasted out of existence an hour ago!" + + * * * * * + +All flights grounded, the skyport in a turmoil, but that little silver +card got him and Karin through. Nobody knew yet what was going on. They +were readying for something big, but they didn't know what as yet. + +Case hurried Karin to his own hangar, bustled her into the small +speeder. + +"The fishing cabin on the Columbia, honey. Stay there! And don't worry +if you don't hear from me." + +He didn't even wait to see her take off. Karin would be safe enough. The +cabin was a hundred miles from any possible military objective. All he +had to do was sit tight until things were straightened out. New York +blasted! That could have been an accident. It _must_ have been an +accident. The only alternative would be war. And there were no more +wars. Somebody at Supreme Council must have lost his head to issue the +E.M.E. order. + +Sure, that was it. Leave it to the politicos to get excited and jump out +of their skins. Below him the glistening towers of Kansas City flashed +and faded and were replaced minutes later by the towers of St. Louis. +Chicago was batting out a "clear the sky order." + +All three of those cities would have been gone by now if there were +really a war, Case told himself. But Cranly was no politician. And he +wasn't the kind that scared easily. + +It was Cranly who met him at Washington skyport. Cranly was scared, all +right. He was more frightened than he'd been the time their ship had +started to tear loose from their mooring on that moon of Jupiter. His +face was gray. + +"I'll fill you in as we go," he said. The official car jerked into high +speed and Cranly talked. "It was no accident. Get that straight. New +York was hit from the outside." + +"But how? By what? Under the Unified Council there's no one who'd have +anything to gain by war. There isn't even anyone on Earth with the power +to make war." + +"That's why we wanted you here. It figures to be an enemy from another +planet." + +"That doesn't make sense." Case swivelled around to face Cranly. "You +and I know our system as well as anyone alive. Cut out the guessing and +give me the facts." + +"All right. Enough people saw the thing from Jersey so that we know what +happened. They say there was a rumble like thunder. Out of a clear sky, +mind you. Then--get this--the sky seemed to open! There was a blast of +light. That's all. New York was gone." + +"Atom blast?" + +"Hardly. No mushroom cloud. Accident? No, and you'll learn why I'm so +sure shortly." + + * * * * * + +Case Damon had met some of these men before. A few others he recognized +from their pictures. The Supreme Council. They were plenty worried. +Strogoff was chewing his mustache; Vargas drummed nervously with thick +fingers. Cunningham and Osborn were pacing the floor. + +"Thank heaven for one thing," Osborn said. Vargas looked up at him +quickly, his dark eyes slits in his swarthy face. + +"For what?" Vargas asked bitterly. + +"That there has been no panic. Urban evacuations are proceeding +quietly." + +"I still think it could have been some natural phenomenon," Case +interrupted. "Even a terrific bolt of lightning." + +Cranly's big shoulders lifted as a recorder was wheeled into the room. +He indicated where the machine was to be set down. + +"We've wasted a little time in letting you make these guesses," he told +Case. "All for a reason. We want you to realize fully what sort of +weapon we are up against. Now listen to this message that was beamed +onto the Council's private line a few minutes after the blast." + +He went to the recorder and tripped a lever. The instrument settled to a +low whine that soon disappeared as the recording tape entered the +converter. The voice might have been in the room with them. + +"To the Supreme Council of the Planet Earth: What happened to New York +was only a token of what can be done to your entire planet. Our terms +are complete and unconditional surrender, to be telecast within one +week. To hasten your decision, there will be other tokens at twelve-hour +intervals." + +"Now you know," Cranly said heavily. "Either give up or be destroyed. +And that ultimatum from an enemy which has no compunction about +murdering ten million people to prove its power." + +A thousand questions jumped to Case Damon's mind. The horror of the +thing stilled most of them. He checked over possibilities quickly. + +"You say many people outside of New York saw the flash. What about +skyports, observatories, the fleet base on the Moon? Did they try to get +a triangulation?" + +"I can see why Cranly wanted you here," Vargas said, smiling faintly. +His own people had been the last to join the Unified Council. He had +held out to the last, had demanded and received concessions, but he was +considered one of the Council's ablest men. + +"Naturally there were attempts at fixing the source of the flash," he +continued. "Had those attempts met with success the fleet would already +be on its way." + +"I don't get it," Case said bluntly. "If they attempted triangulation, +they must have got it." + +"Precisely," Cranly interjected. "They got it. The source of the flash +was an _empty space_ between Mars and Venus!" + + * * * * * + +Case was rocked back on his heels by Cranly's disclosure. This was +_something_. An enemy who loosed his blasts out of unoccupied space, who +could cut into the Council's own line at will! + +"What about a fast moving asteroid? That could have been gone before it +was observed." + +"Not a chance," Cranly said. + +And Cranly should know. So should the rest. Every one of them was in +charge of a department of the Earth's services. But there was that +emphasis on Mars and Venus. Strogoff interrupted that line of thought. + +"I say we might as well give in." Even his thick mustache drooped in +despondency. "Why have millions more killed?" + +"Never!" Osborn thundered. + +"I should hesitate to admit defeat," Vargas shrugged. "But how can we +defend ourselves?" + +Outside the chambers, in the corridor, Cranly gripped his friend's +shoulder hard. "That's been going on for an hour," he said, "this one +for, and that one against." + +"And meanwhile the fleet can't do a thing," Cranly added. + +"Exactly. Whoever blasted New York is doing it from an invisible base. +That's my guess. It's an invader from space. My job will be to stay here +and keep the Council from giving up. Your job is to find the base." + +"Are you sure the attack was from space?" + +"Positive." + +"Well," Case mused, "I've found uncharted planets, even discovered a +city on Mars that the experts said didn't exist. Maybe I can get beyond +the thunder, through a hole in the sky." + + * * * * * + +It was night, and that was a good break. Cranly had been sure he