readenglishbook.com » Fiction » The Colors of Space, Marion Zimmer Bradley [best pdf reader for ebooks .txt] 📗

Book online «The Colors of Space, Marion Zimmer Bradley [best pdf reader for ebooks .txt] 📗». Author Marion Zimmer Bradley



1 ... 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Go to page:
Bart. The Elder of the Lhari Council has arrived with their official decision, and he's going to announce it."

Bart waited, anxiously, pacing the room, while on the TV screen various dignitaries presented the Elder.

"We are the first race to travel the stars." A bald head, an ancient Lhari face seamed like glazed pottery, looked at Bart from the screen, and Bart remembered when he had stood before that face, sick with defeat. But now he need not pretend to hold his head erect.

"We have had a long and triumphant time as masters of the stars," the Lhari said. "But triumph and power will sicken and stagnate the race which holds them too long unchallenged. We reached this point once before. Then a Lhari captain, Rhazon of Nedrun, abandoned the safe ways of caution, and out of his blind leap in the blind dark came many good things. Trade with the human race. Our Mentorian allies. A system of mathematics to take the hazards from our star-travel.

"Yet once again the Lhari had grown cautious and fearful. And a young man named Bartol took a blind leap into unknown darkness, all alone—"

"Not alone," Bart said as if to himself, "it took two men called Briscoe. And my father. And a couple of Raynors. And even a man called Montano, because without that, I'd never have decided—"

"Like Rhazon of Nedrun, like all pioneers, this young man has been cursed by his own people, the very ones who will one day benefit from his daring. He has found his people a firm footing among the stars. It is too late for the Lhari to regret that we did not sooner extend you the hand of welcome there. You have climbed, unaided, to join us. For good or ill, we must make room for you.

"But there is room for all. Competition is the lifeblood of trade, and we face the future without fear, knowing that life still holds many surprises for the living. I say to you: welcome to the stars."

Even while Bart stood speechless with the knowledge of success, the door opened again, and Bart, turning, cried out in amazement.

"Tommy! Ringg! Meta!"

"Sure," Tommy exclaimed, "we've got to celebrate," but Bart stopped, looking past them.

"Captain Vorongil!" he said, and went to greet the old Lhari. "I thought you'd hate me, rieko mori." The term of respect fell naturally from his lips.

"I did, for a time," Vorongil said quietly. "But I remembered the day we stood on Lharillis, by the monument. And that you risked—perhaps your life, certainly your eyesight—to save us from death. So when the Elder asked for my estimate of your people, I gave it."

"I thought it sounded like you." Bart felt that his happiness was complete.

"And now," Ringg cried, "let's celebrate! Meta, you haven't even told him that he's free!"

But while the party got rolling, Bart wondered—free for what? And after a little while he went out on the balcony and stood looking down at the spaceport, where the Swiftwing lay in shadow, huge, beloved—renounced.

"What now, Bartol?" Vorongil's quiet voice asked from his elbow. "You're famous—notorious. You're going to be rich, and a celebrity."

"I was wishing I could get away until the excitement dies down."

"Well," said Vorongil, "why don't you? The Swiftwing ships out tonight, Bartol—for Antares and beyond. It will be a couple of years before your Eight Colors can be made over into an Interstellar line—and as Raynor One has said to me several times, he'll have to handle all those details, for you're not of age yet.

"I've been thinking. Now that we Lhari must share space with your people, you'll need experienced men for your ships. Unless we all want the disasters born of trial and error, we Lhari had better help you train your men quickly and well. I want you to go back on the Swiftwing with me. Not an apprentice, but representative of Eight Colors, to act as liaison between men and Lhari—at least until your own affairs claim your attention."

Behind them on the balcony, Tommy appeared, making signals to Bart: "Say yes! Say yes, Bart! I did!"

Bart's eyes suddenly filled. Out of defeat he had won success beyond his greatest hopes. But he did not feel all glad; he felt only a heavy responsibility. Whether good or bad came of the gift he had snatched from the stars, would rest in large measure on his own shoulders. He was going back to space—to learn the responsibility that went with it.

"I accept," he said gravely.

"Oh, boy!" Tommy dragged Ringg into a sort of war dance of exuberant celebration, pointing at the flaring glow of the spaceport gates. "Here, by grace of the Lhari, stands the doorway to all the stars," he quoted. "Well, maybe you were here first. But look out—we're coming!"

A doorway to the stars. Bart had crossed that doorway once, frightened and alone. Dad, if you could only know! The first interstellar ship of Eight Colors was to bear the name Rupert Steele, but that was years in the future.

Now, looking at the Swiftwing, at Ringg and Tommy, at Raynor Three and Vorongil, who would all be his shipmates in the new world they were building, he felt suddenly very lonely again.

"Come in, Bart. It's your party," Meta said softly, and he felt her hand lying in his. He looked down at the pretty Mentorian girl. She would be with him, too. And suddenly he knew he would never be lonely again.

His arm around Meta, his friends—man and Lhari—at his shoulder, he went back to the celebration, to plan for the first intergalactic voyage to the stars.

The End

AUTHOR'S PROFILE

Marion Zimmer Bradley was born in Albany, New York and before she started her writing career she was a file clerk, music teacher and a carnival performer. Her hobbies are reading science fiction novels, going to the opera and listening to folk music.

