diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29771-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 51568 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29771-h/29771-h.htm | 1485 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29771-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 0 -> 22310 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29771.txt | 1367 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 29771.zip | bin | 0 -> 27855 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
8 files changed, 2868 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/29771-h.zip b/29771-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..57eab2d --- /dev/null +++ b/29771-h.zip diff --git a/29771-h/29771-h.htm b/29771-h/29771-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f933e8a --- /dev/null +++ b/29771-h/29771-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1485 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Planetoid Of Peril, by Paul Ernst. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .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: 15%; margin-right: 15%;} + .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;} + + .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 {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;} + + .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 The Planetoid of Peril, by Paul Ernst + +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: The Planetoid of Peril + +Author: Paul Ernst + +Release Date: August 23, 2009 [EBook #29771] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLANETOID OF PERIL *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + + + + +<h1>The Planetoid of Peril</h1> + +<h2>By Paul Ernst</h2> + +<p>[Transcriber' Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Stories +November 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<h4><i>He pointed it at the incredible body.</i></h4> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Undaunted by crazy tales of an indestructible presence on Asteroid +Z-40, Harley 2Q14N20 sets out alone to face and master it.</p></div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Harley 2Q14N20 stopped for a moment outside the great dome of the +Celestial Developments Company. Moodily he stared at their asteroid +development chart. It showed, as was to be expected, the pick of the +latest asteroid subdivision projects: the Celestial Developments +Company, established far back in 2045, would handle none but the very +best. Small chance of his finding anything here!</p> + +<p>However, as he gazed at the chart, hope came suddenly to his face, and +his heart beat high under his sapphire blue tunic. There was an asteroid +left for sale there—one blank space among the myriad, pink-lettered +Sold symbols. Could it be that here was the chance he had been hunting +so desperately?</p> + +<p>He bent closer, to read the description of the sphere, and the hope +faded gradually from his countenance. According to its orbit and +location, and the spectroscopic table of its mineral resources, it was a +choice planetoid indeed. Of course such a rich little sphere, listed for +sale by the luxurious Celestial Developments Company, would cost far +more than he could ever rake together to pay for an asteroid.</p> + +<p>Shaking his head, he adjusted his gravity regulator to give him about a +pound and a half of weight, and started to float on. Then, his lips +twisting at his own absurd hopefulness, he stopped again; and after +another moment of indecision turned into the archway that led to the +concern's great main office. After all, it wouldn't hurt to inquire the +price, even though he knew in advance it would be beyond his humble +means.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>A youngster in the pale green of the one-bar neophyte in business +promptly glided toward him.</p> + +<p>"Something for you to-day, sir?" he asked politely.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Harley. "I'm looking around for a planetoid; want to get a +place of my own out a way from Earth. Something, you understand, that +may turn out to be a profitable investment as well as furnishing an +exclusive home-site. I see on your chart that you have a sphere left for +sale, in the Red Belt, so I came in to ask about it."</p> + +<p>"Ah, you mean asteroid Z-40," said the youngster, gazing with envious +respect at the ten-bar insignia, with the crossed Sco drills, that +proclaimed Harley to be a mining engineer of the highest rank. "Yes, +that is still for sale. A splendid sphere, sir; and listed at a +remarkably low figure. Half a million dollars."</p> + +<p>"Half a million dollars!" exclaimed Harley. It was an incredibly small +sum: scarcely the yearly salary of an unskilled laborer. "Are you sure +that's right?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, that's the correct figure. Down payment of a third, and the +remaining two thirds to be paid out of the exploitation profits—"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Here the conversation was interrupted by an elderly, grey-haired man +with the six-bar dollar-mark insignia of a business executive on his +purple tunic. He had been standing nearby, and at the mention of +asteroid Z-40 had looked up alertly. He glided to the two with a frown +on his forehead, and spoke a few curt words to the neophyte, who slunk +away.</p> + +<p>"Sorry, sir," he said to Harley. "Z-40 isn't for sale."</p> + +<p>"But your young man just told me that it was," replied Hartley, loath to +give up what had begun to look like an almost unbelievable bargain.</p> + +<p>"He was mistaken. It's not on the market. It isn't habitable, you see."</p> + +<p>"What's wrong—hasn't it an atmosphere?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes. One that is exceptionally rich in oxygen, as is true of all +the spheres we handle. With a late model oxygen concentrator, one would +have no trouble at all existing there."</p> + +<p>"Is its speed of revolution too great?"</p> + +<p>"Not at all. The days are nearly three hours long: annoying till you get +used to it, but nothing like the inferior asteroids of the Mars Company +where days and nights are less than ten minutes in duration."</p> + +<p>"Well, is it barren, then? No minerals of value? No vegetation?"</p> + +<p>"The spectroscope shows plenty of metals, including heavy radium +deposits. The vegetation is as luxuriant as that of semi-tropic Earth."</p> + +<p>"Then why in the name of Betelguese," said Harley, exasperated, "won't +you sell the place to me? It's exactly what I've been looking for, and +what I'd despaired of finding at my price."</p> + +<p>"I'm forbidden to tell why it isn't for sale," said the executive, +starting to float off. "It might hurt our business, reputation if the +truth about that bit of our celestial properties became widely +known—Oh, disintegrate it all! Why wasn't the thing erased from the +chart weeks ago!"</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute." Harley caught his arm and detained him. "You've gone +too far to back out now. I'm too eager to find some such place as your +Z-40 to be thrown off the subject like a child. <i>Why</i> isn't it for +sale?"</p> + +<p>The man tightened his lips as though to refuse to answer, then shrugged.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you," he said at last. "But I beg of you to keep it +confidential. If some of our investors on neighboring asteroids ever +found out about the peril adjoining them on Z-40, they'd probably insist +on having their money back."</p> + +<p>He led the way to a more secluded spot under the big dome, and spoke in +a low tone, with many a glance over his shoulder to see if anyone were +within earshot.</p> + +<p>"Z-40 is an exceptionally fine bit of property. It is commodious; about +twenty miles in diameter. Its internal heat is such that it has a +delightful climate in spite of the extreme rarity of atmosphere common +to even the best of asteroids. It has a small lake; in fact it has about +everything a man could want. Yet, as I said, it is uninhabitable."</p> + +<p>His voice sank still lower.</p> + +<p>"You see, sir, there's already a tenant on that sphere, a tenant that +was in possession long before the Celestial Developments Company was +organized. And it's a tenant that can't be bought off or reasoned with. +It's some sort of beast, powerful, ferocious, that makes it certain +death for a man to try to land there."</p> + +<p>"A beast?" echoed Harley. "What kind of a beast?"</p> + +<p>"We don't know. In fact we hardly even know what it looks like. But from +what little has been seen of it, it's clear that it is like no other +specimen known to universal science. It's something enormous, some freak +of animal creation that seems invulnerable to man's smaller weapons. And +that is why we can't offer the place for sale. It would be suicide for +anyone to try to make a home there."</p> + +<p>"<i>Has</i> anyone ever tried it?" asked Harley. "Any competent adventurer, I +mean?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. Twice we sold Z-40 before we realized that there was something +terribly wrong with it. Both buyers were hardy, intrepid men. The first +was never heard of after thirty-six hours on the asteroid. The second +man managed to escape in his Blinco Dart, and came back to Earth to tell +of a vast creature that had attacked him during one of the three-hour +nights. His hair was white from the sight of it, and he's still in a +sanitarium, slowly recovering from the nervous shock."</p> + +<p>Harley frowned thoughtfully. "If this thing is more than a match for one +man, why don't you send an armed band with heavy atomic guns and clear +the asteroid by main force?"</p> + +<p>"My dear sir, don't you suppose we've tried that? Twice we sent +expensive expeditions to Z-40 to blow the animal off the face of the +sphere, but neither expedition was able to find the thing, whatever it +is. Possibly it has intelligence enough to hide if faced by overwhelming +force. When the second expedition failed, we gave it up. Poor business +to go further. Already, Z-40 has cost us more than we could clear from +the sale of half a dozen planetoids."</p> + +<p>For a long time Harley was silent. The Company was a hard headed, cold +blooded concern. Anything that kept them from selling an asteroid must +be terrible indeed.</p> + +<p>His jaw set in a hard line. "You've been honest with me," he said at +length. "I appreciate it. Just the same—I still want to buy Z-40. Maybe +I can oust the present tenant. I'm pretty good with a ray-pistol."</p> + +<p>"It would be poor policy for us to sell the asteroid. We don't want to +become known as a firm that trades in globes on which it is fatal to +land."</p> + +<p>"Surely my fate is none of your worry?" urged Harley.</p> + +<p>"The asteroid," began the executive with an air of finality, "is not +for—"</p> + +<p>"Man, it's <i>got</i> to be!" cried Harley. Then, with a perceptible effort +he composed himself. "There's a reason. The reason is a girl. I'm a poor +man, and she's heiress to fabulous—Well, frankly, she's the daughter of +3W28W12 himself!" The executive started at mention of that universally +known number. "I don't want to be known as a fortune hunter; and my best +bet is to find a potentially rich asteroid, cheap, and develop +it—incidentally getting an exclusive estate for my bride and myself far +out in space, away from the smoke and bustle of urban Earth. Z-40, save +for the menace you say now has possession of it, seems to be just what I +want. If I can clear it, it means the fulfillment of all my dreams. With +that in view, do you think I'd hesitate to risk my neck?"</p> + +<p>"No," said the executive slowly, looking at the younger man's powerful +shoulders and square-set chin and resolute eyes. "I don't think you +would. Well, so be it. I'd greatly prefer not to sell you Z-40. But if +you want to sign an agreement that we're released of all blame or +responsibility in case of your death, you can buy it."</p> + +<p>"I'll sign any agreement you please," snapped Harley. "Here is a down +payment of a hundred and seventy thousand dollars. My name is Harley; +sign 2Q14N20; unmarried—though I hope to change that soon, if I +live—occupation, mining engineer, ten-bar degree; age, thirty-four. Now +draw me up a deed for Z-40, and see that I'm given a stellar call number +on the switchboard of the Radivision Corporation. I'll drop around there +later and get a receiving unit. Good day." And, adjusting his gravity +regulator to lighten his weight to less than a pound, he catapulted out +the archway.</p> + +<p>Behind him a prosaic business executive snatched a moment from a busy +day to indulge in a sentimental flight of fancy. He had read once of +curious old-time beings called knights, who had undertaken to fight and +slay fire-eating things called dragons for the sake of an almost +outmoded emotion referred to as love. It occurred to him that this +brusque man of action might be compared to just such a being. He was +undertaking to slay a dragon and win a castle for the daughter of +3W28W12—</p> + +<p>The romantic thought was abruptly broken up by the numeral. It jarred +so, somehow, that modern use of numbers instead of names, when thinking +of sentimental passages of long ago. "The rose is fair; but in all the +world there is no rose as fair as thou, my princess 3W28W12...." No, it +wouldn't do.