could +hold the Council together another twelve hours. Even through a second +attack. Fine. For a job like this, Case thought, twelve hours of night +were better than twenty of daylight. + +He grabbed an aero-cab for the skyport. The pilot looked twice at the +silver tab, finally nodded. Case had a few minutes with his thoughts. +He'd wanted to talk to Karin, but Cranly had turned thumbs down. + +"You can talk to her if and when you get back," he'd said. Fine stuff +for a guy who was supposed to be enjoying a honeymoon. + +"Hey!" the pilot blurted, cutting into Case's thoughts. He pointed out +the window. + +Case saw a red streak cut through the sky toward them. A rocket ship, +and moving fast. It flashed closer. No mistake about this, it was aiming +right for them. They were a couple of dead ducks. + +"Look out," Case said. + +His big hands flung the pilot out of his seat. Case took over the +controls. A whoosh of fire swept past the cabin, missed them as Case +sent the ship into a dive. + +"Break out the glider chutes," he called back over his shoulder. + +Luckily, the pilot didn't try to argue. He was too scared. He snapped a +chute around his own shoulders, fought his way forward and got the other +one around Case. Another blast cut past the cabin, then another. The +rocket ship was using all guns now. They were over the Potomac, then +over a wooded area. + +"We'll jump at a hundred feet," Case yelled. + +A streak of flame caught the cab's right edge, and Case told himself +they'd be lucky to jump at all. The little craft was almost out of +control. His pretended spin was turning into the real thing. Keeping his +eyes glued on the plummeting altimeter, he got his left foot up and +kicked out the side window. A flash melted the dial and singed his +sleeve. One-fifty. + +"Go!" Case barked. + +The pilot's heels vanished out the window and Case banked sharply to the +right and flung himself out of the seat. Hard earth of a clearing looked +like it was going to smack him right in the face. + +[Illustration: The chute billowed out as he hit the ground, and he +pulled hard at the cords to get his footing] + +Then the small chute billowed and pulled out glider wings. Case pulled +cords and dropped leftward. The cab hit the ground to his right, the +rocket ship on its tail for a final blast. He saw that, and then got his +hands in front of him and hit the ground in a rolling fall. + + * * * * * + +The pilot was a still shape near him in the gloom. Case got out of the +chute and ran to him, slid expert hands over the man, and felt the messy +pulp that had once been a face. The pilot hadn't known how to fall +properly. + +Case took a quick look upward. His trick hadn't worked. The rocket was +making a tight curve for a landing. Smart operators; they weren't taking +any chances. Case cursed them, whoever they were, even as he dug his +silver identification plate out of his pocket and slid it into the dead +pilot's flying jacket. + +Then he ran. Maybe he'd fool them. Maybe he wouldn't. They'd probably +take a few minutes to think it over. He skipped around a bush and heard +voices and the pound of running feet behind him. + + * * * * * + +So Cranly was wrong. This wasn't strictly a space job. There was a +tie-up on Earth, and the tie-up had to be on the very inside of the +Supreme Council! Nobody else knew Case Damon was in on this deal. He +ought to head back and warn Cranly. + +No, that wasn't right. He had to trust Cranly to handle his end. Only +nine hours now till the next blast, and if he took time out to reach +Cranly he wouldn't ever make it. Besides, his stunt might have worked. +Why tip them off he was still alive? + +Brilliant headlights came up the road and Case stepped out onto the +highway. The lights came on at two hundred miles an hour, caught him and +made him blink. Then there was the hiss of automatic brakes. + +"Hey!" a man yelled "What if those brakes hadn't worked?" + +Case jerked the car door open and saw that the man was alone. A young +fellow, and plenty frightened at sight of Case's torn clothes and +scratched and dirty face. + +"Don't take your hands off that wheel," Case said sharply. "Head for +Washington skyport and keep your foot on the floor all the way." + +The young fellow's hand fell away from the dash compartment. He gulped, +nodded, and threw the car into gear. He got his foot all the way down +and kept it there. They took a sweeping curve at full speed. + +Washington was a dot of light, then a haze, a glare. All departments +working overtime tonight, Case thought. They hurtled toward the city, +smack toward Pennsylvania Avenue. + +"Slow down," Case said. "I don't want to be picked up." + + * * * * * + +The young fellow slowed down. He must be thinking he's got a desperate +character next to him, Case mused. If he only knew how desperate! The +skyport was less than a mile away now. + +"Take the side road around to where the hangars are," Case directed. + +The young fellow took the side road. They swept past the main gate, +along the ten-mile fence, slid without lights now behind the row of +hangars. The hangars looked like rows of cigars standing on end, the +ships inside them pointing up and ready to go. + +"This is where we get out," Case said. He shoved the driver out of the +door and followed him. His fist came up in a short arc and cracked +against a jaw-bone. + +"Sorry," Case told the inert figure. "I just can't take any chances." + +He dumped the unconscious man beside the road and then went back to the +car. Wheeling it around so it pointed back toward the main gate, he left +the motor whirring and stepped out. One hand depressed the accelerator +button, the other held the motor release. + +When he jumped clear, the car spurted. With lights off in the darkness +the automatic brake wouldn't work. A hundred yards down the car slowed, +swerved, hit a concrete abutment. Quite a crash, Case thought. That +ought to turn a few heads the wrong way for a while. + +He was at the high fence in a flash. His fingers searched for and found +crevices. Those fingers were strong as steel. They hauled Case Damon +upward and over the top. He grinned into the darkness. + +Men were running from the hangars toward the site of the crash. With no +incoming traffic slated, the control tower had swung all lights that +way. Somewhere a crash siren sang its song. + +Case dropped completely relaxed. His feet hit first as he fell forward. +His hands hit next, then his head was down between his shoulders and he +was rolling forward onto the back of his neck and then onto his feet +again. He came up running. + + * * * * * + +It was going to be a slow start without rocket-boosters. But rockets +made light and sound. This had to be a silent