In addition to having written a number of other books, she has written more than 30 magazine stories and articles and has been writing professionally for the past ten years.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT MONARCH BOOKS A Terrifying Tale Of Horror In The Skies THE FLYING EYES By J. Hunter Holly Author of ENCOUNTER and THE GREEN PLANET

Linc Hosler was sitting in a packed football stadium when the Flying Eyes appeared and cast their hypnotic power over half the crowd. Thousands of people suddenly began marching zombie-like into the woods where they vanished into a black pit.

Linc used every resource of the Space Research Lab and the National Guard to destroy the Eyes. But nothing could stop them, for they proved immune to bullets and bombs.

In desperation, Linc captured an Eye and found a way to communicate with it through his mind. He learned that radiation was fuel for the creatures' lives. And then they issued their terrible ultimatum: Explode a series of atom bombs to supply them with radiation or they would turn the world's population into mindless robots.

It gave the world two harrowing choices—self-destruction via fallout from the bombs or annihilation via the sinister Flying Eyes....

The Dramatic Life Story Of The Second Most Powerful Man In Washington ROBERT F. KENNEDY
Assistant President By Gary Gordon Author of THE RISE AND FALL OF THE JAPANESE EMPIRE

Whatever accomplishments can be attributed to John F. Kennedy, some of the credit must go to his brother Bobby, for, as campaign manager in the last election, the younger Kennedy had a great deal to do with getting his brother nominated and then elected.

Coming into prominence via his work as Chief Counsel to the McClellan Committee, he has proven to be a tough fighter and the possessor of an overwhelming will to win. Now, in his dual role as Attorney General and adviser to the President, he is a power to be reckoned with.

Here is the life story of Robert F. Kennedy, the President's "chief trouble-shooter, crisis smoother and selfless rooter" (Look); the man who is "second only to the President in power and influence" (U.S. News and World Report): the man who may be eyeing the White House for his own future occupancy.

Dramatic True Tales Of Courageous Marines, Army, Air Force And Navy Men Whose Exploits Won Them The Congressional Medal Of Honor America's War Heroes By Jay Scott

No specific class, rank or service has a monopoly on bravery. Every milieu, every nationality seems to spawn, on occasion, a man capable of action above and beyond the call of duty.

THE HONOR ROLL

Lt. Col. James Doolittle U.S. Air Corps
T/Sgt. Charles (Commando) Kelly U.S. Army
Chaplain Joseph O'Callahan U.S. Navy
Major Gregory (Pappy) Boyington U.S. Marines
1st Lt. Audie Murphy U.S. Army
Capt. Joseph Foss U.S. Marines
Commander Samuel Dealey U.S. Navy
Sergeant John Basilone U.S. Marines
Private Rodger Young U.S. Army

Here are their stories, told with a wealth of dramatic and unforgettable detail, showing the caliber of the men who served our country in time of national peril.

Compelling Stories Of The Exploits Of Marine Winners Of The Congressional Medal Of Honor MARINE WAR HEROES By Jay Scott Author of AMERICA'S WAR HEROES

No group of fighting men has shown more bravery and resourcefulness than the U.S. Marines. Rushed to the hot spots of the world in time of war, they hare consistently shown a disdain for personal safety, always playing a vital role in our country's victories.

Standing even taller, were the men among them who somehow managed to be heroes among heroes, men whose exploits were extraordinary—the Congressional Medal of Honor winners.

A total of 234 Marines have been awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor. Here in this dramatic book are exciting, personalized accounts of some of the most courageous exploits of the heroes of the greatest fighting force the world has ever known.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT MONARCH BOOKS

MS18 WHAT'S WRONG WITH U.S. FOREIGN POLICY? by Frank L. Kluckholm

MS17 SKIN AND SCUBA DIVING by Richard Hardwick

MS16 THE CRISIS IN CUBA by Thomas Freeman

MS15 THERMONUCLEAR WARFARE by Poul Anderson

MS14 THE REAL STORY ON CUBA by James Bayard

MS13 HOW TO STAY YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL by Jan Michael

MS11 THE RED CARPET by Ezra Taft Benson A grim warning against socialism—the royal road to communism.

MS10 THE HISTORY OF SURGERY by L. T. Woodward, M.D.

MS9 A GALLERY OF THE SAINTS by Randall Garrett

MS8 THE COLD WAR by Deane and David Heller

MS7 FORGET ABOUT CALORIES by Leland H. O'Brian

MS6 THE NAKED RISE OF COMMUNISM by Frank L. Kluckholm

MS5 PLANNED PARENTHOOD by Henry De Forrest, M.D.

MS4 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE JAPANESE EMPIRE by Gary Gordon

MS3B AMERICA: LISTEN! by Frank Kluckholm (Second new enlarged edition. Completely updated.) An honest report to the nation on the current chaos in Washington.

MS2 THE BERLIN CRISIS by Deane and David Heller

K69 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE WORLD'S GREAT EVENTS: 1936 by D. S. Halacy, Jr.

K68 THE FABULOUS ROCKEFELLERS by Robert Silverberg

K65 S O S: THE WORLD'S GREAT SEA DISASTERS by Keith Jameson

K59 POPE JOHN XXIII: PASTORAL PRINCE by Randall Garrett

K56 SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL by Edgar Black

MA350 U. S. NAVY IN ACTION by John Clagett

MA329 MARINE WAR HEROES by Jay Scott

MA321 TARAWA by Tom Bailey 50¢

MA319 U.S. MARINES IN ACTION by T. R. Fehrenbach

End of Project Gutenberg's The Colors of Space, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
1 ... 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Go to page:

Free e-book «The Colors of Space, Marion Zimmer Bradley [best pdf reader for ebooks .txt] 📗» - read online now

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment