Know Thy Neighbor

By Elisabeth R. Lewis

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Know Thy Neighbor, by Elisabeth R. Lewis

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: Know Thy Neighbor

Author: Elisabeth R. Lewis

Illustrator: Tom Beecham

Release Date: May 7, 2010 [EBook #32287]

Language: English


*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KNOW THY NEIGHBOR ***




Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net









                         Know Thy Neighbor

                       By ELISABETH R. LEWIS

                     Illustrated by Tom Beecham

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction
February 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: _The terrors that inhabit the night may be even more awful in
deceitful broad daylight!_]

[Illustration]

It began with the dead cat on the fire escape and ended with the green
monster in the incinerator chute, but still, it wouldn't be quite fair
to blame it all on the neighborhood....

The apartment house was in the heart of the district that is known as
"The Tenderloin"--that section of San Francisco from Ellis to Market and
east from Leavenworth to Mason Street. Not the best section.

To Ellen's mind, it was an unsavory neighborhood, but with apartments so
hard to get and this one only $38.00 a month and in a regular apartment
building with an elevator and all--well, as she often told the girls at
the office, you can't be too particular these days.

Nevertheless, it was an ordeal to walk up the two blocks from Market
Street, particularly at night when the noise of juke boxes dinned from
the garish bars, when the sidewalks spilled over with soldiers and
sailors, with peroxided, blowsy-looking women and the furtive gamblers
who haunted the back rooms of the innocent-appearing cigar stores that
lined the street. She walked very fast then, never looking to left or
right, and her heart would pound when a passing male whistled.

[Illustration]

But once inside the apartment house lobby, she relaxed. In spite of its
location, the place seemed very respectable. She seldom met anyone in
the lobby or the elevator and, except on rare occasions like last night,
the halls were as silent as those in the swanky apartment houses on Nob
Hill.

She knew by sight only two of her neighbors--the short, stocky young man
who lived in 410, and Mrs. Moffatt, in 404. Mrs. Moffatt was the essence
of lavender and old lace, and the young man--he was all right, really;
you couldn't honestly say he was shady-looking.

       *       *       *       *       *

On this particular morning, the man from 410 was waiting for the
elevator when Ellen came out to get her paper. He glanced up at the
sound of the door and stared. Quickly, she shut the door again. She
didn't like the way he looked at her. She was wearing a housecoat over
her nightgown, and a scarf wrapped around her head to cover the
bobbypins--a costume as unrevealing as a nun's--but she felt as though
he had invaded her privacy with his stare, like surprising her in the
bathtub.

She waited until she heard the elevator start down before opening her
door again. The boy must have aimed from the stairs; her paper was
several yards down the hall, almost in front of 404. She went down to
get it.

Mrs. Moffatt must have heard Ellen's footsteps in the hall. An old lady
with a small income (from her late husband, as she had explained to
Ellen) and little to do, she was intensely interested in her neighbors.
She opened the door of her apartment and peered out. Her thin white hair
was done up in tight kid curlers. With her round faded-blue eyes and
round wrinkled-apple cheeks, she looked like an inquisitive aged baby.

"Good morning," said Ellen pleasantly.

"Good morning, my dear," the old lady answered. "You're up early for a
Saturday."

"Well, I thought I might as well get up and start my house-cleaning. I
didn't sleep a wink after four o'clock this morning anyway. Did you hear
all that racket in the hall?"

"Why, no, I didn't." The old lady sounded disappointed. "I don't see how
I missed it. I guess because I went to bed so late. My nephews--you've
seen them, haven't you?--They're such nice boys. They took me to a movie
last night."

"Well, I'm surprised you didn't hear it," said Ellen. "Thumping and
scratching, like somebody was dragging a rake along the floor. I just
couldn't get back to sleep."

The old lady clicked her tongue. "I'll bet somebody came home drunk.
Isn't that terrible? I wonder who it was."

"I don't know," said Ellen, "but it was certainly a disgrace. I was
going to call Mrs. Anderson."

With the door open, the hall seemed filled with the very odd odor of
Mrs. Moffatt's apartment--not really unpleasant, but musty, with the
smell of antiques. The apartment itself was like a museum. Ellen had
been inside once when the old lady invited her in for a cup of tea. Its
two rooms were crammed with a bizarre assortment of furniture,
bric-a-brac and souvenirs.

"Oh, how's your bird this morning?" Ellen asked.

In addition to being a collector, Mrs. Moffatt was an animal fancier.
She owned three cats, a pair of love-birds, goldfish, and even a cage of
white mice. One of the love-birds, she had informed Ellen yesterday, was
ailing.