takeoff. + +He knew his way around this tiny ship even in complete blackness. He had +designed it himself, and it was completely functional. Case Damon had +wanted no comforts; those came at the end of a journey. When there was a +race for a newly discovered ore field, it was the man who got there +first, not most comfortably, who won out. + +A sharp click told Case that the anti-grav was on. He was looking +through his forward visalloy plate straight up into a starlit sky. That +wasn't too good. Small as the ship was, it still would make a dark blot. + +His eyes roved, discovered a few wisps of cloud. He prayed them closer. +Now! + +This wasn't the first time he'd taken off in darkness, depending on +spring power to lift him silently out of the hangar cradle. He'd beaten +them all to Trehos only because they'd figured to catch his takeoff by +the rocket flashes. They'd figured to tail him that way, too, only by +the time the competition had found out he was gone, he'd been half way +there. + +Cranly hadn't called him in on this without good reason. Together, he +and Cranly had made many a rocket jaunt to distant and dangerous places. +They'd been a good team before Cranly had sought election to the +Council. Cranly was the cautious kind; but when he knew exactly where he +stood, he could move fast enough. + +Case slid the ship behind a cloud and felt his speed slacken. He had to +risk a short burst of the jets. The odds were against anyone seeing the +flash now. + +At his present low speed, it would be a while before he was out of range +of detection apparatus. He had time to wonder whether he ought to buzz +Karin on the telecast. Better not; there was always the chance his call +might be picked up. + +He was sorry now that he hadn't thought to shoot cross-country to get +Karin. Who knew for certain where the next blast would hit? He could +have dropped her off at the moon base. + +The moon was full in his vision plates now. He was close enough to tune +in their local telecast to the moon colonies. The machine was ticking +away and Case switched it onto the pitted satellite's local beam. + +They had the news all right, and they were making preparations for an +attack. The fleet base was assuring all colonists that it would furnish +them all possible protection. + +A fat lot of good that was going to do! Case had had enough time now to +think this over, and he was beginning to see the ramifications of the +thing. + +Someone on Earth, someone _inside the Council_, wanted to take over. But +with Earth supervision of military manufacture so thorough, he hadn't a +chance to get started. So he must have enlisted the aid of some power +from outer space. + +But how? And what power? And who was the traitor inside the Council? + +Case wasn't going at this blindly. That first question, for instance. +There had been in the last year several strange disappearances. Two +space liners from Mars to Venus had utterly vanished, without a trace. +Smaller ships, too, had never reported back. They had last been heard +from in that same area. + +But space liners just didn't vanish. They had equipment for any +emergency, were able to contact Earth at a moment's notice. + +A hole in the sky, observers of the flash had said. Between Mars and +Venus, Cranly had told him. It was beginning to add up. It was Case +Damon's job to figure the total. + + * * * * * + +Now the moon was far behind. Case looked at his watch and saw that he +was making real time. Another couple of hours was all he'd need. + +He got out the chart Cranly had given him, set it up alongside his own +navigation map, figured the time element and aimed his ship at a +blankness in space. He would hit that empty space at exactly the right +time. + +After that? Case didn't know. But he wasn't the kind to cross bridges +before he got to them. + +What if Cranly was the traitor within the Council? That was hard to +believe, but you could never tell what lust for power might do to a man. +Cranly wasn't the type. Yet, there was a planet to be won. They said +every man had his price. And Cranly was in charge of Earth's +intelligence services. + +The ticking of the telecast broke into his thoughts. There were breaks +in the steady sounds. His code call. + +Case switched on the video and got a blank. What the devil! +Automatically he reached for his transmitter switch. And caught himself +in the nick of time. It might be a trick to get him to reveal his +position. Instead, he turned up the audio. + +"Damon," a voice said. "Case Damon." It was not the same voice he had +heard in the Council chambers. This was vaguely familiar, but definitely +disguised. + +"Better turn back, Damon," the voice said. "You almost tricked us. Don't +let a small success go to your head. We cannot be defeated. Why +sacrifice your life for a lost cause?" + +"You know where you can go, brother," Case said aloud. + +It had been bad psychology to use on a man who had never feared death +anyway. Besides, if they were so omniscient, why bother to try to stop +him with words? + +The voice had tried to impress him with power. It had only succeeded in +disclosing a weakness. They didn't know where Case Damon was, and they +were worried. + + * * * * * + +Hours had become minutes, and the minutes were ticking away with the +sweep of the hand on Case's watch. Ten minutes more to go. Using +Cranly's figures and chart, he was only a thousand miles from that point +in space. + +He swung the ship around and cut speed, but held his hand ready at the +throttle. There might not be much time to act. And the telecast was +using his signal again. He didn't want to turn it up, but he wanted to +hear that voice again. + +"Damon," the voice said. "Case Damon. This is your last chance." + +"Change your tune," Case snarled at the instrument. + +But the voice was going on. "If your own life means nothing, perhaps you +value another more. Turn on your video and you will see something of +interest to you." + +That got him, brought him bolt upright in his seat. The voice could mean +only one thing--Karin! Somehow they had got to her! + +Maybe this was a trick. Only five minutes or less now. They might be +trying to distract him. But he couldn't take the chance. With fingers +that were icy cold, Case Damon flicked on the video. + +A wall was what he first saw. Only a wall. It was a trick. But wait. +That wall was familiar, rough, unpainted. The focus was shifting to a +section that showed a mounted fish. Now down the wall and across to a +familiar couch. The fishing cabin! + +"Karin!" Case blurted. + +Then he was mouthing incoherent curses. Her figure had been flung across +the screen, on the couch. She had put up a fight. Her face was +scratched, her blouse ripped. There