The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chasers, by Daniel F. Galouye
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/license
Title: The Chasers
Author: Daniel F. Galouye
Release Date: March 20, 2016 [EBook #51508]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHASERS ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
THE CHASERS
By DANIEL F. GALOUYE
Illustrated by Harrington
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Magazine February 1961.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Civilizations must make sense somehow. But
was this one the gaudy, impossible exception?
As the dust drifted clear of the ship's landing skids, at least two
things became obvious:
One--although they had missed the city (if that's what it was) by
miles, they had nevertheless managed to slam down near one of the
numerous rural estates.
Two--the landscape would be crawling with Zaortian Fuzzy Tails for a
long while to come. They were still pouring out of hatches sprung open
by the crunching impact.
Kent Cassidy untangled himself from the control column and plucked
one of the Fuzzy Tails from his neck. The creature scampered around
until it found the ruptured hatch, then scurried through to join the
squealing zoological exodus.
"There goes ten thousand credits' worth of cargo," groaned Gene Mason.
His stout form was slumped in dejection before the view port.
Cassidy sniffed the refreshing air that was drifting into the ship.
"Any idea where we are?"
"After the directional stabilizer blew, we made three blind jumps, all
in the direction of Galactic Center. We could be _anywhere_ between
Zaort Seven and the Far Rim."
"Hey, look," said Cassidy.
From the hatchway, the sumptuous estate sprawled nearby, its many
gabled manor closed off behind a high wire fence. Cassidy squinted, but
failed to recognize the bold, flowing architectural style.
A small, bent figure clung to the wire netting of the fence. He was
shouting at the ship, but his excited words were no match for the
decompression hisses of the auxiliary drive.
"Humanoid?" Mason suggested.
"Human, I'd say." Cassidy gestured toward the gear locker. "Better
break out the translator."
In baggy trousers and sagging blouse, the man raced back and forth
behind the fence--the picture of frustrated anger. However, large,
doleful eyes, complemented by a bald head and huge, pendulous ear
lobes, belied his furious actions.
Presently the squeals of the Fuzzy Tails trailed off in the distance
and the auxiliary drive quieted with a final sigh. And now the native's
shouts rang out distinct and loud:
"Quick! From here get you! Shoo! Scram! Or out there I'll come and
apart tear you!"
"It's English!" Mason exclaimed.
"Of a sort. Archaic, but understandable. And not at all friendly."
Mason scratched his blunt chin. "Guess we're not too far off the beaten
star paths, eh?"
Cassidy could find no grounds for challenging this observation as they
started down the ladder--not until he looked overhead and saw three
suns shining in the same sky. As far as he knew, there were no settled
trinary systems.
Beyond the fence the native, a wisp of a man was still fuming. "The
hell away from here get! You I'm warning--no closer come!"
Mason displayed a half frown. "He's sure a sour cuss."
"You stay with the ship," said Cassidy. "I'll see what's fouling his
tubes."
* * * * *
Before Cassidy reached the fence, his pet Fuzzy Tail came scampering
from behind a bush. It clambered up his trousers and wrapped itself
around his neck. This encouraged the speculation that perhaps the
shipment of Tails could be bartered for repairs to the stabilizer--_if_
there was a local space technology, and _if_ they could corral the
animals.
The native grew even more frenzied now as Cassidy drew up before him.
"Trespasser! Back get! _My_ property this be! Scram! You I'll kill!"
The Fuzzy Tail uncoiled itself from around Cassidy's neck. Perching on
his shoulder, it fussed back at the native in chirping, excited tones.
It not only acted at times as though it owned Cassidy, but it also
exercised a personal responsibility for his welfare.
"Quiet!" Cassidy snapped out.
It caught both the Fuzzy Tail and the old man by surprise. The animal
bounded for cover while the native rocked back on his heels.
"Be you not just a--_little bit_ afraid?" His eyebrows mounted the
wrinkled expanse of his forehead.