</p> + +<p>Cursing himself for a soft-headed fool, he went to deliver a stinging +rebuke to somebody for not having blocked Z-40 off the asteroid chart +weeks before.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"Harley 2Q14N20," recited the control assistant at Landon Field. +"Destination, asteroid Z-40. Red Belt, arc 31.3470. Sights corrected, +flight period twelve minutes, forty-eight seconds past nine o'clock. All +set, sir?"</p> + +<p>Harley nodded. He stepped inside the double shell of his new Blinco +Dart—that small but excellent quantity-production craft that had +entirely replaced the cumbersome space ships of a decade ago—and +screwed down the man-hole lid. Then, with his hand on the gravity bar, +he gazed out the rear panel, ready to throw the lever at the control +assistant's signal.</p> + +<p>The move was unthinkingly, mechanically made. Too many times had he gone +through this process of being aimed by astronomical calculation, and +launched into the heavens, to be much stirred by the wonder of it. The +journey to Z-40 in the Dart was no more disquieting than, a century and +a half ago, before the United States had fused together into one vast +city, a journey from Chicago to Florida would have been in one of the +inefficient gasoline-driven vehicles of that day.</p> + +<p>All his thoughts were on his destination, and on a wonder as to what +could be the nature of the thing that dwelt there.</p> + +<p>He had just come from the sanitarium where the man who'd bought Z-40 +before him was recovering from nervous exhaustion. He'd gone there to +try to get first hand information about the creature the executive at +the Celestial Developments Company had talked so vaguely of. And the +tale the convalescent had told him of the thing on the asteroid was as +fantastic as it was sketchy.</p> + +<p>A tremendous, weirdly manlike creature looming in the dim night—a thing +that seemed a part of the planetoid itself, fashioned from the very dirt +and rock from which it had risen—a thing immune to the ray-pistol, that +latest and deadliest of man-made small-arms—a thing that moved like a +walking mountain and stared with terrible, stony eyes at its prey! That +was what the fellow said he had faintly made out in the darkness before +his nerves had finally given way.</p> + +<p>He had impressed Harley as being a capable kind of a person, too; not at +all the sort to distort facts, nor to see imaginary figures in the +night.</p> + +<p>There was that matter of the stone splinter, however, which certainly +argued that the wan, prematurely white-haired fellow was a little +unbalanced, and hence not to be believed too implicitly. He'd handed it +to Harley, and gravely declared it to be a bit of the monster's flesh.</p> + +<p>"Why, it's only a piece of rock!" Harley had exclaimed before he could +check himself.</p> + +<p>"Did you ever see rock like it before?"</p> + +<p>Turning it over in his hands, Harley had been forced to admit that he +never had. It was of the texture and roughness of granite, but more +heavily shot with quartz, or tridymite than any other granite he'd ever +seen. It had a dull opalescent sheen, too. But it was rock, all right.</p> + +<p>"It's a piece of the thing's hide," the man had told him. "It flaked off +when it tried to pry open the man-hole cover of ray Dart. A moment after +that I got Radivision arc directions from London Field, aimed my sights, +and shot for Earth. It was a miracle I escaped."</p> + +<p>"But surely your ray-pistol—" Harley had begun, preserving a discreet +silence about the man's delusion concerning the stone splinter.</p> + +<p>"I tell you it was useless as a toy! Never before have I seen any form +of life that could stand up against a ray-gun. But <i>this</i> thing <i>did</i>!"</p> + +<p>This was another statement Harley had accepted with a good deal of +reservation. He had felt sure the weapon the man had used had a leak in +the power chamber, or was in need of recharging, or something of the +kind. For it had been conclusively proved that all organic matter +withered and burned away under the impact of the Randchron ray.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, discounting heavily the convalescent's wild story, only a +fool would have clung to a conviction that the menace on Z-40 was a +trivial one. There was <i>something</i> on that asteroid, something larger +and more deadly than Harley had ever heard of before in all his +planetary wanderings.</p> + +<p>He squared his shoulders. Whatever it was, he was about to face it, man +against animal. He was reasonably certain his ray-gun would down +anything on two legs or ten. If it didn't—well, there was nothing else +that could; and he'd certainly provide a meal for the creature, assuming +it ate human flesh....</p> + +<p>A mechanic tapped against the rear view panel to recall his wandering +attention. The control assistant held up his hands, fingers outspread, +to indicate that there were ten seconds left.</p> + +<p>Harley's hand went to his throat, where was hung a locket—a lovely but +useless trinket of the kind once much worn by Earth women—and his +fingers tightened tenderly on it. It had belonged to Beatrice 3W28W12's +great-great-grandmother, and Beatrice had given it to him as a token.</p> + +<p>"With luck, my dear," he whispered aloud. "With luck...."</p> + +<p>There was a slight vibration. He threw the gravity bar over to the first +notch. Earth dropped, plummet-like, away from him. He pushed the bar to +the limit leg; and, at a rate of hundreds of miles a second, was +repelled from Earth toward Z-40, and the thing that skulked there.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>With a scarcely perceptible jar, he landed on the small sphere that, he +hoped, was to be his future home. Before opening his man-hole lid, he +went from panel to panel of the Dart and cautiously reconnoitered. He +had elected to land beside the little lake that was set like a three +hundred-acre gem on the surface of Z-40, and it was more than possible +that the enemy had its den nearby.</p> + +<p>However, a careful survey of the curved landscape in all directions +failed to reveal a glimpse of anything remotely threatening. He donned +his oxygen concentrator—in appearance a simple tube of a thing, +projecting about six inches above his forehead, and set in a light metal +band that encircled his head. Adjusting his gravity regulator so he +wouldn't inadvertently walk clear off into empty space—he calculated +his weight would be less than a twentieth of an ounce here—he stepped +out of the Dart and gazed around at the little world.</p> + +<p>Before him was the tiny lake, of an emerald green hue in the flashing +sunlight. Around its shores, and covering the adjacent, softly rolling +countryside as far as eye could reach, was a thick growth of +carmine-tinted vegetation: squat, enormous-leaved bushes; low, sturdy +trees, webbed together by innumerable vines. To left and right, +miniature mountains reared ragged crests over the abbreviated horizon, +making the spot he was in a peaceful, lovely valley.</p> + +<p>He sighed. There was everything here a man could wish for—provided he +could win it! Loosening his ray-pistol in its holster, he started to +walk slowly around the lake to choose a site for the house he intended +to build. On the opposite shore he found a place that looked suitable.</p> + +<p>A few yards back from the water's edge, curling in a thick crescent like +a giant sleeping on its side, was a precipitous outcropping of rock; +curious stuff, rather like granite, that gleamed with dull opalescence +in the brilliant sunlight. With that as a sort of natural buttress +behind the house, and with the beautiful lake as his front dooryard, +he'd have a location that any man might envy.</p> + +<p>He returned to his Dart, hopped back across the lake in it, and unloaded +his Sco drill<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>. With this he planned to sink a shaft that would serve +in the future as the cellar for his villa, and in the present as an +entrenchment against danger.</p> + +<p>But now the swift night of Z-40 was almost upon him. The low slant of +the descending sun warned him that he had less than ten minutes of light +left, until the next three-hour day should break over the eastern rim. +He placed the drums and the flexible hose of the Sco drill so that he +could begin operations with it as soon as the dawn broke, and started to +walk toward the precipitous outcropping of quartziferous stone +immediately behind the home-site he had picked. He would climb to the +top of this for a short look around, and then return to the Dart—in +which double-hulled, metal fortress he thought he would be safe from +anything.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He had almost reached the rock outcropping when the peculiarities of its +outline struck him anew. He'd already observed that the craggy mound +rather resembled a sleeping, formless giant. The closer he got to it the +more the resemblance was heightened and the greater grew his perplexity.</p> + +<p>It sprang straight up from the carmine underbrush, like a separate heap +of stone cast there by some mighty hand. One end of it tapered down in a +thick ridge; and this ridge had a deep, horizontal cleft running along +it which made it appear as though it were divided into two leglike +members. In the center the mound swelled to resemble a paunchy trunk +with sagging shoulders. This was topped by a huge, nearly round ball +that looked for all the world like a head. There were even rudimentary +features. It was grotesque—one of those freak sculptures of nature, +Harley reflected, that made it seem as though the Old Girl had a mind +and artistic talent of her own.</p> + +<p>He scrambled through the brush till he reached that part of the long +mound that looked like a head. There, as the sun began to stream the red +lines of its descent over the sky, he prepared to ascend for his view of +the surrounding landscape.</p> + +<p>He'd got within twenty feet of the irregular ball, and had adjusted his +gravity regulator to enable him to leap to its top, when he stopped as +abruptly as though he had been suddenly paralyzed. Over the two deep +pits that resembled nostrils in the grotesque mask of a face he thought +he had observed a quiver. The illusion had occurred in just the proper +place for an eyelid. It was startling, to say the least.</p> + +<p>"I'm getting imaginative," said Harley. He spoke aloud as a man tends to +do when he is alone and uneasy. "I'd better get a tighter grip on my +nerves, or—good God!"</p> + +<p>Coincident with the sound of his voice in the thin, quiet air, the huge +stumps that looked like legs stirred slightly. A tremor ran through the +entire mass of rock. And directly in front of Harley, less than twenty +feet from where he stood, a sort of half-moon-shaped curtain of rock +slid slowly up to reveal an enormous, staring eye.</p> + +<p>Frozen with a terror such as he had never felt before in a life filled +with adventure, scarce breathing, Harley glared at the monstrous +spectacle transpiring before him. A hill was coming to life, A granite +cliff was growing animate. It was impossible, but it was happening.</p> + +<p>The half-moon curtains of rock that so eerily resembled eyelids, blinked +heavily. He could hear a faint rasping like the rustle of sandpaper, as +they did so. One of the great leg stumps moved distinctly, independent +of the other one. Three columnar masses of rock—arms, or tentacles, +with a dozen hinging joints in each—slowly moved away from the parent +mass near the base of the head, and extended toward the Earth man.</p> + +<p>Still in his trance, with his heart pounding in his throat till he +thought it would burst, Harley watched the further awful developments. +The eyelids remained opened, disclosing two great, dull eyes like poorly +polished agates, which stared expressionlessly at him. There was a +convulsion like a minor earthquake, and the mass shortened and +heightened its bulk, raising itself to a sitting posture. The three +hinged, irregular arms suddenly extended themselves to the full in a +thrust that barely missed him. They were tipped, those arms, with +immense claws, like interlocking, rough-hewn stone fingers. They crashed +emptily together within a few feet of Harley. Then, and not till then, +did the paralysis of horror loose its grip on the human.</p> + +<p>He tore his ray-pistol from its holster and pointed it at the incredible +body. An angry, blue-green cone of light leaped from the muzzle, and +played over the mighty torso. Nothing happened. He squeezed the trigger +back to the guard. The blue-green beam increased in intensity, and a +crackling noise was audible. Under that awful power the monster should +have disappeared, dissolved to a greasy mist. But it didn't.