was a gag in her mouth and her hands +were tied behind her. + +"She dies unless you turn back!" the voice said. It meant every word. + +Karin had guts. She was shaking her head, imploring him with her eyes +not to turn back. + +If he only had time to think! What did the rest of the world mean to +Case Damon? Nothing, if it was a world without Karin. Yet, she was his +own kind, this girl he had married. Were their positions reversed, it +would have been Case who shook his head. Better to die than live in a +world dominated by a murderous, merciless power. + +And yet, she was ... Karin. Without her there was nothing. Already +Case's hands were busy, throwing switches that would cut in the +retarding jets, swinging the responsive craft about. He had to give in. +He didn't have time to think. + +"All right," he started to say. + + * * * * * + +His right hand reached out to turn on his transmitter. His lips framed +the words again. But it was too late! + +The video was distorting into a mass of wavy lines, the audio brought +nothing but a jumble of sound. Interference was scrambling the telecast +waves beyond hope of intelligibility. He couldn't get through. The first +rumble rose to audibility and made the ship shiver. + +"Too late," Case said, and was beyond cursing. + +Too late to turn back now. But not too late to go ahead. Air waves were +pitching the ship like a cork. He fought to control, and finally swung +back on course. + +Case took a last quick look at Cranly's chart, and flicked his eyes +ahead to the vision plate. Only blackness yet, but the sound was growing +and rising in pitch past the point where he could hear it. There was the +sense of enormous strain, of the tug of unbelievably powerful and +overwhelming contending forces. + +And then the blackness split! + +First, he could see only a pinpoint of light. It grew larger, widened, +spread until it became a cleft in the void. Case flung his ship forward. + +The last rumble of thunder was fading. He kept his eyes on that cleft in +space, knowing what would come. Yet, when it came, he was almost +blinded. A blast of light, a light so intense that it was a tangible, +solid thing, roared through the cleft and hurtled Earthward. + +Then the bolt was gone and the cleft was closing. The tug of forces was +growing less. He had just seconds left to reach that diminishing crack +in the blackness. + +Like a streak of vengeance itself, Case sent his ship across the void. +His lips moved in silent prayer. There were only seconds now. The crack +was growing smaller, and that meant his speed was not great enough. To +risk more power might blow the ship apart. But he had to get through. He +must, he must.... + +He _was_ through! + + * * * * * + +Case was through, through the cleft and beyond the thunder. He was +hurtling out of blackness into a world of light. Frantically, he cut +down his speed, not knowing whether he was going into open space or the +side of a mountain, whether in this new world he would be going up or +down. + +His altimeter had switched on automatically. That was a relief. A quick +glance showed the dial at 90,000 feet. The retarding jets were slowing +his drop, and Case had time for a look at strange terrain below. + +From his present height, it looked like rolling country. There were +hills, valleys, a checkerboard of green and tan that might be cultivated +ground, a river. + +But most important of all, there was a city, a city of towers and +pinnacles more impressive than any on Earth. Three of those towers +interested Case. They stood apart, the center tower hundreds of feet +higher than the two which flanked it, and all three were like fingers +pointing directly at the place where the cleft had been. + +Case made decisions rapidly. He had to get the ship out of the air +before someone saw it. First, though, he'd have to make sure it would be +air he stepped into when he got out. He had a space suit in the forward +locker, but putting that on would slow him up. + +An intake valve hissed away. Soon, there would be something to test. +Then the hissing stopped. That was a good sign. Pressure outside the +ship was almost the same as inside. There was an atmosphere. + +But of what was that atmosphere composed? That was now the big question. +Case set the controls and turned to the intake tank. With the turn of a +petcock, there came another hiss. Case got out his cigarette lighter and +flicked it into flame. + +He held his breath as the flame wavered. The air in the ship was being +forced away from it. But the flame did not die. Case sighed with relief. +If the atmosphere supported combustion, it would support breathing. + +With that important question answered, Case turned to others. Where the +devil was he? He couldn't answer that, but perhaps he might discover a +clue. The telecast was one way. + +But the telecast had stopped ticking. Case ran the thing over the entire +frequency range and got nothing. If that was a clue, it was a negative +one. + +He had to think it over even as he swung the ship into a long glide for +a hill which looked like it might have a good deal of growth on it. +Coming in low, Case saw that vegetation was sparse. But there was not +another ship in these strange skies. He had to land soon. + +Running his eyes over the landscape below, Case discovered tall +vegetation along the base of another hill. It would have to do. He came +in low over the green, and swooped in for a landing. Luckily, this ship +could land on a handkerchief. + + * * * * * + +Strange trees, these which encircled the tiny clearing. They were all +shades of green, taller and broader than sequoias, and yet more like +ferns in the delicacy of their gigantic fronds. + +Case stepped through the forward hatch into a warm, humid atmosphere +that was quite comfortable. He had thought of waiting for darkness, but +there was no way of knowing whether darkness ever came to this strange +world which seemed to exist in nowhere. + +Too bad his compass was no good here. There seemed to be no magnetic +polarity. He'd have to trust to his sense of direction. + +The city Case had seen was at least fifty miles away and past a couple +of low-lying hills that hid it from sight. That made it a good hike, +even for Case Damon's long and muscular legs. + +And after he got there, if he got there? Case shrugged. Another bridge +to be crossed later. He hitched at his holstered gun and started moving +through the ferns. + +He'd have to be careful; on closer scrutiny from a low level the land +had proved to be cultivated. And that meant people about. + +A humming drew his eyes skyward. Huge ships of weird design were +crisscrossing the air above, obviously looking for something. Probably +himself, Case