The nearby hedge rustled and parted to let through a dark-haired
girl whose tanned skin suggested accustomed exposure to the multiple
sunlight. Wearing a belted tunic that lacked inches of reaching her
knees, she confronted the old man calmly.
"It's all about what, Papa?" she asked, with a trace of an amused smile.
"Trespassers! On _our_ property, Riva! The alarm sound! Scat! To the
woods take! Or a dead duck you be!"
"Now, Papa," she chided. Then, through the fence, "Him you musn't mind.
It's only his duty he's attending to."
From the distance, Cassidy had suspected the man was of Terran descent.
Now, with Riva in the picture, he was certain this world was stocked
either by intent or accident with true humans.
"We're from Terra," he said.
She frowned. "Ter-ra?"
"Earth. The original world--"
Incomprehension flooded her even features. But her confusion was only
temporary. "Let's play."
It seemed like an altogether acceptable suggestion, Cassidy thought,
eying the attractive girl. But he went on, "This is our ship and--"
"Ship?" Then she chased away her puzzlement with a sudden smile. "Some
nice games I know."
There was no space technology on this planet, Cassidy decided. They'd
be strictly on their own as far as repairing the directional stabilizer
was concerned.
By this time Papa, his eyes focused afar, had exploded again.
"Charge!" he roared. "After him! Wa-hoo! Away don't let him get!" He
was gripping the fence and straining toward the field.
Cassidy turned and saw, in the distance, a skimmer vehicle floating
along several feet off the ground. In full pursuit was a shouting youth
who paused occasionally to seize a rock and hurl it at the craft.
The old man turned toward his daughter. "A good chase that be. Bet he
wins."
"Not a chance." The girl frowned. "That be Nedal. Not so swift is he.
Loses interest too quick, he does."
She surveyed Cassidy. "Be you a chaser?"
"No, but I could do with a couple of stiff shots."
This drew Papa's attention back to the matter at hand. "Trespassers!
The road hit! Scat! Some dust kick up!"
"Quiet!" Cassidy shouted. "Will you listen a minute? I--"
Two loyal Fuzzy Tails came charging up to the fence and added their
raucous chatter to Papa's screeching diatribe, which had continued
unchecked despite Cassidy's loud, desperate plea.
In the next instant, though, it seemed that a dam had burst overhead.
Materializing from nowhere, at least a ton of water poured down on the
agile-tongued native, the two Fuzzy Tails, Riva and Cassidy himself,
bringing an abrupt end to all the commotion.
The animals streaked for the safety of the bushes while Papa and the
girl dived back through the hedge. Bedraggled, Cassidy headed for the
ship, wondering what sort of meteorological quirk he had encountered.
* * * * *
"No, sir," he said some time later as he attacked the directional
selector with pliers and a screwdriver, "I don't like the setup. I
don't like it worth a damn."
Mason traced the power lead to the junction box beside the hatch.
"Maybe they aren't _all_ like that."
"In this sort of place, chances are that the first people you run into
are typical. I'm afraid--"
"Say!" Mason interrupted, staring outside. "Look at this!"
Cassidy went over to the hatch and watched a dozen or so men sprinting
across the field, their voices rising in excited waves. A lithe young
woman was in full flight before them. But she was screaming in delight
as she turned now and then to beckon them on. One overtook her and
brought her down with a waist tackle. She rebounded to her feet,
however, and took off again.
Two of the pursuers collided and sprawled on the ground. They sprang
up and tore into each other. Unconcerned with the personal dispute,
the chase struck off in a new direction, heading toward the ship as it
paralleled one of the nearby fenced-in estates.
Behind the wire mesh, a burly young man came charging down the main
steps of the manor and raced along with the others.
"That be the way!" he yelled encouragement. "Her go get! It's gaining
you are! Hurry!"
He drew up in time to avoid crashing into the side fence, then stood
there watching the chase recede in the distance.
Within a hundred feet of the ship, one of the men fell out of the
group, panting. He squinted at the vessel, then crept forward, circling
to the right. Within arm's reach, he walked back and forth alongside
the hull, giving it a close inspection. Finally he paused and fumbled
with his clothes.
Cassidy started. "Look what he's doing!"
"Against the side of the ship, too!" said Mason.
Hearing them, the native jerked his head up toward the hatch, then
backed off for a better view.
"Stinkers!" he yelled, shaking his fist. "Out here come and fight! Take
you both on I can!"
When they only gaped, he whirled and sped off to rejoin the chase.
"You see?" said Cassidy. "Now what do you think?"
"I think we'd better get that directional stabilizer working."
* * * * *
It took more than an hour to locate the trouble. "The rectifier
circuit's shot," Cassidy said finally. "But maybe we can patch
it up. Some of the amplifiers I suppose we can do without. But a
hyper-oscillator we've got to have."
"Say, you're doing it too," said Mason.
"What?"
"Talking like the natives."
Cassidy looked up. "Guess it's something that grows on you. Well, what
do we do now?"
"Maybe the natives can help us."
"If they don't even know where they're from, they probably left their
volts and amps behind too. But that's only an assumption."
"In that case," Mason said with a sigh, "there's only one thing left to
do--take Riva up on her invitation to, ah, play."
"Funny," Cassidy grunted, heading for the hatch.
"I was only joking."
"I'm not. If we can get in that house, we'll know for sure whether or
not they've developed electronic devices."
Halfway across the field, they were almost run down by the laughing
girl and her retinue of galloping suitors, if that's what they were.
She was a well-proportioned blonde whose wind-frothed tresses suggested
a nymph in flight.
At the fence, they were confronted by Riva, who smiled up at Cassidy
and said, "You I was just going to come and get. Ready to play yet you
are?"
He looked away and cleared his throat. "Not quite, Riva. We'd like to
visit your house."
"It's some interesting games I know. Enjoying them you'd surely be."
Her smile, revealing even teeth that contrasted ruddy cheeks, was as
persistent as her intent on playing.
Staring at the girl, Cassidy wrestled with a pang of wistful envy over
the Olympian life he had witnessed thus far on this world. Maybe they
were all irresponsible and childlike. But was that bad?
* * * * *
Mason pointed in alarm toward the meadow in front of the next estate.
An ominous-looking, furry thing, supported on six or eight spindly
legs, was racing across their field of vision.
"Hurt you he won't," the girl assured them, noticing their
apprehension. "Nothing to be afraid of there is."
"_What_ is it?" Cassidy was still trying to determine whether it was an
overgrown spider or a dry-land octopus.
"Look!" Mason exclaimed. "It's on a leash!"
And Cassidy noticed the thong that extended from the creature to the
human who was running along behind it.
"To Wolruf he belongs," the girl explained. "One of them I can get for
you too--if you want."
Her slender hand reached out through the fence and tugged at Cassidy's
sleeve. "To chase me wouldn't you like?" she asked, pouting.
Glancing behind her, Cassidy spotted the girl's father bearing down on
them in a sprint that was nothing short of phenomenal for his age. He
began shouting with the last few strides and was in full lung when he
hurled himself at the fence. "Git! Out! Away! I'll--"
Riva moved back and glanced overhead and Papa, seeing some hidden
significance in her gesture, lowered his voice.
"You I'll tear into and apart I'll rip!" he went on in a menacing
whisper. "Your limbs I'll scatter like--"
"Papa, it's not afraid of you they are."
"They're _not_?" He was disappointed.
"The house they want to come in and see."
He began working up a rage again, but caught himself and looked up into
his daughter's face. "Mean you--_my_ house they want to see?"
When she nodded Papa seized the lowest strand of wire and lifted the
fence high enough for Cassidy and Mason to crawl under. "Why, arranged
it can be, I think."
Its architectural prominences rendered shadowless in the tri-solar
light, the manor was even more imposing close at hand. Of stone
construction, it flaunted millwork and beams whose rich carvings would
have been welcome on any mansion in the known Galaxy.
Mounting the steps, Mason observed, "Nice little layout they've got
here."
Riva moved closer to Cassidy. "Inside is cozy," she said behind a coy
smile. "Play we can _really_ in there."
Papa had been at the door for some time, fumbling with the lock. In a
burst of impatience, he drew off and gave it a solid kick. Then he went
back and tried rattling the handle. After a while there was a click and
it swung open.
Cassidy followed him into a blaze of iridescent color and unfamiliar
form. The huge, circular room was like a vast diorama and it was
impossible to tell exactly where the solid objects blended in with the
jumbled geometric pattern of the wall.
He walked across a carpet of undulant fibers that reached well above
his ankles. And he tripped across a padded, Z-shaped slab that
protruded from the wall but slithered into a U and retracted as soon as
it received the burden of his weight.
Laughing, Riva helped him up and he paused for a closer visual
inspection of his outlandish surroundings. Objects of weird shapes and
unguessable purposes hung from the ceiling, some changing form and
size as he watched. Scattered about were articles of furniture (he
guessed) that resembled giant starfish supported at their centers and
extremities by coiled springs. Only, each arm was shaped like a trough
that ran into the bowl-like central depression of the piece.
* * * * *
A gleeful scream sounded behind them and Papa went tearing by. With
a running leap, he landed on an arm of one of the starfish. Its
supporting spring contracted under the weight, then catapulted him
ceilingward. When he came down again, it was on an arm of another
starfish, then another.
The fourth collapsed, depositing him on the floor, and its spring
went twanging across the room. Struggling to his feet, he staggered
into something resembling a clothes tree, knocked it over and sprawled
beside it.
He roared with delight as he snapped the stem of the thing across his
knee and hurled the pieces at the ceiling. They scored direct hits on
one of the bulky objects suspended overhead and it came crashing down
with a twinkling roar amid a shower of sparks.
"Yow-ee!" he exuberated. "So much fun I never had!"
Riva helped him up. "Papa, it's control yourself you must. The last
time--remember?"
But he only shook her off and went bounding through an archway. His
hectic progress through the house was punctuated by sounds of crashing
destruction.
"Honestly," Riva said, spreading her hands, "what to do with him I
don't know."
Cassidy continued staring in the direction the old man had gone. "He's
wrecking the place!"
"That he is," she admitted sighing. "And such a nice joint it be, too."
"He's just plain nuts!" said Mason.
Riva smiled. "But it's _so_ much fun he has."
Cassidy moved away to get a better view of a silvery gray screen set
in the wall and flanked by twin rows of dials and knobs.
"You got stereovision, Riva?" he asked.
Mason went over and twisted several of the controls until a soft light
began suffusing the screen.
"Ster-eo-what?" the girl asked.
"Video, television--pictures with sound."
Her face brightened. "Pictures we got--sounds too. Right in that little
window."
Just then Papa, uninhibited as ever, came storming back into the room
with a lusty "Ya-hoo!" He lost his footing and crashed against the
screen. Sparks shot out and the picture that was beginning to take
shape faded into obscurity.
"It that settles, Papa!" Riva said, exasperated. "Outside I'm going and
for what happens to you I'm not responsible!"
At the door, she paused and smiled at Cassidy. "It'll have to be out
there that we play, but no less fun will we have. Put on my best
cavorting clothes I'm going to."
Mason turned the knobs again, but produced nothing more than the smell
of burning insulation and a few snickers from Papa.
"At least," Cassidy observed, "they evidently do know something about
electronics. All we have to do now is run down one of the technicians
and we might get the parts we need for the stabilizer."
* * * * *
Outside Mason dropped down on the steps and sat with his shoulders
slumping. "Damnedest thing I've ever seen," he mumbled.
Cassidy paced to the edge of the porch and stared out over the field. A
monstrous skimmer craft appeared in the distance, floating over toward
what seemed to be a pile of trash in front of one of the estates. Twin
beams of crimson light darted from the nose of the vehicle and played
over the mound. In seconds, the heap had melted away and the skimmer
floated on.
Wolruf was still walking his octopus-spider pet. There were now two
packs of youths out chasing girls. And another skimmer car was having
no difficulty surviving the stone-throwing assault of not one, but two
dedicated pursuers. Outside of that, Cassidy noted, things appeared
quite normal.
Mason slapped his thighs and rose. "You go see if Riva knows how we can
contact the authorities. I'm going back and stay with the ship."
Cassidy watched him crawl under the fence, then went around the side of
the house. When he caught sight of the girl, she was just disappearing
into a smaller structure that might have been a guest house or garage.
Following, he knocked on the door and called out her name anxiously.
"To play are you ready?" There was an eager note in her voice as it
came through the panel. "In come on. It's all set I'll be in a jiffy."
He turned the knob, stepped half into the room, lurched back outside
and slammed the door behind him. "_Riva!_"
The door started to open, then closed again as the girl laughed. "Oh,
all right. Funny you be. It's to play you want, don't you?"
He assured her that he did and added, "But there's something we have to
talk about now, Riva."
"Talk, talk, talk. And it gets you where? Only wastes time, it does."
A moment later the door opened and she stood there smiling, with legs
apart and hands on her hips. But he hardly had time to react to the
skimpiness of her halter and skirt.
"Now," she urged as she sprang up on her toes and kissed him full on
the lips, "like a chaser make! To the races we're off!"
With that, she whirled and went streaking through the next room.
* * * * *
He surveyed his surroundings. It was an ordinary bedroom with
conventional furnishings--perhaps a bit crude even for a
culture without any space technology. But, then, it didn't seem
uncharacteristic, considering the circumstances.
Recognizing the contrast between this guest house and the manor, he
frowned as he started off in search of the girl. A worrisome suspicion
dogged his thoughts--there had to be sense to Riva and her father and
this sumptuous estate, natives who made sport of chasing skimmer craft
and voluptuous women when they weren't otherwise indiscreetly occupied.
But what?
In the kitchen, he discovered Riva's shapely leg protruding from behind
a cabinet. He suspected the exposure was not as accidental as she
wanted him to believe. He was certain of that when, as he seized her
ankle, she crawled out laughing.
Now she stood before him, unsmiling and impatient, and her slender arms
reached out for his shoulders.
"Riva, this is serious!" He forced her hands down again. "I'm in
trouble. I need help."
"It's to help you I've been trying all along."
"I've got to get in touch with the authorities--your government."
She looked blank.
He simplified it, "Your leaders."
"Oh, it's easy that is. There be Aline and Clio and Leah and--but that
Leah! It's the cake she takes! Thirty chasers she led on the best
drag-out of all. Two whole days it lasted!"
"No, Riva! Not _that_ kind of leader. I mean--well, someone who gets
things done. The kind who gets behind things and--"
"That be Leanc. Behind those floating cars he's getting all the time.
And how he can throw so many rocks I'll never know!"
He mussed his hair in frustration, then composed himself. "How do I get
to the city?"
"That crowded place with all the big houses?" When he nodded, she went
on, "It's never been there I have. _Now_ we play?"
He drew in a hopeless breath. "All right. Now we play. You go hide."
She radiated a warm eagerness as she initiated the game all over again
with a kiss and then went sprinting toward the front of the house. He
watched her disappear through the next room, then went out the nearest
door, heading for the fence and his ship beyond. It had required no
small degree of restraint not to go racing off after her.
At the corner of the manor he was bowled over by a shouting Papa who
was in full flight as he shot out around a hedge, heading for the guest
house.