</p> + +<p>The light beam from the ray-gun died away. The power was exhausted. It +was only good for about ten seconds of such an emergency, full-force +discharge, after which it must be re-charged again. The ten seconds were +up. And the gigantic creature against which it had been directed had +apparently felt no injury from a beam that would have annihilated ten +thousand men.</p> + +<p>The now useless ray-pistol slipped from his limp fingers. Stupefied with +horror at the futility of the deadly Randchron ray against this terrible +adversary, he stood rooted to the spot. Then the thing reached for him +again; and his muscles were galvanized to action—to instinctive, +stupid, reasonless action.</p> + +<p>Screaming incoherently, mad with horror of the stone claws that had +clutched at him, he turned and ran. In great leaps he bounded away from +the accursed lake and made for the taller trees and thicker vegetation +at a distance from the shore. It was the worst thing he could have done. +There was a chance that he could have reached his Dart, had he thought +of it, and soared aloft out of reach. But he thought of nothing. All he +wanted to do, in that abysmal fear that can still make a mindless animal +out of a civilized man, was to run and hide—to get away from the +fearful monster that had risen up to glare at him with those stony, +pitiless eyes, and to reach for him with two-fingered bands like +grinding rock vises.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Just as the sun fell below the rim of the asteroid, plunging it into a +darkness only faintly relieved by the light of the stars, he crashed +into the deeper underbrush. A trailing creeper tripped him in his mad +flight. He fell headlong, to lie panting, sobbing for breath, in the +thick carpet of blood-colored moss.</p> + +<p>Behind him, from the direction of the lake, he heard a sudden clangor as +of rock beating against metal. This endured only a short time. Then the +solid ground beneath him shook slightly, and an appalling crash of trees +and underbrush to the rear told him that the stone colossus was on his +trail.</p> + +<p>He leaped to his feet and continued his great bounds over the sharply +curved surface of the asteroid, banging against tree trunks, bruising +himself against stones, falling in the darkness to rise again and flee +as before in a mad attempt to distance the crashing sound of pursuit +behind him.</p> + +<p>Then he felt himself writhing in thin air as his flying course took him +over the edge of a cliff. Down, down he fell, to land in a dense bed of +foliage far below. Something hit his head with terrific force. Pinwheels +of light flashed before his eyes, to fade into velvety nothingness....</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Slowly, uncertainly he wavered back to consciousness. For a moment he +was aware of nothing save that he was lying on some surface that was +jagged and uncomfortable, and that it was broad daylight. He opened his +eyes, and saw that he was reclining, across a springy bed formed of the +top of a tree. Ahead of him loomed a cliff about a hundred feet high.</p> + +<p>Remembrance suddenly came to him. The unreasoning rush through the +underbrush. The nightmare creature lumbering swiftly after him. The fall +over the cliff into the top of this tree.</p> + +<p>With a cry, he sat up, expecting to see the stone giant nearby and +poised to leap. But it was nowhere in sight; nor, listen as intently as +he would, could he hear the sounds of its crashing path through the +brush. Somehow, for the moment at least, he had been saved. Perhaps his +disappearance over the cliff edge had thrown it off his track.</p> + +<p>He became aware of the fact that it was difficult for him to breathe. +His lungs were heaving in a vain effort to suck in more oxygen, and his +tongue felt thick as though he were being strangled. Then he saw that +his oxygen concentrator had been knocked from his head when he fell, and +was dangling from a limb several feet away. It was almost out of +breathing range. Had it fallen on through the branches to the ground he +would have died, in his unconsciousness, in the rarified atmosphere. He +reached for it; settled the band around his head again.</p> + +<p>After once more listening and peering around to make sure the rock +colossus was not about, he descended the tree that had saved his life, +and began to walk in the direction he judged the lake to be. He would +get into his Dart, cruise aloft out of harm's way, and perhaps think up +some effective course of action.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He was thinking clearly, now. And, in the glare of daylight, no longer +an unreasoning animal fleeing blindly over a dim-lit foreign sphere, he +was unable to understand his panic of the night. Afraid? Of course he +had been afraid! What man wouldn't have been at sight of that monstrous +thing? But that he, Harley 2Q14N20, should have lost his head completely +and gone plunging off into the brush like that, seemed unbelievable. To +the depths of his soul he felt ashamed. And to his own soul he made the +promise that he would wipe out, in action, that hour of cowardice.</p> + +<p>As he wound his way through the squat, carmine forest, he tried to +figure out the nature of the thing that had crashed balefully after him +in the black hours.</p> + +<p>It had seemed made of rock—a giant, primitive stone statue imbued with +life. But it was impossible that it should really be fashioned of rock. +At least it ought to be impossible. Rock is inorganic, inanimate. It +simply couldn't have the spark of life in it. Harley had seen many +strange creations, on many strange planets, but never had he seen +inorganic mineral matter endowed with animation. Nor had anyone else.</p> + +<p>Yet the thing <i>looked</i> as though made of stone. Of some peculiar, +quartz-suffused granite—proving that the wan, white-haired man he had +talked to in the sanitarium had not been mad at all, but only too +terribly sane. The creature's very eyes had had a stony look. Its +eyelids had rasped like stone curtains rubbing together. Its awful, +two-fingered hands, or claws, had ground together like stones rubbing.</p> + +<p>Was it akin to the lizards, the cold-blooded life of Earth? Was this +rocky exterior merely a horny shell like that of a turtle? No. Horn is +horn and rock is rock. The two can't be confused.</p> + +<p>The only theory Harley could form was that the great beast was in some +strange way a link between the animal and the mineral kingdoms. Its +skeletal structure, perhaps, was silicate in substance, extending to +provide an outside covering that had hardened into actual stone, while +forming an interior support to flesh that was half organic, half +inorganic matter. Some such silicate construction was to be found in the +sponge, of Earth. Could this be a gigantic relative of that lowly +creature? He did not know, and couldn't guess. He wasn't a zoologist. +All he knew was that the thing appeared to be formed of living, +impregnable stone. He knew, also, that this fabulous creature was bent +on destroying him.</p> + +<p>At this point in his reflections, the glint of water came to his eyes +between the tree trunks ahead of him. He had come back to the lake.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>For moments he stood behind one of the larger trees on the fringe and +searched around the shore for sight of the rock giant. It was nowhere in +evidence. Rapidly he advanced from the forest and ran for the Dart. From +a distance it appeared to be all right: but as he drew near a cry rose +involuntarily to his lips.</p> + +<p>In a dozen places the double hull of the little space craft was battered +in. The man-hole lid was torn from its braces and bent double. The glass +panels, unbreakable in themselves, had been shoved clear into the cabin; +their empty sash frames gaped at Harley like blinded eyes. Never again +would that Blinco Dart speed through the heavens!</p> + +<p>He went to the spot where he had left his Sco drill, and a further +evidence of the thing's cold blooded ferocity was revealed. The +intricate mechanism had been wrenched into twisted pieces. The drums +were battered in and the flexible hose lengths torn apart in shreds. The +inventor himself couldn't have put it in working order again.</p> + +<p>He was hopelessly trapped. He had no means of fighting the colossus. He +had no way of escaping into space, nor of returning to Earth and trying +to raise a loan that would allow him to come back here with men and +atomic guns. He hadn't even a way of intrenching himself in the ground +against the next attack.</p> + +<p>For an instant his hair prickled in a flash of the blind panic that had +seized him a few hours before. With a tremendous effort of will he +fought it down. This—the destruction of his precious Dart and +drill—was the result of one siege of insensate fear. If he succumbed to +another one he might well dash straight into the arms of death. He sank +to the ground and rested his chin on his fist, concentrating all his +intellect on the hopeless problem that faced him.</p> + +<p>The surface of Z-40 was many square miles in extent. But, if he tried to +hide himself, he knew it was only a question of time before he would be +hunted down. The asteroid was too tiny to give him indefinite +concealment. Flight, then, was futile.</p> + +<p>But if he didn't try to conceal himself in the sparse forest lands, it +meant that he must stay to face the monster at once—which was insanity. +What could he do, bare-handed, against that thirty-foot, +three-tentacled, silicate mass of incredible life!</p> + +<p>It was useless to run, and it was madness to stay and confront the +thing. What, then, could he do? The sun had slid down the sky and the +red of another swift dusk was heralding the short night before he shook +his head somberly and gave the fatal riddle up.</p> + +<p>He rose to his feet, intending to make his way back to the +concealment—such as it was—of the forest. It might be that he could +find safety in some lofty treetop till day dawned again. Then he +stopped, and listened. What was that?</p> + +<p>From far away to the left he could hear faint sounds of some gargantuan +stirring. And, coincident with the flickering out of the last scrap of +sunlight, a distant crashing came to his ears as an enormous body +smashed like an armored ship through trees and thorn bushes and trailing +vines. The rock thing had found his trail and was after him again.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>A second time Harley fled through the dim-lighted night, stumbling over +boulders and tripping on creepers. But this time his flight was not that +of panic. Frightened enough, he was; but his mind was working clearly as +he leaped through the forest away from the source of the crashing.</p> + +<p>The first thing he noted was that though—as far as his ears could +inform him—he was managing to keep his lead, he wasn't outdistancing +his horrible pursuer by a yard. Dark though the night was, and far away +as he contrived to keep himself, the colossus seemed to cling to his +trail as easily as though following a well-blazed path.</p> + +<p>He climbed a tree, faced at right angles to the course he had pursued, +and swung for the next tree. It was a long jump. But desperation lent +abnormal power to his muscles, and the gravity regulator adjusted to +extremely low pitch, was a great help. He made it safely. Another +swinging leap into the dark, to land sprawling in a second tree; a +third; a fourth. Finally be crouched in a tangle of boughs, and +listened. He was a quarter of a mile from the point where he had turned +from his first direction. Perhaps this deviation would throw the rock +terror off.</p> + +<p>It didn't. He heard the steady smashing noise stop. For an instant there +was a silence in the darkness of the asteroid that was painful. Then the +crashing was resumed, this time drawing straight toward where he was +hidden. Somehow the thing had learned of his change of direction.</p> + +<p>He continued his flight into the night, his eyes staring glassily into +the darkness, his expression the ghastly one of a condemned man. And as +he fled the crashing behind him told how he was followed—easily +infallibly, in spite of all his twisting and turning and efforts at +concealment. What hellish intelligence the monster must possess!</p> + +<p>He ran for eternities. He ran till his chest was on fire, and the +sobbing agony of his breathing could be heard for yards. He ran till +spots of fire floated before his eyes and the blood, throbbing in his +brain, cut out the noise of the devilish pursuit behind him. At long +last his legs buckled under him, and he fell, to rise no more.</p> + +<p>He was done. He knew it. His was the position of the hunted animal that +lies panting, every muscle paralyzed with absolute exhaustion, and +glares in an agony of helplessness at the hunter whose approach spells +death.</p> + +<p>The crashing grew louder. The tremor of the ground grew more pronounced +as the vast pursuer pounded along with its tons and tons of weight. +Harley gazed into the blackness back along the way he had come, his eyes +sunk deep in the hollows fatigue had carved in his face, and waited for +the end. The dark night darkened still more with the approach of another +swift, inexorable dawn.</p> + +<p>There was a terrific rending of tree trunks and webbed creepers. Dimly +in the darkness he could see something that towered on a level with the +tallest trees, something that moved as rapidly and steadily as though +driven by machinery. Fear so great that it nauseated him, swept over him +in waves; but he could not move.</p> + +<p>The first grey smear of dawn appeared in the sky. In the ghostly +greyness he got a clearer and clearer sight of the monster. He groaned +and cowered there while it approached him—more slowly now, eyeing him +with staring, stony orbs in which there was no expression of any kind, +of rage or bate, of curiosity or triumph.</p> + +<p>Great stumps of legs, with no joints in them, on which the colossus +stalked like a moving stone tower—a body resembling an enormous boulder +carved by an amateurish hand to portray the trunk of a human being—a +craggy sphere of rock for a head, set directly atop the deeply riven +shoulders—a face like the horrible mask of an embryonic gargoyle—a +mouth that was simply a lipless chasm that opened and closed with the +sound of rocks grinding together in a slow-moving glacier—the whole +veiled thinly by trailing lengths of snapped vines, great shattered tree +boughs, bushes, all uprooted in its stumping march through the forest! +Harley closed his eyes to shut out the sight. But in spite of himself +they flashed open again and stared on, as though hypnotized by the +spectacle they witnessed.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The grey of dawn lightened to the first rose tint of the rising sun. As +though stung to action by the breaking of day, the thing hastened its +ground-shaking pace. With one last stride, it came to Harley's side and +loomed far above, the unwinking eyes glaring down at him.</p> + +<p>The three arms, hinged at equidistant points at the base of the horrible +head, slowly lowered toward his prostrate form. There was a grating +noise as the creature hinged in the middle and bent low, bringing its +enormous, staring eyes within two yards of his face.</p> + +<p>One of its hands closed over his leg, tentatively, experimentally, as +though to ascertain of what substance he was made. He cried aloud as the +rock vise, like a gigantic lobster claw, squeezed tight. The thing drew +back abruptly. Then the chasm of its mouth opened a little, for all the +world as though giving vent to soundless, demoniac laughter. All three +of the vise-like hands clamped over him—lightly enough, considering +their vast size, and intimating that the colossus did not mean to kill +him for a moment or two—but so cruelly that his senses swam with the +pain of it.</p> + +<p>He felt the grip relax. The vast stone pincers were lifted from him; +slithered to the ground beside him.</p> + +<p>The first blinding rays of the sun were beating straight on the colossal +figure, which glittered fantastically, like a huge splintered opal, in +their brilliance.</p> + +<p>It glared down at Harley. The abyss of a mouth opened as though again +giving vent to silent, infernal laughter. Then, with the noise of a +landslide, the giant form settled slowly to the ground. The rock +half-moons of curtains dropped over the expressionless, dull eyes. The +whole great figure quivered, and grew still. It lay without movement, +stretched along the ground like a craggy, opalescent hill.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Dazed, stunned by such fantastic behavior, Harley struggled wearily to +his feet. He had been a dead man as surely as though shot with a +ray-gun. One twitch of those terrible rock pincers would have broken him +in two pieces. It had seemed as though that deadly twitch were surely +forthcoming. And then the thing had released him—and had lain down to +go to sleep! Or was it asleep?</p> + +<p>He took a few slow steps away from it, expecting to see the three great +tentacles flash out to capture him as a cat claws at a mouse that thinks +it is escaping. The arms didn't move. Astounding as it was, Harley was +free to run away if he chose. Why was that?</p> + +<p>A hint of a clue to the creature's action began to unfold in his mind. +When he had first laid eyes on it, in daylight, it was asleep. It had +not pursued him during the preceding day, which argued that again it was +asleep. And now, with the first touch of dawn, it was once more quiet, +immobile.</p> + +<p>The answer seemed to be that it was entirely nocturnal; that for some +obscure, unguessable reason sunlight induced in it a state of suspended +animation. It seemed an insane theory, but no other surmise was remotely +reasonable.</p> + +<p>But if it were invariably sunk in a coma during daylight, why had it +delayed killing him just a moment ago? Its every act indicated that it +possessed intelligence of a high order. It was more than probable that +it realized its limitation—why hadn't it acted in accordance with that +realization?</p> + +<p>On thinking it over, he believed he had the answer to that, too. He +remembered the way the gaping mouth had seemed to express devilish +mirth. The thing was playing with him. That was all. It had saved him +for another night of hopeless flight and infallible trailing through the +forests of Z-40.</p> + +<p>He gazed at the monster in a frenzy of impotent rage and fear. If only +he could kill it somehow in its sleep! But he couldn't. In no way could +he harm it. Secure in its silicate covering, it was impervious to his +wildest attempts at destruction. And it knew it, too; hadn't it laughed +just before sinking down to slumber through the asteroidal day?</p> + +<p>With his Sco drill he might have pierced that silicon dioxide armor till +he reached the creature's gritty flesh. Then he could have used his +ray-pistol, possibly disintegrating all its vitals and leaving only an +empty rock shell sprawling hugely there in the trampled underbrush.</p> + +<p>But he had neither drill nor pistol. The one had been wrecked by the +monster; the other he had dropped in his madness of fright, after +completely exhausting its power chamber.</p> + +<p>Half crazed by the hopelessness of his plight, he paced up and down +beside the great length of animated stone. Trapped on an +asteroid—utterly unarmed—alone with the most pitiless, invulnerable +creation Nature had placed in a varied universe! Could Hell itself have +devised a more terrible fate?</p> + +<p>Shuddering, he turned away. He had some two and a half hours of grace, +before the sun should set again and darkness release the colossus from +its torpor. There was only one thing he could do: place the diameter of +the sphere between the thing and himself, and try to exist through +another night of terror.</p> + +<p>His hands went to his belt to adjust the gravity regulator strapped +about his waist. By reducing his weight to an ounce or two, he could +make the long journey possible for his fatigue-numbed muscles—</p> + +<p>His hands clenched into fists, and his breath whistled between his set +teeth as a wild hope came to him. The touch of the regulator had brought +inspiration. A way to defeat the gigantic creature stretched on the +ground beside him! A way to banish it forever from the surface of this +lovely little world where all was perfect but the monstrous thing with +which it was cursed!</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Trembling with the reaction wrought in him by the faint glow of hope, he +began to race toward the lake and his wrecked Blinco Dart. It wasn't +hard to find the way; the rock giant had left a trail as broad as a +road; trees broken off like celery stalks, bushes smashed flat, tracks +that looked like shallow wells sunk into the firm ground. Fifty yards to +a step, he leaped along this path, praying that one object, just one bit +of machinery in the Dart had escaped the general wreckage.</p> + +<p>Arrived at the little shell at last, he was forced to pause a moment and +compose himself before he could step into the battered interior. +Everything hinged on this one final chance!</p> + +<p>Drawing a long breath, he entered the cabin and made his way to the +stern repellor. A groan escaped his lips. It was ruined. Evidently the +thing had reached in the man-hole opening with one of its three mighty +tentacles, and, with sure instinct, had fastened its stone claws on the +repellor housing. At any rate, it was ground to bits. But—there was the +bow repellor.</p> + +<p>He went to that, and the flame of hope came back to his eyes. It was +untouched! He threw back the housing to make sure. Yes, the +inter-sliding series of plates, that reversed or neutralized +gravitational attraction at a touch, were in alignment.</p> + +<p>He bent to the task of disconnecting it from the heavy bed-plate to +which it was bolted, his fingers flying frenziedly. Then back to the +torpid colossus he hurried, clutching the precious repellor tight in his +arms lest he should drop it, walking carefully lest he should fall with +it.</p> + +<p>There he was faced by a new difficulty that at first seemed +insurmountable. How could he fasten the repellor to that great, +impenetrable, opalescent bulk?</p> + +<p>A second time he bounded back toward the Dart, to return with the heavy +bow and stern bed-plates from its hull.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Once more the orange ball of the sun was sinking low. The terrible +brevity of those three-hour days! He had less than ten minutes, Earth +time, in which to work.</p> + +<p>One of the thing's arms, or tentacles, was pointing out away from the +parent mass. It was twice the diameter of his body, and was ponderously +heavy; but by rigging a fulcrum and lever device, with a stone as the +fulcrum and a tough log as the lever, he managed to raise it high enough +to thrust one of the bed-plates under it. The other massive metal sheet +he laid across the top.</p> + +<p>The lower rim of the sun touched the horizon. A tremor ran through the +colossus. In frantic haste, racing against the flying seconds, Harley +clamped the two plates tight against the columnar tentacle with four +long hull-bolts from the Dart. He set the repellor in position on the +top bed-plate, and began to fasten it down.</p> + +<p>He felt another tremor run through the stone column on which he was +squatting. With a rasping sound, one of the half-moon rock-curtains the +thing had for eyelids blinked open and shut. He shot the last bolt into +place and tightened it.</p> + +<p>The stone claws, just behind which he had fastened the repellor, ground +savagely shut. The great tentacle began to lift, and carried him with +it—toward the chasm of a mouth. That chasm opened wide....</p> + +<p>Harley straightened up and jumped for the ground. As he jumped, he +kicked the repellor control bar hard over.</p> + +<p>There was a shrieking of wind as though all the hurricanes in the +universe were battling each other. He felt himself turned over and over, +buffeted, torn at, in a mad aerial whirlpool. The whirlpool calmed as +the abruptly created vacuum, caused by the monster's rapid drive upward, +passed after it into space. Far overhead there was one fleeting glimpse +of a pinpoint of dull opalescence reflecting the rays of the dying sun. +Then the pinpoint disappeared in fathomless space. With his gravity +regulator adjusted to the point where it almost neutralized his weight, +he fell slowly back toward the ground....</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Almost immediately after he had landed in the darkness that blanketed +the surface of the planetoid, a big space yacht settled down near him. A +searchlight bored a hole in the blackness, to bathe him in cold light. +Down the beam came a band of men from Earth, pushing atomic cannon and +gazing apprehensively about them. In the lead was an elderly man with +the six-bar dollar-mark insignia of a business executive on his purple +tunic.</p> + +<p>He hastened to Harley's side. Harley only dimly heard what he said. +Something to the effect that the man had been worried after selling the +fatal asteroid. Had got in touch with the Radivision Corporation and +learned that this call number was dead. Had come with men and big guns +to rescue him, if it wasn't too late, and take him back to Earth. Had +cruised for half an hour before locating him. "I've been calling myself +a murderer ever since I let you have Z-40, Mr. 2Q14N20," he concluded. +"I was sure we'd get here only to find you'd been killed. But I see +you've managed to escape from the creature so far—though by the look of +you, it must have been a narrow shave."</p> + +<p>At this Harley shook off some of the gathering dizziness that hazed his +mind. He threw back his shoulders. "Managed to <i>escape</i>? I did better +than that. I got rid of the thing forever! Yes, I'll return to Earth +with you, but only because I need a new Blinco Dart. I'm coming back to +Z-40 at once. Perfect little paradise, now that I've got rid of +that—animated—rock pile—"</p> + +<p>The belated rescuers caught him as he collapsed.