thought grimly. They must have cleared the air for that +blast. Now they're out in force. Still, there was a chance they'd +thought him one of their own pilots who'd disobeyed. He'd come in too +fast for anyone to have had a good look at his ship, he hoped. + +He jumped five feet at an ear-splitting roar, whipped out his gun and +had the stud under his fingertip for a quick blast. He felt foolish when +the source of the roar turned out to be a purple bird that soared up out +of the foliage overhead. + +There were other sounds now, from small animals that scooted about on +six legs and looked like fur-bearing armadillos. Then the ferns were +behind him, and he was out onto a road that came over the hill. + +Case got off the road in a hurry. Well tended fields lay on either side +of it with spaced rows of grain that was taller than he. He could walk +between the rows and be out of sight of the road. + +He took a few quick steps, pushed aside a stalk of grain, and tripped. +His gasp was involuntary but loud. For a second he lay still, then got +to his feet. He had tripped over a root. + +"Natsa!" a voice shouted. There was the thump of heavy feet behind him. + + * * * * * + +Case whirled. Just in time. A big orange-skinned man in a metallic suit +came bursting out of the next row of grain. He took one look at Case, +and reached for the holstered weapon at his side. + +But few men could outdraw and out-shoot Case Damon. A flash of green +played about his opponent's head. And then there was no head. + +"Natsa to you," Case grunted at the body. + +He was used to death in many forms, and it upset him not at all to +handle the body. The fellow had been about his own size. At least he +would now have a suit that wouldn't attract attention. He decided to +keep his own gun rather than trust a strange one, but he exchanged +holsters with the corpse. + +"Now, if only Natsa doesn't show up, I'll make tracks out of here," Case +said to himself. + +But the Damon luck was wearing thin. There were shouts from along the +road. More than one voice now, and all using a strange language. They +must have come over from the field across the way, Case thought. + +He flattened himself against the last row of stalks and took a deep +breath. With the first sight of somebody coming through the row of +grain, he stepped out and onto the road. + +There were three of them, all big men, and none were looking his way. By +the time their cries of consternation rose at sight of the body, Case +was across the road and into the grain on the other side. + +He ran until his heart began to hammer, and then he slowed to a fast +walk. When the field curved around a bend, he breathed easier. + +Along the road there was activity now, and the sound of vehicles moving +fast. They were looking for him. Then the field ended, and Case was in a +grove of wild fruit. Heavy brush caught at his face, but he stuck close +to the road. + +Voices drifted in toward him. He had to chance a look. Stretching +himself full length, Case parted thick brambles and peered out. More +men, all wearing the same metallic suits. This group was walking slowly, +munching on the same sort of fruit that grew overhead. + +Case thought it over. He didn't have a chance. His own tanned skin would +stand out like a sore thumb against the orange brightness of these +people. + +But he was not without resources. The fruit had given him an idea. It +dripped an orange liquid. If the stuff was good enough to eat, it +certainly couldn't hurt to smear a little over his face and hands! + + * * * * * + +When he hit the road again, Case Damon was as orange as any man he'd so +far seen in this new world. Maybe he wouldn't get away with it, but he +had to try. + +Vehicles sped by and nobody gave him a second glance. So far, so good. +When he passed the group he had seen from the grove without drawing +undue attention, he relaxed. + +A long row of chugging trucks rumbled by, apparently loaded with produce +for the city. Case looked up and a man on the back of the last one waved +and shouted to him. Case waved back and the truck slowed. + +He wished now that he hadn't waved. The truck had stopped, and the man +in back was waiting to give him a hand up. Too late to back down now. +Case took a short run and swung aboard and the truck moved on. The man +who'd helped him up said something. + +"Hmmm?" Case hummed. If this fellow made a suspicious move he'd have to +slug him. + +"Kanato?" the man said. It was a question. They came over the brow of a +small hill and the man pointed to the city in the distance. He was +asking if Case was bound for the city. + +Case bobbed his head. He was going to play dumb. He pointed at his mouth +and shook his head. His companion nodded understandingly, but wanted to +get chummy anyway. Then he looked down and saw Case's holster and +changed his mind. + +Small cars of a strange sort were buzzing past them, going away from the +city. They were filled with orange-skinned men carrying shoulder arms. +Probably Kanato police on their way to investigate a very recent +killing. Case gave silent thanks he had got this ride. + +There was a tense moment at the gate of the city. Heavily armed men +swarmed about. But produce trucks seemed to be exempt from close +scrutiny. + +Case's companion traded jeers and coarse laughter with the gendarmerie, +and the truck rolled on down a wide avenue. The old feud between city +dweller and rustic, Case guessed. He noticed that the citizens of Kanato +wore clothing of high lustre and fine mesh. + +They must be a scrappy people. Almost every male citizen carried a gun. +His own wouldn't be noticed, then. + +Before a huge building, the truck stopped. The end of the journey. Case +hopped off, nodded his thanks for the lift and started walking. + + * * * * * + +Those three towers were at the edge of the city. Case made his way +through a crowded square, turned down a fern-lined street and headed for +them. From behind him a light breeze came, wafting a familiar aroma to +his nostrils. + +Cigarette smoke! But until now he had seen nobody smoking. Acting on +impulse, Case drifted over to one side of the walk and bent as though to +tie his shoe. + +Men walked past. Case straightened up, got a look at the backs of their +necks, and gasped. White--as white as his own skin. These were no +inhabitants of this world, but men of his own kind! + +There were three of them. And now, as they finished lighting up, they +were talking plain Earth English with as little concern as though they +were strolling down the street of any Earth city. + +"By the time we get back, there ought to be news," one of the men said. + +"Yeah. That last one should have brought them around." + +The second voice was another