"All your fault it is!" he cried, recovering his balance and plunging
on. "You it be who caused this! that I'll remember!"
Cassidy sat up, arms resting on his updrawn knees, and stared after the
old man.
"Ow! Riva! Ouch!" Papa clutched his rear as he neared the cottage.
"Help! Oh, my aching back!"
* * * * *
Cassidy found Mason frozen in the shadow of the ship, fascinated by
another girl chase that was in progress nearby.
The swirl of action swerved toward him and Mason tensed, shifting from
one foot to the other. With the wind pressing her clothes in revealing
tightness about her, the flaxen-haired sprite swept past and he lunged
for her.
"Mason!" Cassidy shouted.
"Seemed like a good idea," Mason explained, checking himself. "Wonder
what it takes to get in on that chase."
Cassidy forced a fetching thought of Riva out of his mind. "What we
ought to be wondering is how soon we can blast off."
"But if we get spaceborne before the stabilizer's working, we'll only
be floundering around again."
Cassidy started for the ladder. "There's one thing we _can_ do--patch
up the hatches and jump over to another spot on this planet. Maybe
we'll find somebody who's normal, at least."
But Mason caught his arm and pointed toward Riva's estate where a
skimmer car was now parked on the side of the manor opposite the guest
house.
"Anybody who can drive one of those things," he suggested, "must know
something about the city and how to get there. Maybe he'll even give us
a lift."
* * * * *
Mason circled the skimmer craft. "It's a fine piece of workmanship," he
said in admiration.
"I'll say," Cassidy agreed. "If we can find out where that was made,
I'm sure we'll--"
His vision was suddenly cut off by a pair of hands that came around his
head from behind and clamped themselves over his eyes. If he had any
doubt as to the identity of their owner, it was soon cleared up by a
soft voice next to his ear:
"Not right this is. It's chasing _me_ you're supposed to be."
"Riva," he said, facing her, "we'd like to meet the person who came
here in that skimmer."
"Excuses, excuses," she complained. "Always something more important
than a chase it is."
"Take us to the driver of that thing," Mason prompted. "We--"
But he tensed and stared up in alarm toward the field. Cassidy followed
his gaze to the skimmer vehicle that had earlier reduced a pile of
trash to nothing. The craft was just now floating up to their ship.
Its two beams of sizzling red light swept over the hull from stem to
stern, again and again--until there was nothing left of their ship but
incandescent molten metal.
Mason displayed a sickened, then resigned expression, thrust his hands
in his pockets and shuffled off toward the field.
"Getting in on one of those chases I think I'll be," he said.
But he paused outside the fence, turned to say something, then lurched
back. "Cassidy! Watch out! There's one of those things!"
The spider-octopus came into view from around the rear of the manor
and crawled leisurely toward the guest house. Its body, covered with a
multitude of eyes and an unkempt mat of fuzz, was like a coal-black
knob perched atop hairy stilts.
Evidently, Cassidy guessed as he dived behind a hedge and pulled the
girl with him, the thing had gotten away from its master, for it was
trailing its leash in the dust.
"It's hurt you he won't," Riva assured, quite puzzled over his
apprehension. "He belongs to--"
But Cassidy clamped a hand over her mouth.
The thing reached the guest house and made a queer noise in front of
the door.
Papa came outside on the double.
The spider-octopus picked up the other end of the thong and clamped its
braceletlike device around the old man's wrist.
Grinning, Papa pulled toward the gate, straining at the leash.
Eventually, Cassidy was aware of Riva's smiling, inquisitive face in
front of his.
"Play?" she invited.
And, glancing back at the charred remains of his ship, he didn't see
why not.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chasers, by Daniel F. Galouye
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHASERS ***
***** This file should be named 51508.txt or 51508.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/5/0/51508/
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/license
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 1.F.3. 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 MERCHANTABILITY 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
[email protected]. 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
[email protected]
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.