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> This implement, invented by Blansco 9X247A in 2052, is not +so much a "drill" as a compressor. It is somewhat superficially defined +in the Universal Dictionary, 2061 edition, as "a portable mechanism +which, by alternating gaseous blasts of extreme heat and cold, breaks +down the atoms of inorganic matter, causing them to collapse together in +dense compression." Thus a cubic yard of earth can be reduced in size, +in a few moments, to a pebble no larger than a pea; which pebble would +weigh, on Earth, close to a ton.</p></div> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Planetoid of Peril, by Paul Ernst + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLANETOID OF PERIL *** + +***** This file should be named 29771-h.htm or 29771-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/7/7/29771/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://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 +http://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 http://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 +http://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 http://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 http://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 checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is 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: + + http://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/29771-h/images/illus.jpg b/29771-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8586097 --- /dev/null +++ b/29771-h/images/illus.jpg diff --git a/29771.txt b/29771.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6f1b32b --- /dev/null +++ b/29771.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1367 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Planetoid of Peril, by Paul Ernst + +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: The Planetoid of Peril + +Author: Paul Ernst + +Release Date: August 23, 2009 [EBook #29771] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLANETOID OF PERIL *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + The Planetoid of Peril + + By Paul Ernst + +[Transcriber' Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Stories +November 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + +[Illustration: _He pointed it at the incredible body._] + + Undaunted by crazy tales of an indestructible presence on + Asteroid Z-40, Harley 2Q14N20 sets out alone to face and + master it. + + +Harley 2Q14N20 stopped for a moment outside the great dome of the +Celestial Developments Company. Moodily he stared at their asteroid +development chart. It showed, as was to be expected, the pick of the +latest asteroid subdivision projects: the Celestial Developments +Company, established far back in 2045, would handle none but the very +best. Small chance of his finding anything here! + +However, as he gazed at the chart, hope came suddenly to his face, and +his heart beat high under his sapphire blue tunic. There was an asteroid +left for sale there--one blank space among the myriad, pink-lettered +Sold symbols. Could it be that here was the chance he had been hunting +so desperately? + +He bent closer, to read the description of the sphere, and the hope +faded gradually from his countenance. According to its orbit and +location, and the spectroscopic table of its mineral resources, it was a +choice planetoid indeed. Of course such a rich little sphere, listed for +sale by the luxurious Celestial Developments Company, would cost far +more than he could ever rake together to pay for an asteroid. + +Shaking his head, he adjusted his gravity regulator to give him about a +pound and a half of weight, and started to float on. Then, his lips +twisting at his own absurd hopefulness, he stopped again; and after +another moment of indecision turned into the archway that led to the +concern's great main office. After all, it wouldn't hurt to inquire the +price, even though he knew in advance it would be beyond his humble +means. + + * * * * * + +A youngster in the pale green of the one-bar neophyte in business +promptly glided toward him. + +"Something for you to-day, sir?" he asked politely. + +"Yes," said Harley. "I'm looking around for a planetoid; want to get a +place of my own out a way from Earth. Something, you understand, that +may turn out to be a profitable investment as well as furnishing an +exclusive home-site. I see on your chart that you have a sphere left for +sale, in the Red Belt, so I came in to ask about it." + +"Ah, you mean asteroid Z-40," said the youngster, gazing with envious +respect at the ten-bar insignia, with the crossed Sco drills, that +proclaimed Harley to be a mining engineer of the highest rank. "Yes, +that is still for sale. A splendid sphere, sir; and listed at a +remarkably low figure. Half a million dollars." + +"Half a million dollars!" exclaimed Harley. It was an incredibly small +sum: scarcely the yearly salary of an unskilled laborer. "Are you sure +that's right?" + +"Yes, that's the correct figure. Down payment of a third, and the +remaining two thirds to be paid out of the exploitation profits--" + + * * * * * + +Here the conversation was interrupted by an elderly, grey-haired man +with the six-bar dollar-mark insignia of a business executive on his +purple tunic. He had been standing nearby, and at the mention of +asteroid Z-40 had looked up alertly. He glided to the two with a frown +on his forehead, and spoke a few curt words to the neophyte, who slunk +away. + +"Sorry, sir," he said to Harley. "Z-40 isn't for sale." + +"But your young man just told me that it was," replied Hartley, loath to +give up what had begun to look like an almost unbelievable bargain. + +"He was mistaken. It's not on the market. It isn't habitable, you see." + +"What's wrong--hasn't it an atmosphere?" + +"Oh, yes. One that is exceptionally rich in oxygen, as is true of all +the spheres we handle. With a late model oxygen concentrator, one would +have no trouble at all existing there." + +"Is its speed of revolution too great?" + +"Not at all. The days are nearly three hours long: annoying till you get +used to it, but nothing like the inferior asteroids of the Mars Company +where days and nights are less than ten minutes in duration." + +"Well, is it barren, then? No minerals of value? No vegetation?" + +"The spectroscope shows plenty of metals, including heavy radium +deposits. The vegetation is as luxuriant as that of semi-tropic Earth." + +"Then why in the name of Betelguese," said Harley, exasperated, "won't +you sell the place to me? It's exactly what I've been looking for, and +what I'd despaired of finding at my price." + +"I'm forbidden to tell why it isn't for sale," said the executive, +starting to float off. "It might hurt our business, reputation if the +truth about that bit of our celestial properties became widely +known--Oh, disintegrate it all! Why wasn't the thing erased from the +chart weeks ago!" + +"Wait a minute." Harley caught his arm and detained him. "You've gone +too far to back out now. I'm too eager to find some such place as your +Z-40 to be thrown off the subject like a child. _Why_ isn't it for +sale?" + +The man tightened his lips as though to refuse to answer, then shrugged. + +"I'll tell you," he said at last. "But I beg of you to keep it +confidential. If some of our investors on neighboring asteroids ever +found out about the peril adjoining them on Z-40, they'd probably insist +on having their money back." + +He led the way to a more secluded spot under the big dome, and spoke in +a low tone, with many a glance over his shoulder to see if anyone were +within earshot. + +"Z-40 is an exceptionally fine bit of property. It is commodious; about +twenty miles in diameter. Its internal heat is such that it has a +delightful climate in spite of the extreme rarity of atmosphere common +to even the best of asteroids. It has a small lake; in fact it has about +everything a man could want. Yet, as I said, it is uninhabitable." + +His voice sank still lower. + +"You see, sir, there's already a tenant on that sphere, a tenant that +was in possession long before the Celestial Developments Company was +organized. And it's a tenant that can't be bought off or reasoned with. +It's some sort of beast, powerful, ferocious, that makes it certain +death for a man to try to land there." + +"A beast?" echoed Harley. "What kind of a beast?" + +"We don't know. In fact we hardly even know what it looks like. But from +what little has been seen of it, it's clear that it is like no other +specimen known to universal science. It's something enormous, some freak +of animal creation that seems invulnerable to man's smaller weapons. And +that is why we can't offer the place for sale. It would be suicide for +anyone to try to make a home there." + +"_Has_ anyone ever tried it?" asked Harley. "Any competent adventurer, I +mean?" + +"Yes. Twice we sold Z-40 before we realized that there was something +terribly wrong with it. Both buyers were hardy, intrepid men. The first +was never heard of after thirty-six hours on the asteroid. The second +man managed to escape in his Blinco Dart, and came back to Earth to tell +of a vast creature that had attacked him during one of the three-hour +nights. His hair was white from the sight of it, and he's still in a +sanitarium, slowly recovering from the nervous shock." + +Harley frowned thoughtfully. "If this thing is more than a match for one +man, why don't you send an armed band with heavy atomic guns and clear +the asteroid by main force?" + +"My dear sir, don't you suppose we've tried that? Twice we sent +expensive expeditions to Z-40 to blow the animal off the face of the +sphere, but neither expedition was able to find the thing, whatever it +is. Possibly it has intelligence enough to hide if faced by overwhelming +force. When the second expedition failed, we gave it up. Poor business +to go further. Already, Z-40 has cost us more than we could clear from +the sale of half a dozen planetoids." + +For a long time Harley was silent. The Company was a hard headed, cold +blooded concern. Anything that kept them from selling an asteroid must +be terrible indeed. + +His jaw set in a hard line. "You've been honest with me," he said at +length. "I appreciate it. Just the same--I still want to buy Z-40. Maybe +I can oust the present tenant. I'm pretty good with a ray-pistol." + +"It would be poor policy for us to sell the asteroid. We don't want to +become known as a firm that trades in globes on which it is fatal to +land." + +"Surely my fate is none of your worry?" urged Harley. + +"The asteroid," began the executive with an air of finality, "is not +for--" + +"Man, it's _got_ to be!" cried Harley. Then, with a perceptible effort +he composed himself. "There's a reason. The reason is a girl. I'm a poor +man, and she's heiress to fabulous--Well, frankly, she's the daughter of +3W28W12 himself!" The executive started at mention of that universally +known number. "I don't want to be known as a fortune hunter; and my best +bet is to find a potentially rich asteroid, cheap, and develop +it--incidentally getting an exclusive estate for my bride and myself far +out in space, away from the smoke and bustle of urban Earth. Z-40, save +for the menace you say now has possession of it, seems to be just what I +want. If I can clear it, it means the fulfillment of all my dreams. With +that in view, do you think I'd hesitate to risk my neck?" + +"No," said the executive slowly, looking at the younger man's powerful +shoulders and square-set chin and resolute eyes. "I don't think you +would. Well, so be it. I'd greatly prefer not to sell you Z-40. But if +you want to sign an agreement that we're released of all blame or +responsibility in case of your death, you can buy it." + +"I'll sign any agreement you please," snapped Harley. "Here is a down +payment of a hundred and seventy thousand dollars. My name is Harley; +sign 2Q14N20; unmarried--though I hope to change that soon, if I +live--occupation, mining engineer, ten-bar degree; age, thirty-four. Now +draw me up a deed for Z-40, and see that I'm given a stellar call number +on the switchboard of the Radivision Corporation. I'll drop around there +later and get a receiving unit. Good day." And, adjusting his gravity +regulator to lighten his weight to less than a pound, he catapulted out +the archway. + +Behind him a prosaic business executive snatched a moment from a busy +day to indulge in a sentimental flight of fancy. He had read once of +curious old-time beings called knights, who had undertaken to fight and +slay fire-eating things called dragons for the sake of an almost +outmoded emotion referred to as love. It occurred to him that this +brusque man of action might be compared to just such a being. He was +undertaking to slay a dragon and win a castle for the daughter of +3W28W12-- + +The romantic thought was abruptly broken up by the numeral. It jarred +so, somehow, that modern use of numbers instead of names, when thinking +of sentimental passages of long ago. "The rose is fair; but in all the +world there is no rose as fair as thou, my princess 3W28W12...." No, it +wouldn't do. + +Cursing himself for a soft-headed fool, he went to deliver a stinging +rebuke to somebody for not