"Oh, Buzzy's much better today," she beamed. "The doctor told me to feed
him whisky every three hours--with an eyedropper, you know--and you'd be
surprised how it helped the little fellow. He even ate some bird-seed
this morning."

"I'm so glad," said Ellen. She picked up her paper and smiled at Mrs.
Moffatt. "I'll see you later."

The old woman closed her door, shutting off the musty smell, and Ellen
walked back to her own apartment. She filled the coffee pot with water
and four tablespoons of coffee, then dressed herself while the coffee
percolated. Standing in front of the medicine cabinet mirror, she took
the bobbypins out of her hair. Her reflection looked back at her from
the mirror, and she felt that unaccountable depression again. I'm not
bad-looking, she thought, and young, and not too dumb. What have other
women got that I haven't? She thought of the days and years passing, the
meals all alone, and nothing ever happening.

That kind of thinking gets you nowhere; forget it. She combed her hair
back, pinned it securely behind her ears, ran a lipstick over her mouth.
Then she went into the kitchenette, turned off the gas flame under the
coffee pot, and raised the window shade to let in the sun that was just
beginning to show through morning fog.

A dead cat lay on the fire escape under the window.

       *       *       *       *       *

She stared at it, feeling sick to her stomach. It was an ordinary gray
cat, the kind you see in every alley, but its head was twisted back so
that its open eyes and open mouth leered at her.

She pulled the blind down, fast.

Sit down, light a cigarette. It's nothing, just a dead cat, that's all.
But how did it get on the fire escape? Fell, maybe, from the roof? And
how did it get on the roof? Besides, I thought cats never got hurt
falling. Isn't there something about landing on your feet like a cat?
Maybe that's just a legend, like the nonsense about nine lives.

Well, what do I do, she thought. I can't sit here and drink coffee with
_that_ under the window. And God knows I can't take it away myself. She
shuddered at the thought. Call the manager.

She got up and went to the telephone in the foyer. She found the number
scribbled on the back of the phone book. Her hand was shaking when she
dialed.

"This is Ellen Tighe in 402. Mrs. Anderson, there's a dead cat on the
fire escape outside my window. You'll have to do something about it."

Mrs. Anderson sounded half-asleep. "What do you mean, a dead cat? Are
you sure it's dead? Maybe it's sleeping."

"Of course I'm sure it's dead! Can't you send Pete up to take it away?
It's a horrible thing to have under my window."

"All right, I'll tell Pete to go up. He's washing down the lobby now. As
soon as he's finished, I'll send him up."

Ellen set the phone back on its stand. She felt a little silly. What a
fuss to make over a dead cat. But really, outside one's window--and
before breakfast--who could blame me?

She went back into the kitchenette, carefully not looking toward the
window, even though the shade was drawn, and poured herself a cup of
coffee. Then she sat at the table in the little nook, drinking coffee,
smoking a cigarette and leafing through the paper.

The front page was all about a flying saucer scare in Marin County. She
read the headline, then thumbed on through the paper, stopping to read
the movie reviews and the comic page.

       *       *       *       *       *

At the back section, she was attracted by a headline that read: "Liquor
Strong These Days--Customer Turns Green, Says Bartender." It was a brief
item, consciously cute. "John Martin, 38, a bartender of 152 Mason
Street, was arrested early this morning, charged with drunkenness and
disturbing the peace, after firing several shots from a .38 revolver on
the sidewalk in front of his address. No one was injured. Martin's
defense, according to police records, was that he was attempting to
apprehend a 'pale-green, claw-handed' customer who fled after eating a
live mouse and threatening Martin.

"Upon questioning, Martin admitted that the unidentified customer had
been in the bar for several hours and appeared perfectly normal. But he
insisted, 'When I refused to serve him after he ate the mouse, he turned
green and threatened to claw me to death.' Martin has a permit to carry
the gun and was dismissed with a fifty dollar fine and a warning by
Judge Greely against sampling his own stock too freely."

Drunken fool, thought Ellen. With fresh indignation, she remembered the
disturbance in her own hall this morning. Nothing but drunks and
gangsters in this neighborhood. She thought vaguely of looking at the
"For Rent" section of the want ads.

There was a noise on the fire escape. Ellen reached over and lifted up
the shade. The janitor was standing there with a big paper sack in his
hand.

Ellen opened the window and asked, "How do you think it got there,
Pete?"

"I dunno. Maybe fall offa the roof. Musta been in a fight."

"What makes you think so?"

"Neck's all torn. Big teeth marks. Maybe dog get him."

"Up here?"

"Somebody find, maybe throw here--I dunno." Pete scratched his head.
"You don't worry any more, though. I take away now. No smell, even."

He grinned at her and scuttled to the other end of the fire escape where
he climbed through the window to the fourth floor corridor.

Ellen poured herself a second cup of coffee and lighted another
cigarette, then turned to the woman's page in the paper. She read the
Advice Column and the Psychology and glanced through the "Help
Wanted--Women" in the classifieds. That finished the morning's reading.
She looked at her watch. Almost ten.

She carried her coffee cup to the sink, rinsed it out and set it on the
drainboard. There was still a cup or more coffee left in the pot. That
could be warmed over later, but she took out the filler and dumped the
grounds into the paper bag that held garbage. The bag was almost full.

I'll throw it in the incinerator now, she thought, before I straighten
the apartment.

She emptied the ashtrays--the one beside her bed and the other on the
breakfast table--then started down the hall with the garbage bag in her
hand.

       *       *       *       *       *

The incinerator chute was at the rear of the hall, next to the service
stairs. Ellen could see the door standing slightly open. She hesitated.
410 might be there. It was bad enough to ride in the elevator with him,
feeling his eyes on her, but there was something unbearably intimate
about standing beside him, emptying garbage.

The door seemed to move a little, but nobody came out. She waited
another minute. Oh, well, maybe the last person out there just forgot to
shut the door tight. She opened it wider, stepped out on the stair
landing. No one was there.

The chute was wide, almost three feet around. Ellen opened the top and
started to throw the bag down. Something was stuck in there. Her eyes
saw it, but her brain refused to believe.

What was there, blocking the chute, looked like--looked like--a
chicken's foot, gnarled, clawed, but as large as a human foot--and an
ugly, sickly green!

Automatically, she reached in and clutched it. Her stomach turned at the
cold feel of the thing, but still she tugged at it, trying to work it
loose. It was heavy. She pulled with all her strength, felt it start to
slide back up the chute. Then it was free!

She gaped in sick horror at the thing she held. Her hand opened weakly
and she sat down on the floor, her head swimming and her throat muscles
retching. Dimly, she heard the thing rattle and bump down to the
incinerator in the basement.

The full horror of it gradually hit home. Ellen stood up, swaying, and
ran blindly down the hall. Her feet thudded on the carpeted floor. As
she passed 404, she was vaguely conscious of Mrs. Moffatt's concerned
face poking around the door.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Tighe?"

"No," Ellen managed to gasp "It's all right--really--all right."

She kept on running, burst through the apartment door, slammed it behind
her, fell on her knees in the bathroom and became thoroughly, violently
ill.

She continued to kneel, unable to think, her head against the cool
porcelain bowl. Finally, she stood up weakly, ran cold water, washed her
face and streaming eyes. Thank God the wall bed was still down! She fell
on it, shaking.

       *       *       *       *       *

What was that unbelievable ghastly, impossible thing? It was the size of
a man, but thin, skeleton thin, and the color of brackish water. It had
two legs, two arms, like a man ... but ending with those huge, birdlike
claws. Heaven alone knew what its face was like. She had let go before
it was that far clear of the chute.

She thought of the story in the paper. So that was what the bartender
saw! He wasn't drunk at all, and what happened when he told the police?
They laughed at him. They'd laugh at me, too, she thought. The proof is
gone, burned up in the incinerator. Why did this happen to me? Dead cats
on the fire escape, dead monsters in the incinerator chute ... it's this
terrible neighborhood!

She tried to think coherently. Maybe the cat had something to do with
it. The bartender said the thing ate a mouse--maybe it had tried to eat
the cat, too. A monster like that might eat anything. Her stomach
started churning again at the thought.

But what was it doing in the incinerator chute? Someone in the building
must have put it there, thinking it would slide all the way down and be
burned up. Who? One of _them_, probably. But there couldn't be any more
green monsters around. They can't live in an apartment house, walk the
streets like anyone else, not even in this neighborhood.

She remembered something else in the bartender's story. He said it
looked perfectly normal at first. That meant they could look like humans
if they wanted to. Hypnotism? Then any man could be....

Suddenly another thought struck her. Supposing they find out I saw--what
will they do to me?

She jumped up from the bed, white with fear, her faintness forgotten in
the urge to escape. She snatched her bag from the dresser, threw on her
brown coat.

At the door, she hesitated, afraid to venture into the hall, yet afraid
to stay inside. Finally, she eased open the door, peered out into the
corridor. It was deserted. She ran to the elevator, punched the bell,
heard the car begin its creaky, protesting ascent.

The elevator door had an automatic spring closing. The first time she
tried it, her hands shook and the door sprang closed before she got in.
She tried it again. This time she managed to hold it open long enough to
get inside. She pushed the button, felt the elevator shake and grind and
move slowly down.

Out into the lobby.

Out into the street.