surprise. It stirred memories. Somewhere, +Case had heard that coarse tone before. He thought hard. + +Sure, now he had it. Pete Engels, hotshot engineer cashiered out of the +space fleet and turned adventurer bum. The other two men Case didn't +know. + +"I'd give plenty for a look at Davisson's face now," Engels was saying. +Davisson was commander of the moon base, to which Engels had been +attached. + +"He's probably running around in circles," one of Engels' companions +laughed. + +"Yeah. And don't think he ain't number one on my list when we take +over." + +A sudden humming filled the air as they drew closer to the three towers, +and Case stopped listening to the conversation for a moment. The man +ahead had paused briefly, but they were now moving on. + +Pedestrian traffic had fallen off, Case noticed. He and the three ahead +were the only ones heading for the towers. It looked like the towers +were out of bounds for most citizens. A moment later he was certain of +that, when he saw the number of armed guards around the entrance gate. + +But the guards didn't stop Engels and the pair with him. They jerked +their heads in a brief greeting and walked right through the cordon. +Case paused, let them get inside the building. + + * * * * * + +Here goes, he thought. Nothing like a bold front in a spot like this. He +stepped forward briskly. + +But the bold front wasn't working. Hostile eyes swung his way. Fingers +came down to rest on triggers that could send death winging. + +Case looked up, pretended to be startled. A foolish grin spread over his +face. Would they believe he'd been day-dreaming? They would. He was +turning around and walking back the way he'd come and nobody was +stopping him. + +He cursed under his breath. Somehow he had to get inside that tower Pete +Engels had entered. But how? + +An inviting doorway yawned back along the avenue, and Case stepped +inside. He looked at his watch. A few hours left until the next blast. +He'd have to move fast. + +Fighting his way into the tower was absolutely out of the question. He'd +never get past the guards. Maybe not, but he was sure going to try. This +time the grin on his face was far from foolish. + +Case Damon had an idea, and he wasn't one to let time slip by before he +acted on it. The idea was simple, so simple it might even work. + +An orange dye had gotten him into Kanato. But it would never get him +into that tower. Yet, Pete Engels and his pals had walked right in. +Maybe that was one place where an Earth complexion would turn the trick. + +Case got out his handkerchief, spit on it a few times and started +rubbing. It was slow work, but he'd better not leave any telltale +streaks. + +When he came out of the doorway a few minutes later, he had left behind +him a handkerchief and as much of the dye as he could remove. Lucky he'd +always been an outdoor man. Whatever was left would be too faint to show +against his tan skin. + +His walk was not too slow, not too fast. His step was the step of a man +who knew he wasn't going to have any trouble. The guards looked up and +saw him coming. + +Case kept his head down as though in deep thought. They could see his +color, but not his face. His right hand swung close to his holster. Now +a booted foot came into his line of vision. + +The foot moved toward him. Case bobbed his head up and down briefly, +much as Engels had done, and kept walking. The guard hesitated, stepped +out of his way. He was through the cordon and going up through the +entrance. + +Then the yelling came from behind him. They had caught on. + + * * * * * + +One leap took Case through the doorway. Over his head, a pellet burst. +They were shooting now. Somewhere in the building, a warning whistle cut +loose. + +He ran down a long corridor, saw figures pop out of a room ahead. But +there was a corridor running crossways. Case skidded, made a fast turn +and pounded along that one. Plenty of shouting now. It sounded like he +had an army after him. + +These halls were too long. He was a dead pigeon if he didn't find a +place to hide soon. There were plenty of doors, but he didn't know which +one to try. Then a series of the deadly pellets broke around him and +made up his mind. The next door was the one. + +It opened into a big room filled with electrical equipment. Case barged +around something that looked like a big transformer, and headed for a +door at the other end. The door swung toward him, disclosing a mass of +men. + +His gun was in his hand now and spitting death. But there were too many. +Their corpses blocked the doorway. He couldn't get around them. + +Something heavy cracked against the base of his skull and knocked him to +his knees. Half dazed, he turned and tried to fire and was buried +beneath an avalanche of charging men. The gun was knocked out of his +hand. + +"Hey!" A startled voice came through the roaring in Case Damon's ears. +"Hey! This guy is white!" + +Rough hands twisted his arms behind Case and other hands hauled him to +his feet. He shook his head to clear it and found himself facing Pete +Engels. There was instant recognition. + +"Case Damon. Well, I'll be! I told Yuna to warn those guards, but I +didn't really think you'd make it." + +"I didn't, did I?" Case said bitterly. + +"What is it?" A voice said from behind Engels. "What is going on?" + +That was in Earth English, but with a heavy accent. The voice belonged +to an orange skinned man who came through as the guards parted. This was +someone of importance, Case realized. His metallic suit gleamed with the +lustre of spun gold, and it filled his big body as though it had been +moulded to it. + +"Meet Case Damon," Engels said with mock ceremony. "Damon, this is Yuna, +ruler of Kanato and soon to be half ruler of the Earth." + +Haughty yellow eyes flashed at Engels and stilled his tongue. Then the +eyes swung back to Case and gave him a thorough scrutiny. + +"So this is the one of whom we were warned," Yuna said. "I can see why +the Earthlings do not surrender so quickly." + +"They'll surrender all right," Engels snarled. + +Case saw an opening and lashed out with his foot. The kick caught Engels +low in the belly and drew a yell of pain. A fist thudded against Case's +jaw. + +"You rat," Case said through drawn lips. "You'd sell out your own +mother." + +"For the right price," Engels admitted, cheerfully. He turned to Yuna. +"What'll we do with him?" + +"Put him with the rest. We can dispose of them later." + + * * * * * + +As a cell it was not too bad. But there was a stench that was +nauseating. Case adjusted his eyes to the gloom and looked about. + +There were bunks along one wall, a few of them occupied. With the +shutting of the door behind Case, men stirred. Two thin legs swung over +the top of a bunk, followed by an equally thin body. + +"Take your gloating elsewhere, Engels," a sharp voice said. + +"The name is not Engels. It's Case Damon." + +"Huh?" + +There were more legs now, four pairs. Men were spluttering excitedly. +Thin bodies slid out of bunks and feet came toward Case. There was one +man he knew, Burnine, the pilot of the Mars-Venus liner which had +vanished. + +"Case Damon! I knew sooner or later someone would get through." + +"Don't let your hopes run away with you," Case said. "I'm the only one, +and it looks like I'll be the last." + +Burnine was crying, definitely and without shame. He fought to bring +himself under control. + +"They're going to get away with it," he said, brokenly. Long +imprisonment had broken him down. + +"Maybe," Case said. "It all depends on what the chances are of getting +out of this cell before the next blast. The Council hasn't given up +yet." + +"I know. But that humming means they're building up voltage for the next +shot. It won't be long." + +"How do you know?" + +"Engels. He comes down here every couple of days to tell us we're chumps +for not coming over to his side. Meanwhile, we've learned what goes on. +In a year you can learn a lot if you keep your ears open." + +"A year," Case mused. "Since those liners disappeared." + +"Yeah. Engels and his pals were on the one I was piloting. They stuck +guns in our ribs and took over and brought us here." + +"There are a couple of things I've got to know," Case said. "First, what +kind of weapon are they using? Second, where are we?" + +"I can't quite answer the first. And I don't know exactly where we are, +but I know how we got here. Maybe that will help. + +"It seems that someone on Earth was experimenting with a new force. He +discovered that he could put a crack in the curvature of space. Once he +got through that crack and found Yuna, he realized that with this weapon +of Yuna's he could take over the Earth. I don't know who this person is, +but Engels is working for him. So are a lot of other people." + +"What about these towers?" + +"They work automatically. Two of them contain the apparatus for building +up energy. The blast is fired from this one. It's all timed to fit with +the machine on Earth. That's why it takes exactly twelve hours." + +"Do you know where the main works are?" + +"On the level below this one. But what's the difference? We'll never get +out of here." + +"Maybe not. But we can sure try. Are you game?" + +Burnine stared at him, looked around at the other three. Their thin +shoulders had lost some of the sag. A spark had been kindled in their +eyes. + +"What can we lose?" Burnine said. + + * * * * * + +They could tell when Engels started down the corridor outside their +cell. His feet made a heavy sound. There were several guards with him. + +"What do you guys want?" Engels shouted through the door. + +"I've got a message for your boss," Case shouted back. + +"Go ahead. I can hear you." + +"It's in writing," Case called. + +Engels laughed sourly. "This better not be a trick. You're a dead tomato +if it is. Back away from the door." + +He came through, closely followed by four guards. All of them carried +guns in their hands, but when they saw Case in the middle of the room +with the men behind him, they put up the weapons and moved forward. + +"Where is it?" Engels asked. + +"Here." Case put his hand out and Engels reached. + +Too late, Engels and the guards realized that there were only three men +behind Case. From behind the open door, Burnine's frail body hurtled and +crashed into the guards, knocking them off balance. + +Engels was thrown forward, his chin meeting Case's fist on its way +upward. There was the crack of a neck breaking. Case had put all his +strength into that punch. + +Burnine kicked at a guard's head, dropped down to one knee and came up +with a gun. The other guards didn't have a chance. Burnine peppered them +with pellets that ate away flesh wherever they hit. + +"Let's go," Case snapped. "You take the lead. And don't stop to argue if +anyone gets in our way." + +Then they were racing down the long corridor toward a heavy door at the +end. A pair of guards looked up and saw them coming and died before +their hands could reach their guns. Case paused to pick up a heavy +weapon that leaned against a wall. + +Another guard stuck his head out of a side room and popped it back in. +Within a second, warning whistles pierced the air. But over the whistles +Case could still hear a hum. + +"Not much time," Burnine panted. He was completely winded. + +A stairway made a dark opening and they plunged downward through it. The +sound of motors pounded up toward them. They were in darkness for long +minutes. And then the darkness gave way to light and they were racing +into a vast chamber filled with scurrying men. + +Case brought up the heavy gun he was carrying, triggered it and was +gratified by the streak of flame that issued from the muzzle. But other +guns were popping steadily. Behind Case, a man went down. + +There was a sharpshooter behind a bank of instruments, and Case took +steady aim. The sharpshooter dropped. Meanwhile, Burnine and the other +two had not been idle. They had both flanks cleared. + +"This is it," Burnine gasped. "Good thing Engels liked to brag. That big +panel is the converter." + +He reached out a bony hand for a maze of wires, but Case stopped him. + +"Wait. We don't want to do just a temporary job. And we don't want to +die here either. There's a debt I've got to settle on Earth. What are +our chances of getting a ship?" + +"Not much," Burnine told him. "The liner we came in is in a hangar +beyond the last tower." + +"Close enough," Case snapped. "You four watch the doors. They've got a +tank of atomic fuel here, and if I know my stuff I ought to be able to +rig up something that will do a permanent job on this installation." + + * * * * * + +Only two of them came up out of the lower level--Burnine and Case Damon. +Behind them, they left a pile of corpses. Burnine was kept going by +sheer strength of will, lugging a shoulder gun that weighed half as much +as he. + +The corridor on the main level was packed with armed men, but they +cleared it by keeping a blast of fire always before them. Men melted +away into side rooms, slid down intersecting halls. But at the entrance, +the big door was closed. + +"Looks like we're stuck," Burnine grunted. "We can't burn our way +through that. And if we move, we'll have a hundred men popping out again +behind our backs." + +"We'll try one of these rooms back here," Case said. "Always the chance +of it having a window." + +The first room they tried was a blank. So were the next couple. While +Case kept the corridor cleared, Burnine