having blocked Z-40 off the asteroid chart +weeks before. + + * * * * * + +"Harley 2Q14N20," recited the control assistant at Landon Field. +"Destination, asteroid Z-40. Red Belt, arc 31.3470. Sights corrected, +flight period twelve minutes, forty-eight seconds past nine o'clock. All +set, sir?" + +Harley nodded. He stepped inside the double shell of his new Blinco +Dart--that small but excellent quantity-production craft that had +entirely replaced the cumbersome space ships of a decade ago--and +screwed down the man-hole lid. Then, with his hand on the gravity bar, +he gazed out the rear panel, ready to throw the lever at the control +assistant's signal. + +The move was unthinkingly, mechanically made. Too many times had he gone +through this process of being aimed by astronomical calculation, and +launched into the heavens, to be much stirred by the wonder of it. The +journey to Z-40 in the Dart was no more disquieting than, a century and +a half ago, before the United States had fused together into one vast +city, a journey from Chicago to Florida would have been in one of the +inefficient gasoline-driven vehicles of that day. + +All his thoughts were on his destination, and on a wonder as to what +could be the nature of the thing that dwelt there. + +He had just come from the sanitarium where the man who'd bought Z-40 +before him was recovering from nervous exhaustion. He'd gone there to +try to get first hand information about the creature the executive at +the Celestial Developments Company had talked so vaguely of. And the +tale the convalescent had told him of the thing on the asteroid was as +fantastic as it was sketchy. + +A tremendous, weirdly manlike creature looming in the dim night--a thing +that seemed a part of the planetoid itself, fashioned from the very dirt +and rock from which it had risen--a thing immune to the ray-pistol, that +latest and deadliest of man-made small-arms--a thing that moved like a +walking mountain and stared with terrible, stony eyes at its prey! That +was what the fellow said he had faintly made out in the darkness before +his nerves had finally given way. + +He had impressed Harley as being a capable kind of a person, too; not at +all the sort to distort facts, nor to see imaginary figures in the +night. + +There was that matter of the stone splinter, however, which certainly +argued that the wan, prematurely white-haired fellow was a little +unbalanced, and hence not to be believed too implicitly. He'd handed it +to Harley, and gravely declared it to be a bit of the monster's flesh. + +"Why, it's only a piece of rock!" Harley had exclaimed before he could +check himself. + +"Did you ever see rock like it before?" + +Turning it over in his hands, Harley had been forced to admit that he +never had. It was of the texture and roughness of granite, but more +heavily shot with quartz, or tridymite than any other granite he'd ever +seen. It had a dull opalescent sheen, too. But it was rock, all right. + +"It's a piece of the thing's hide," the man had told him. "It flaked off +when it tried to pry open the man-hole cover of ray Dart. A moment after +that I got Radivision arc directions from London Field, aimed my sights, +and shot for Earth. It was a miracle I escaped." + +"But surely your ray-pistol--" Harley had begun, preserving a discreet +silence about the man's delusion concerning the stone splinter. + +"I tell you it was useless as a toy! Never before have I seen any form +of life that could stand up against a ray-gun. But _this_ thing _did_!" + +This was another statement Harley had accepted with a good deal of +reservation. He had felt sure the weapon the man had used had a leak in +the power chamber, or was in need of recharging, or something of the +kind. For it had been conclusively proved that all organic matter +withered and burned away under the impact of the Randchron ray. + +Nevertheless, discounting heavily the convalescent's wild story, only a +fool would have clung to a conviction that the menace on Z-40 was a +trivial one. There was _something_ on that asteroid, something larger +and more deadly than Harley had ever heard of before in all his +planetary wanderings. + +He squared his shoulders. Whatever it was, he was about to face it, man +against animal. He was reasonably certain his ray-gun would down +anything on two legs or ten. If it didn't--well, there was nothing else +that could; and he'd certainly provide a meal for the creature, assuming +it ate human flesh.... + +A mechanic tapped against the rear view panel to recall his wandering +attention. The control assistant held up his hands, fingers outspread, +to indicate that there were ten seconds left. + +Harley's hand went to his throat, where was hung a locket--a lovely but +useless trinket of the kind once much worn by Earth women--and his +fingers tightened tenderly on it. It had belonged to Beatrice 3W28W12's +great-great-grandmother, and Beatrice had given it to him as a token. + +"With luck, my dear," he whispered aloud. "With luck...." + +There was a slight vibration. He threw the gravity bar over to the first +notch. Earth dropped, plummet-like, away from him. He pushed the bar to +the limit leg; and, at a rate of hundreds of miles a second, was +repelled from Earth toward Z-40, and the thing that skulked there. + + * * * * * + +With a scarcely perceptible jar, he landed on the small sphere that, he +hoped, was to be his future home. Before opening his man-hole lid, he +went from panel to panel of the Dart and cautiously reconnoitered. He +had elected to land beside the little lake that was set like a three +hundred-acre gem on the surface of Z-40, and it was more than possible +that the enemy had its den nearby. + +However, a careful survey of the curved landscape in all directions +failed to reveal a glimpse of anything remotely threatening. He donned +his oxygen concentrator--in appearance a simple tube of a thing, +projecting about six inches above his forehead, and set in a light metal +band that encircled his head. Adjusting his gravity regulator so he +wouldn't inadvertently walk clear off into empty space--he calculated +his weight would be less than a twentieth of an ounce here--he stepped +out of the Dart and gazed around at the little world. + +Before him was the tiny lake, of an emerald green hue in the flashing +sunlight. Around its shores, and covering the adjacent, softly rolling +countryside as far as eye could reach, was a thick growth of +carmine-tinted vegetation: squat, enormous-leaved bushes; low, sturdy +trees, webbed together by innumerable vines. To left and right, +miniature mountains reared ragged crests over the abbreviated horizon, +making the spot he was in a peaceful, lovely valley. + +He sighed. There was everything here a man could wish for--provided he +could win it! Loosening his ray-pistol in its holster, he started to +walk slowly around the lake to choose a site for the house he intended +to build. On the opposite shore he found a place that looked suitable. + +A few yards back from the water's edge, curling in a thick crescent like +a giant sleeping on its side, was a precipitous outcropping of rock; +curious stuff, rather like granite, that gleamed with dull opalescence +in the brilliant sunlight. With that as a sort of natural buttress +behind the house, and with the beautiful lake as his front dooryard, +he'd have a location that any man might envy. + +He returned to his Dart, hopped back across the lake in it, and unloaded +his Sco drill[1]. With this he planned to sink a shaft that would serve +in the future as the cellar for his villa, and in the present as an +entrenchment against danger. + +But now the swift night of Z-40 was almost upon him. The low slant of +the descending sun warned him that he had less than ten minutes of light +left, until the next three-hour day should break over the eastern rim. +He placed the drums and the flexible hose of the Sco drill so that he +could begin operations with it as soon as the dawn broke, and started to +walk toward the precipitous outcropping of quartziferous stone +immediately behind the home-site he had picked. He would climb to the +top of this for a short look around, and then return to the Dart--in +which double-hulled, metal fortress he thought he would be safe from +anything. + + * * * * * + +He had almost reached the rock outcropping when the peculiarities of its +outline struck him anew. He'd already observed that the craggy mound +rather resembled a sleeping, formless giant. The closer he got to it the +more the resemblance was heightened and the greater grew his perplexity. + +It sprang straight up from the carmine underbrush, like a separate heap +of stone cast there by some mighty hand. One end of it tapered down in a +thick ridge; and this ridge had a deep, horizontal cleft running along +it which made it appear as though it were divided into two leglike +members. In the center the mound swelled to resemble a paunchy trunk +with sagging shoulders. This was topped by a huge, nearly round ball +that looked for all the world like a head. There were even rudimentary +features. It was grotesque--one of those freak sculptures of nature, +Harley reflected, that made it seem as though the Old Girl had a mind +and artistic talent of her own. + +He scrambled through the brush till he reached that part of the long +mound that looked like a head. There, as the sun began to stream the red +lines of its descent over the sky, he prepared to ascend for his view of +the surrounding landscape. + +He'd got within twenty feet of the irregular ball, and had adjusted his +gravity regulator to enable him to leap to its top, when he stopped as +abruptly as though he had been suddenly paralyzed. Over the two deep +pits that resembled nostrils in the grotesque mask of a face he thought +he had observed a quiver. The illusion had occurred in just the proper +place for an eyelid. It was startling, to say the least. + +"I'm getting imaginative," said Harley. He spoke aloud as a man tends to +do when he is alone and uneasy. "I'd better get a tighter grip on my +nerves, or--good God!" + +Coincident with the sound of his voice in the thin, quiet air, the huge +stumps that looked like legs stirred slightly. A tremor ran through the +entire mass of rock. And directly in front of Harley, less than twenty +feet from where he stood, a sort of half-moon-shaped curtain of rock +slid slowly up to reveal an enormous, staring eye. + +Frozen with a terror such as he had never felt before in a life filled +with adventure, scarce breathing, Harley glared at the monstrous +spectacle transpiring before him. A hill was coming to life, A granite +cliff was growing animate. It was impossible, but it was happening. + +The half-moon curtains of rock that so eerily resembled eyelids, blinked +heavily. He could hear a faint rasping like the rustle of sandpaper, as +they did so. One of the great leg stumps moved distinctly, independent +of the other one. Three columnar masses of rock--arms, or tentacles, +with a dozen hinging joints in each--slowly moved away from the parent +mass near the base of the head, and extended toward the Earth man. + +Still in his trance, with his heart pounding in his throat till he +thought it would burst, Harley watched the further awful developments. +The eyelids remained opened, disclosing two great, dull eyes like poorly +polished agates, which stared expressionlessly at him. There was a +convulsion like a minor earthquake, and the mass shortened and +heightened its bulk, raising itself to a sitting posture. The three +hinged, irregular arms suddenly extended themselves to the full in a +thrust that barely missed him. They were tipped, those arms, with +immense claws, like interlocking, rough-hewn stone fingers. They crashed +emptily together within a few feet of Harley. Then, and not till then, +did the paralysis of horror loose its grip on the human. + +He tore his ray-pistol from its holster and pointed it at the incredible +body. An angry, blue-green cone of light leaped from the muzzle, and +played over the mighty torso. Nothing happened. He squeezed the trigger +back to the guard. The blue-green beam increased in intensity, and a +crackling noise was audible. Under that awful power the monster should +have disappeared, dissolved to a greasy mist. But it didn't. + +The light beam from the ray-gun died away. The power was exhausted. It +was only good for about ten seconds of such an emergency, full-force +discharge, after which it must be re-charged again. The ten seconds were +up. And the gigantic creature against which it had been directed had +apparently felt no injury from a beam that would have annihilated ten +thousand men. + +The now useless ray-pistol slipped from his limp fingers. Stupefied with +horror at the futility of the deadly Randchron ray against this terrible +adversary, he stood rooted to the spot. Then the thing reached for him +again; and his muscles were galvanized to action--to instinctive, +stupid, reasonless action. + +Screaming incoherently, mad with horror of the stone claws that had +clutched at him, he turned and ran. In great leaps he bounded away from +the accursed lake and made for the taller trees and