       *       *       *       *       *

The fog was completely gone now. The sun shone on the still-damp street.
There were very few people around--The Tenderloin sleeps late. She went
into the restaurant next door, sat down at the white-tiled counter. She
was the only customer. A sleepy-eyed waitress, her black hair untidily
caught into a net, waited, pad in hand.

"Just coffee," Ellen mumbled.

She drank it black and it scalded her throat going down. The waitress
put a nickel in the juke box and then Bing Crosby was singing "Easter
Parade." Everything was so normal. Listening to Bing Crosby, how could
you believe in things like green monsters? In this sane, prosaic
atmosphere, Ellen thought, I must be batty.

She said to herself, "I'm Ellen Tighe, bookkeeper, and I just saw the
body of a green man with claws on his feet...." No, that didn't help a
bit. Put it this way: "I'm Ellen Tighe and I'm 27 years old and I'm not
married. Let's face it, any psychiatrist will tell you that's enough
cause for neurosis. So I'm having delusions."

It made more sense that way. I read that story in the paper, Ellen
thought, and it must have registered way down in my subconscious. That
had to be it. Any other way, it was too horrible, too impossible to be
borne.

I'll go back to the apartment and call Dr. Clive, thought Ellen. She had
the feeling, no doubt held over from the days of measles and mumps, that
a doctor could cure anything, even green monsters on the brain.

She drank the last of the coffee and fished in her coin purse for
change. Picking up the check, she walked over to the cash register at
the end of the counter, facing the street. The untidy waitress came from
the back of the restaurant to take the money.

Ellen looked out at the street through the glass front. The man from 410
was standing out there, smoking a cigarette, watching her. When their
eyes met, he abruptly threw away the cigarette and started walking
toward the apartment house. Again she felt that faint dread she had
experienced in the hall earlier.

The waitress picked up her quarter, gave her back a nickel and a dime.
Ellen put the change into her purse, got out her key chain and held it
in her hand while she walked quickly next door. 410 was just ahead of
her in the lobby; he held the front door open for her.

She kept her head down, not looking at his face, and they walked, Indian
file, across the lobby to the elevator. He opened the elevator doors,
too, and she stepped in ahead of him.

       *       *       *       *       *

When the doors clanged shut, she had a feeling of panic. Alone with him
... cut off from help. He didn't pretend not to know her floor, but
silently pressed the proper button. While the car moved slowly upward,
her heart was beating wildly.

I'm not convinced, she thought, I'm not convinced. I saw it so plainly
... I felt it, cold in my hands.

The elevator stopped. The man held the door open and for a moment she
thought he was going to say something. His free hand made a swift,
involuntary movement as though he were going to catch her arm. She
shrank away, but he stepped back and let her through.

Ellen almost ran down the hall. Behind her, she heard his footsteps
going in the opposite direction toward his apartment. She was panting
when she reached her door. She fumbled for the right key--front door,
office--and then she froze. There was a scratching sound in the
apartment.

She put her ear close to the door, listened. There was a rasping noise,
like somebody dragging a rake ... or like claws, great heavy claws,
moving over the hardwood floors!

Ellen backed away from the door. It was true, then. She retreated, inch
by inch, silently. Get away, leave before it catches you! She turned,
ready to make a dash for the elevator ... and faced the man from 410.

Down at the end of the hall, in front of his apartment, he was watching
her. The way he lingered outside the restaurant, the way he looked at
her. One of _them_ ... maybe underneath that homely, ordinary face, his
skin was green and clammy. Maybe there were long, sharp claws on his
feet.

She was breathing unevenly now. Trapped! The thing in the apartment, the
man in the hall. Her eyes darted to the elevator, then back, down the
hall, past the door marked 404 ... the door marked 404! She covered the
few yards in a mad dash, flung herself at the door, pounding wildly.

"Please, please!" she sobbed. "Mrs. Moffatt, open, please!"

The door opened at once. Mrs. Moffatt's round, wrinkled face beamed at
her.

"Come in, my dear, come in."

She almost fell over the landing. The door closed behind her.

She stumbled to the davenport, sank down, gasping. Two cats rubbed
against her legs, purring. Two cats?

She heard herself say stupidly, "Mrs. Moffatt, where's the other cat?"
and wondered why she said it.

Then she understood.

The old lady's face quivered, altered, melted into something ...
something green.

       *       *       *       *       *

Outside in the hall, the man from 410 slowly returned to his apartment.
Pushing open the door, he thought, I'll never get the nerve to ask her
out.

Well, probably wasn't a chance, anyhow. What would a girl like her have
to do with a lousy cop like me?





End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Know Thy Neighbor, by Elisabeth R. Lewis

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KNOW THY NEIGHBOR ***

***** This file should be named 32287.txt or 32287.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
        http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/8/32287/

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
[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.