stuck his head inside and +investigated. + +"This one," he said at his fourth try. "Bars on the window, but maybe we +can burn them off. Looks like a council room." + +They darted inside, slammed the door behind them. Outside there was the +pounding of many feet. While Burnine watched the door, Case turned his +fire on the barred windows. + +One of the bars turned red, glowed bright and started to melt. But it +was going to be a long job. And they hadn't much time now. Case snatched +a quick look at his watch and saw there was but an hour left. + +"Damon!" That was from the corridor. Yuna's voice. Too calm, Case +thought. Yuma had a card up his sleeve. "Better give up!" + +"Make us," Case called. + +"There is a telecast machine in the room," came the reply. "Turn it on." + +Yuna wasn't just wasting time. He knew something. Case hesitated, looked +around and sighted the machine. It was the familiar kind, but with an +unfamiliar attachment. He fiddled with it, got it going. + +"Damon," said a voice he remembered but could not identify. "Turn up the +video." + +There was a threat in the words. But Case Damon was beyond being +frightened. He had nothing to lose. Only curiosity made him flick the +switch. + +There was that room again, with its unpainted walls. There was the +couch. And there was Karin! + +"We decided to save her on the chance you'd get through," said the +voice. A moment later, a man walked into view. + + * * * * * + +It was Vargas. Somehow, Case was not surprised. It all made sense. +Vargas had not wanted to join the Council. He'd held out for +concessions, and those concessions had included a certain freedom from +supervision of his country. + +"Listen," Vargas said. "It is possible you have managed to do some harm +there. If so, undo it at once." + +His hand dipped into his pocket and came out with a gun. He calmly +pointed it at Karin's head. With a sinking heart, Case realized that +this time there would be no interference, this time Vargas would go +through with it. + +"All right," Case said. "You win." + +He turned away from the video, and swung his gun around at Burnine. He +hated to do this, but it had to be done. His eyes avoided Burnine's as +he said: + +"Open that door." + +But before Burnine could comply with the order, there was a shout from +the machine. Case whirled, startled. The room in the fishing cabin had +erupted into a maelstrom of struggling men. He saw Vargas go down, +smothered by blue-jacketed men of Earth Intelligence. + +And then there was Cranly, his broad back bent over Karin's figure on +the couch. He straightened with a length of rope in his hands. She was +free. Cranly turned and his face filled the screen. + +"Nice going, Case. I had a hunch Vargas was behind this, but I couldn't +move until I had him dead to rights. But it was you who helped me to +fight the Council for the time I needed." + +"How much time have I got?" Case wanted to know. + +"Not much. The Council can't take a chance on having another city +blasted. Within fifteen minutes they will destroy the machine Vargas +built." + +"That's time enough," Case said. "Give me a look at Karin." + +He got his look, and then turned to Burnine. Yuna and his men had got +the news elsewhere, apparently, for they were hammering at the door. But +the lock was holding. + +Together now, Case and Burnine turned their guns on the bars of the +window. It went faster now. One bar melted away, another, still another. +There was room enough for Burnine, then room enough for Case's broad +shoulders. + +They dropped through and hit the ground, running. With Burnine leading +the way and Case keeping him covered from behind, they raced around the +edge of the tower, cut down a pair of surprised guards who weren't +expecting them here, and skirted the outside tower. + +Then the hangars were only yards away and they were sprinting toward +them. Now there were no more men to block their way. Only time was the +enemy. + +And time ticked away on Case's watch as he and Burnine strapped +themselves into their seats. Five minutes was all the time they could +hope for. With his own ship that would have been enough, but this space +liner was not built for speed. + + * * * * * + +Case had deliberately spoken with more confidence than he'd felt. If +that was to be his last look at Karin, he'd wanted her to have a smile +on her face. + +"All set," Burnine said. His skin was drawn tight over the long bones in +his face. + +They took off with all jets wide open. From stem to stern, the big liner +shuddered. Even with all power on, they lifted slowly. From overhead, a +small attack ship flashed in. Fire darted at them, slid harmlessly off +the liner's duralloy plates. + +"Wish that was our biggest worry," Case said. He could still grin +weakly. + +Now their speed was mounting steadily. The altimeter climbed past 60,000 +and kept going. Case kept his eyes glued to the vision plate. + +Now was the time. Thunder rumbled, roared in their ears. Far, far below +and behind them there was another roar. Then came the single blinding +flash that spelled the end of Kanato, and afterward a billowing mushroom +cloud. It was the end of Yuna and his devilish weapon. + +Over them, in the heart of the brightness, there was a black speck. It +grew larger as they roared toward it. It was a black cleft in the azure. +Case flashed a desperate glance at his watch. Seconds left, that was +all. + +With a prayer in their hearts, and with all jets blazing, they aimed for +the blackness. It grew smaller, almost too small. There was a rumble of +thunder. And they were through, into a black sky dotted with a myriad of +stars. + +Case reached up and flicked on the liner's telecast. It warmed up +slowly, first the click coming through, and then the audio. Last of all, +and best of all, the video. + +Karin's face filled the screen. She was smiling, none the worse for her +experience. Her hair was in disorder but it still looked like spun gold +to Case. He could almost taste those velvety lips. + +"Be with you soon, honey," Case said. "We've got a honeymoon to finish." + +Her face beckoned him Earthward. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Beyond The Thunder, by H. B. Hickey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE THUNDER *** + +***** This file should be named 32866.txt or 32866.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/8/6/32866/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/32866.zip b/32866.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d14cd85 --- /dev/null +++ b/32866.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..739828f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #32866 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32866) |