thicker vegetation +at a distance from the shore. It was the worst thing he could have done. +There was a chance that he could have reached his Dart, had he thought +of it, and soared aloft out of reach. But he thought of nothing. All he +wanted to do, in that abysmal fear that can still make a mindless animal +out of a civilized man, was to run and hide--to get away from the +fearful monster that had risen up to glare at him with those stony, +pitiless eyes, and to reach for him with two-fingered bands like +grinding rock vises. + + * * * * * + +Just as the sun fell below the rim of the asteroid, plunging it into a +darkness only faintly relieved by the light of the stars, he crashed +into the deeper underbrush. A trailing creeper tripped him in his mad +flight. He fell headlong, to lie panting, sobbing for breath, in the +thick carpet of blood-colored moss. + +Behind him, from the direction of the lake, he heard a sudden clangor as +of rock beating against metal. This endured only a short time. Then the +solid ground beneath him shook slightly, and an appalling crash of trees +and underbrush to the rear told him that the stone colossus was on his +trail. + +He leaped to his feet and continued his great bounds over the sharply +curved surface of the asteroid, banging against tree trunks, bruising +himself against stones, falling in the darkness to rise again and flee +as before in a mad attempt to distance the crashing sound of pursuit +behind him. + +Then he felt himself writhing in thin air as his flying course took him +over the edge of a cliff. Down, down he fell, to land in a dense bed of +foliage far below. Something hit his head with terrific force. Pinwheels +of light flashed before his eyes, to fade into velvety nothingness.... + + * * * * * + +Slowly, uncertainly he wavered back to consciousness. For a moment he +was aware of nothing save that he was lying on some surface that was +jagged and uncomfortable, and that it was broad daylight. He opened his +eyes, and saw that he was reclining, across a springy bed formed of the +top of a tree. Ahead of him loomed a cliff about a hundred feet high. + +Remembrance suddenly came to him. The unreasoning rush through the +underbrush. The nightmare creature lumbering swiftly after him. The fall +over the cliff into the top of this tree. + +With a cry, he sat up, expecting to see the stone giant nearby and +poised to leap. But it was nowhere in sight; nor, listen as intently as +he would, could he hear the sounds of its crashing path through the +brush. Somehow, for the moment at least, he had been saved. Perhaps his +disappearance over the cliff edge had thrown it off his track. + +He became aware of the fact that it was difficult for him to breathe. +His lungs were heaving in a vain effort to suck in more oxygen, and his +tongue felt thick as though he were being strangled. Then he saw that +his oxygen concentrator had been knocked from his head when he fell, and +was dangling from a limb several feet away. It was almost out of +breathing range. Had it fallen on through the branches to the ground he +would have died, in his unconsciousness, in the rarified atmosphere. He +reached for it; settled the band around his head again. + +After once more listening and peering around to make sure the rock +colossus was not about, he descended the tree that had saved his life, +and began to walk in the direction he judged the lake to be. He would +get into his Dart, cruise aloft out of harm's way, and perhaps think up +some effective course of action. + + * * * * * + +He was thinking clearly, now. And, in the glare of daylight, no longer +an unreasoning animal fleeing blindly over a dim-lit foreign sphere, he +was unable to understand his panic of the night. Afraid? Of course he +had been afraid! What man wouldn't have been at sight of that monstrous +thing? But that he, Harley 2Q14N20, should have lost his head completely +and gone plunging off into the brush like that, seemed unbelievable. To +the depths of his soul he felt ashamed. And to his own soul he made the +promise that he would wipe out, in action, that hour of cowardice. + +As he wound his way through the squat, carmine forest, he tried to +figure out the nature of the thing that had crashed balefully after him +in the black hours. + +It had seemed made of rock--a giant, primitive stone statue imbued with +life. But it was impossible that it should really be fashioned of rock. +At least it ought to be impossible. Rock is inorganic, inanimate. It +simply couldn't have the spark of life in it. Harley had seen many +strange creations, on many strange planets, but never had he seen +inorganic mineral matter endowed with animation. Nor had anyone else. + +Yet the thing _looked_ as though made of stone. Of some peculiar, +quartz-suffused granite--proving that the wan, white-haired man he had +talked to in the sanitarium had not been mad at all, but only too +terribly sane. The creature's very eyes had had a stony look. Its +eyelids had rasped like stone curtains rubbing together. Its awful, +two-fingered hands, or claws, had ground together like stones rubbing. + +Was it akin to the lizards, the cold-blooded life of Earth? Was this +rocky exterior merely a horny shell like that of a turtle? No. Horn is +horn and rock is rock. The two can't be confused. + +The only theory Harley could form was that the great beast was in some +strange way a link between the animal and the mineral kingdoms. Its +skeletal structure, perhaps, was silicate in substance, extending to +provide an outside covering that had hardened into actual stone, while +forming an interior support to flesh that was half organic, half +inorganic matter. Some such silicate construction was to be found in the +sponge, of Earth. Could this be a gigantic relative of that lowly +creature? He did not know, and couldn't guess. He wasn't a zoologist. +All he knew was that the thing appeared to be formed of living, +impregnable stone. He knew, also, that this fabulous creature was bent +on destroying him. + +At this point in his reflections, the glint of water came to his eyes +between the tree trunks ahead of him. He had come back to the lake. + + * * * * * + +For moments he stood behind one of the larger trees on the fringe and +searched around the shore for sight of the rock giant. It was nowhere in +evidence. Rapidly he advanced from the forest and ran for the Dart. From +a distance it appeared to be all right: but as he drew near a cry rose +involuntarily to his lips. + +In a dozen places the double hull of the little space craft was battered +in. The man-hole lid was torn from its braces and bent double. The glass +panels, unbreakable in themselves, had been shoved clear into the cabin; +their empty sash frames gaped at Harley like blinded eyes. Never again +would that Blinco Dart speed through the heavens! + +He went to the spot where he had left his Sco drill, and a further +evidence of the thing's cold blooded ferocity was revealed. The +intricate mechanism had been wrenched into twisted pieces. The drums +were battered in and the flexible hose lengths torn apart in shreds. The +inventor himself couldn't have put it in working order again. + +He was hopelessly trapped. He had no means of fighting the colossus. He +had no way of escaping into space, nor of returning to Earth and trying +to raise a loan that would allow him to come back here with men and +atomic guns. He hadn't even a way of intrenching himself in the ground +against the next attack. + +For an instant his hair prickled in a flash of the blind panic that had +seized him a few hours before. With a tremendous effort of will he +fought it down. This--the destruction of his precious Dart and +drill--was the result of one siege of insensate fear. If he succumbed to +another one he might well dash straight into the arms of death. He sank +to the ground and rested his chin on his fist, concentrating all his +intellect on the hopeless problem that faced him. + +The surface of Z-40 was many square miles in extent. But, if he tried to +hide himself, he knew it was only a question of time before he would be +hunted down. The asteroid was too tiny to give him indefinite +concealment. Flight, then, was futile. + +But if he didn't try to conceal himself in the sparse forest lands, it +meant that he must stay to face the monster at once--which was insanity. +What could he do, bare-handed, against that thirty-foot, +three-tentacled, silicate mass of incredible life! + +It was useless to run, and it was madness to stay and confront the +thing. What, then, could he do? The sun had slid down the sky and the +red of another swift dusk was heralding the short night before he shook +his head somberly and gave the fatal riddle up. + +He rose to his feet, intending to make his way back to the +concealment--such as it was--of the forest. It might be that he could +find safety in some lofty treetop till day dawned again. Then he +stopped, and listened. What was that? + +From far away to the left he could hear faint sounds of some gargantuan +stirring. And, coincident with the flickering out of the last scrap of +sunlight, a distant crashing came to his ears as an enormous body +smashed like an armored ship through trees and thorn bushes and trailing +vines. The rock thing had found his trail and was after him again. + + * * * * * + +A second time Harley fled through the dim-lighted night, stumbling over +boulders and tripping on creepers. But this time his flight was not that +of panic. Frightened enough, he was; but his mind was working clearly as +he leaped through the forest away from the source of the crashing. + +The first thing he noted was that though--as far as his ears could +inform him--he was managing to keep his lead, he wasn't outdistancing +his horrible pursuer by a yard. Dark though the night was, and far away +as he contrived to keep himself, the colossus seemed to cling to his +trail as easily as though following a well-blazed path. + +He climbed a tree, faced at right angles to the course he had pursued, +and swung for the next tree. It was a long jump. But desperation lent +abnormal power to his muscles, and the gravity regulator adjusted to +extremely low pitch, was a great help. He made it safely. Another +swinging leap into the dark, to land sprawling in a second tree; a +third; a fourth. Finally be crouched in a tangle of boughs, and +listened. He was a quarter of a mile from the point where he had turned +from his first direction. Perhaps this deviation would throw the rock +terror off. + +It didn't. He heard the steady smashing noise stop. For an instant there +was a silence in the darkness of the asteroid that was painful. Then the +crashing was resumed, this time drawing straight toward where he was +hidden. Somehow the thing had learned of his change of direction. + +He continued his flight into the night, his eyes staring glassily into +the darkness, his expression the ghastly one of a condemned man. And as +he fled the crashing behind him told how he was followed--easily +infallibly, in spite of all his twisting and turning and efforts at +concealment. What hellish intelligence the monster must possess! + +He ran for eternities. He ran till his chest was on fire, and the +sobbing agony of his breathing could be heard for yards. He ran till +spots of fire floated before his eyes and the blood, throbbing in his +brain, cut out the noise of the devilish pursuit behind him. At long +last his legs buckled under him, and he fell, to rise no more. + +He was done. He knew it. His was the position of the hunted animal that +lies panting, every muscle paralyzed with absolute exhaustion, and +glares in an agony of helplessness at the hunter whose approach spells +death. + +The crashing grew louder. The tremor of the ground grew more pronounced +as the vast pursuer pounded along with its tons and tons of weight. +Harley gazed into the blackness back along the way he had come, his eyes +sunk deep in the hollows fatigue had carved in his face, and waited for +the end. The dark night darkened still more with the approach of another +swift, inexorable dawn. + +There was a terrific rending of tree trunks and webbed creepers. Dimly +in the darkness he could see something that towered on a level with the +tallest trees, something that moved as rapidly and steadily as though +driven by machinery. Fear so great that it nauseated him, swept over him +in waves; but he could not move. + +The first grey smear of dawn appeared in the sky. In the ghostly +greyness he got a clearer and clearer sight of the monster. He groaned +and cowered there while it approached him--more slowly now, eyeing him +with staring, stony orbs in which there was no expression of any kind, +of rage or bate, of curiosity or triumph. + +Great stumps of legs, with no joints in them, on which the colossus +stalked like a moving stone tower--a body resembling an enormous boulder +carved by an amateurish hand to portray the trunk of a human being--a +craggy sphere of rock for a head, set directly atop the deeply riven +shoulders--a face like the horrible mask of an embryonic gargoyle--a +mouth that was simply a lipless chasm that opened and closed with the +sound of rocks grinding together in a slow-moving glacier--the whole +veiled thinly by trailing lengths of snapped vines, great shattered tree +boughs, bushes, all uprooted in its stumping march through the forest! +Harley closed his eyes to shut out the sight. But in spite of himself +they flashed open again and stared on, as though hypnotized by the +spectacle they witnessed. + + * * * * * + +The grey of dawn lightened to the first rose tint of the rising sun. As +though stung to action by the breaking of day, the thing hastened its +ground-shaking pace. With one last stride, it came to Harley's side and +loomed far above, the unwinking eyes glaring down at him. + +The three arms, hinged at equidistant points at the base of the horrible +head, slowly lowered toward his prostrate form. There was a grating +noise as the creature hinged in the middle and bent low, bringing its +enormous, staring eyes within two yards of his face. + +One of its hands closed over his leg, tentatively, experimentally, as +though to ascertain of what substance he was made. He cried aloud as the +rock vise, like a gigantic lobster claw, squeezed tight. The thing drew +back abruptly. Then the chasm of its mouth opened a little, for all the +world as though giving vent to soundless, demoniac laughter. All three +of the vise-like hands clamped over him--lightly enough, considering +their vast size, and intimating that the colossus did not mean to kill +him for a moment or two--but so cruelly that his senses swam with the +pain of it. + +He felt the grip relax. The vast stone pincers were lifted from him; +slithered to the ground beside him. + +The first blinding rays of the sun were beating straight on the colossal +figure, which glittered fantastically, like a huge splintered opal, in +their brilliance. + +It glared down at Harley. The abyss of a mouth opened as though again +giving vent to silent, infernal laughter. Then, with the noise of a +landslide, the giant form settled slowly to the ground. The rock +half-moons of curtains dropped over the expressionless, dull eyes. The +whole great figure quivered, and grew still. It lay without movement, +stretched along the ground like a craggy, opalescent hill. + + * * * * * + +Dazed, stunned by such fantastic behavior, Harley struggled wearily to +his feet. He had been a dead man as surely as though shot with a +ray-gun. One twitch of those terrible rock pincers would have broken him +in two pieces. It had seemed as though that deadly twitch were surely +forthcoming. And then the thing had released him--and had lain down to +go to sleep! Or was it asleep? + +He took a few slow steps away from it, expecting to see the three great +tentacles flash out to capture him as a cat claws at a mouse that thinks +it is escaping. The arms didn't move. Astounding as it was, Harley was +free to run away if he chose. Why was that? + +A hint of a clue to the creature's action began to unfold in his mind. +When he had first laid eyes on it, in daylight, it was asleep. It had +not pursued him during the preceding day, which argued that again it was +asleep. And now, with the first touch of dawn, it was once more quiet, +immobile. + +The answer seemed to be that it was entirely nocturnal; that for some +obscure, unguessable reason sunlight induced in it a state of suspended +animation. It seemed an insane theory, but no other surmise was remotely +reasonable. + +But if it were invariably sunk in a coma during daylight, why had it +delayed killing him just a moment ago? Its every act indicated that it +possessed intelligence of a high order. It was more than probable that +it realized its limitation--why hadn't it acted in accordance with that +realization? + +On thinking it over, he believed he had the answer to that, too. He +remembered the way the gaping mouth had seemed to express devilish +mirth. The thing was playing with him. That was all. It had saved him +for another night of hopeless flight and infallible trailing through the +forests of Z-40. + +He gazed at the monster in a frenzy of impotent rage and fear. If only +he could kill it somehow in its sleep! But he couldn't. In no way could +he harm it. Secure in its silicate covering, it was impervious to his +wildest attempts at destruction. And it knew it, too; hadn't it laughed +just before sinking down to slumber through the asteroidal day? + +With his Sco drill he might have pierced that silicon dioxide armor till +he reached the creature's gritty flesh. Then he could have used his +ray-pistol, possibly disintegrating all its vitals and leaving only an +empty rock shell sprawling hugely there in the trampled underbrush. + +But he had neither drill nor pistol. The one had been wrecked by the +monster; the other he had dropped in his madness of fright, after +completely exhausting its power chamber. + +Half crazed by the hopelessness of his plight, he paced up and down +beside the great length of animated stone. Trapped on an +asteroid--utterly unarmed--alone with the most pitiless, invulnerable +creation Nature had placed in a varied universe! Could Hell itself have +devised a more terrible fate? + +Shuddering, he turned away. He had some two and a half hours of grace, +before the sun should set again and darkness release the colossus from +its torpor. There was only one thing he could do: place the diameter of +the sphere between the thing and himself, and try to exist through +another night of terror. + +His hands went to his belt to adjust the gravity regulator strapped +about his waist. By reducing his weight to an ounce or two, he could +make the long journey possible for his fatigue-numbed muscles-- + +His hands clenched into fists, and his breath whistled between his set +teeth as a wild hope came to him. The touch of the regulator had brought +inspiration. A way to defeat the gigantic creature stretched on the +ground beside him! A way to banish it forever from the surface of this +lovely little world where all was perfect but the monstrous thing with +which it was cursed! + + * * * * * + +Trembling with the reaction wrought in him by the faint glow of hope, he +began to race toward the lake and his wrecked Blinco Dart. It wasn't +hard to find the way; the rock giant had left a trail as broad as a +road; trees broken off like celery stalks, bushes smashed flat, tracks +that looked like shallow wells sunk into the firm ground. Fifty yards to +a step, he leaped along this path, praying that one object, just one bit +of machinery in the Dart had escaped the general wreckage. + +Arrived at the little shell at last, he was forced to pause a moment and +compose himself before he could step into the battered interior. +Everything hinged on this one final chance! + +Drawing a long breath, he entered the cabin and made his way to the +stern repellor. A groan escaped his lips. It was ruined. Evidently the +thing had reached in the man-hole opening with one of its three mighty +tentacles, and, with sure instinct, had fastened its stone claws on the +repellor housing. At any rate, it was ground to bits. But--there was the +bow repellor. + +He went to that, and the flame of hope came back to his eyes. It was +untouched! He threw back the housing to make sure. Yes, the +inter-sliding series of plates, that reversed or neutralized +gravitational attraction at a touch, were in alignment. + +He bent to the task of disconnecting it from the heavy bed-plate to +which it was bolted, his fingers flying frenziedly. Then back to the +torpid colossus he hurried, clutching the precious repellor tight in his +arms lest he should drop it, walking carefully lest he should fall with +it. + +There he was faced by a new difficulty that at first seemed +insurmountable. How could he fasten the repellor to that great, +impenetrable, opalescent bulk? + +A second time he bounded back toward the Dart, to return with the heavy +bow and stern bed-plates from its hull. + + * * * * * + +Once more the orange ball of the sun was sinking low. The terrible +brevity of those three-hour days! He had less than ten minutes, Earth +time, in which to work. + +One of the thing's arms, or tentacles, was pointing out away from the +parent mass. It was twice the diameter of his body, and was ponderously +heavy; but by rigging a fulcrum and lever device, with a stone as the +fulcrum and a tough log as the lever, he managed to raise it high enough +to thrust one of the bed-plates under it. The other massive metal sheet +he laid across the top. + +The lower rim of the sun touched the horizon. A tremor ran through the +colossus. In frantic haste, racing against the flying seconds, Harley +clamped the two plates tight against the columnar tentacle with four +long hull-bolts from the Dart. He set the repellor in position on the +top bed-plate, and began to fasten it down. + +He felt another tremor run through the stone column on which he was +squatting. With a rasping sound, one of the half-moon rock-curtains the +thing had for eyelids blinked open and shut. He shot the last bolt into +place and tightened it. + +The stone claws, just behind which he had fastened the repellor, ground +savagely shut. The great tentacle began to lift, and carried him with +it--toward the chasm of a mouth. That chasm opened wide.... + +Harley straightened up and jumped for the ground. As he jumped, he +kicked the repellor control bar hard over. + +There was a shrieking of wind as though all the hurricanes in the +universe were battling each other. He felt himself turned over and over, +buffeted, torn at, in a mad aerial whirlpool. The whirlpool calmed as +the abruptly created vacuum, caused by the monster's rapid drive upward, +passed after it into space. Far overhead there was one fleeting glimpse +of a pinpoint of dull opalescence reflecting the rays of the dying sun. +Then the pinpoint disappeared in fathomless space. With his gravity +regulator adjusted to the point where it almost neutralized his weight, +he fell slowly back toward the ground.... + + * * * * * + +Almost immediately after he had landed in the darkness that blanketed +the surface of the planetoid, a big space yacht settled down near him. A +searchlight bored a hole in the blackness, to bathe him in cold light. +Down the beam came a band of men from Earth, pushing atomic cannon and +gazing apprehensively about them. In the lead was an elderly man with +the six-bar dollar-mark insignia of a business executive on his purple +tunic. + +He hastened to Harley's side. Harley only dimly heard what he said. +Something to the effect that the man had been worried after selling the +fatal asteroid. Had got in touch with the Radivision Corporation and +learned that this call number was dead. Had come with men and big guns +to rescue him, if it wasn't too late, and take him back to Earth. Had +cruised for half an hour before locating him. "I've been calling myself +a murderer ever since I let you have Z-40, Mr. 2Q14N20," he concluded. +"I was sure we'd get here only to find you'd been killed. But I see +you've managed to escape from the creature so far--though by the look of +you, it must have been a narrow shave." + +At this Harley shook off some of the gathering dizziness that hazed his +mind. He threw back his shoulders. "Managed to _escape_? I did better +than that. I got rid of the thing forever! Yes, I'll return to Earth +with you, but only because I need a new Blinco Dart. I'm coming back to +Z-40 at once. Perfect little paradise, now that I've got rid of +that--animated--rock pile--" + +The belated rescuers caught him as he collapsed. + +[Footnote 1: This implement, invented by Blansco 9X247A in 2052, is not +so much a "drill" as a compressor. It is somewhat superficially defined +in the Universal Dictionary, 2061 edition, as "a portable mechanism +which, by alternating gaseous blasts of extreme heat and cold, breaks +down the atoms of inorganic matter, causing them to collapse together in +dense compression." Thus a cubic yard of earth can be reduced in size, +in a few moments, to a pebble no larger than a pea; which pebble would +weigh, on Earth, close to a ton.] + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Planetoid of Peril, by Paul Ernst + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLANETOID OF PERIL *** + +***** This file should be named 29771.txt or 29771.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/7/7/29771/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://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 +http://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 http://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 +http://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 http://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 http://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 checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is 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: + + http://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/29771.zip b/29771.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..aed3ff4 --- /dev/null +++ b/29771.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..6e012f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #29771 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29771) |
