Project Gutenberg's The Polite People of Pudibundia, by R. A. Lafferty
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll
have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
this ebook.
Title: The Polite People of Pudibundia
Author: R. A. Lafferty
Release Date: December 18, 2019 [EBook #60955]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POLITE PEOPLE OF PUDIBUNDIA ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
_THE POLITE PEOPLE OF PUDIBUNDIA_
By R. A. LAFFERTY
_This was a world where minding
your manners was more than just
a full-time job--it was murder!_
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1961.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"Well, you will soon see for yourself, Marlow. Yes, I know there are
peculiar stories about the place. There are about all places. The young
pilots who have been there tell some amusing tales about it."
"Yes. They say the people there are very polite."
"That is the honorable ancestor of all understatements. One of the
pilots, Conrad, told us that the inhabitants must always carry seven
types of eyeglasses with them. None of the Puds, you see, may ever
gaze directly on another. That would be the height of impoliteness.
They wear amber goggles when they go about their world at large,
and these they wear when they meet a stranger. But, once they are
introduced to him, then they must thereafter look on him through blue
glasses. But at a blood relative they gaze through red, and at an
in-law through yellow. There are equally interesting colors for other
situations."
"I would like to talk to Conrad. Not that I doubt his reports. It is
the things he did not report that interest me."
"I thought you knew he had died. Thrombosis, though he was sound enough
when first certified."
"But if they are really people, then it should be possible to
understand them."
"But they are not really people. They are metamorphics. They become
people only out of politeness."
"Detail that a little."
"Oh, they're biped and of a size of us. They have a chameleon-like skin
that can take on any texture they please, and they possess extreme
plasticity of features."
"You mean they can take on the appearance of people at will?"
"So Bently reported."
"I hadn't heard of him."
"Another of the young pilots. According to Bently, not only do the Puds
take on a human appearance, they take on the appearance of the human
they encounter. Out of politeness, of course."
"Quite a tribute, though it seems extreme. Could I talk to Bently?"
"Also dead. A promising young man. But he reported some of the most
amusing aspects of all: the circumlocutions that the Puds use in
speaking our language. Not only is the Second Person eschewed out of
politeness, but in a way all the other Persons also. One of them could
not call you by your name, Marlow. He would have to say: 'One hears of
one who hears of one of the noble name of Marlow. One hears of one even
now in his presence.'"
* * * * *
"Yes, that is quite a polite way of saying it. But it would seem that
with all their circumlocutions they would be inefficient."
"Yet they are quite efficient. They do things so well that it is almost
imperative that we learn from them. Yet for all our contacts, for all
their extreme politeness coupled with their seeming openness, we have
been able to learn almost nothing. We cannot learn the secret of the
amazing productivity of their fields. According to Sharper, another of
the young pilots, they suggest (though so circumspectly that it seems
hardly a suggestion, certainly not a criticism) that if we were more
polite to our own plants, the plants would be more productive for us;
and if we gave the plants the ultimate of politeness, they would give
us the ultimate of production."
"Could I talk to Sharper, or is he also--"
"No, he is not dead. He was quite well till the last several days. Now,
however, he is ailing, but I believe it will be possible for you to
talk to him before you leave, if he does not worsen."
"It would still seem difficult for the Puds to get anything done.
Wouldn't a superior be too polite to give a reprimand to an inferior?"
"Probably. But Masters, who visited them, had a theory about it, which
is that the inferior would be so polite and deferential that he would
do his best to anticipate a wish or a desire, or would go to any
lengths to learn the import of an unvoiced preference."
"Is Masters one of the young pilots?"
"No, an old-timer."
"Now you _do_ interest me."
"Dead quite a few years. But it is you who interest me, Marlow. I have
been told to give you all the information you need about the Polite
People of Pudibundia. And on the subject of the Polite People, I must
also be polite. But--saving your presence, and one hears of one who
hears and all that--what in gehenna is a captain in Homicide on the
Solar Police Force going to Pudibundia about?"
"About murder. That is all I ever go anywhere about. We once had a
private motto that we would go to the end of the Earth to solve a case."
"And now you have amended your motto to 'to the end of the Earth and
beyond'?"
"We have."
"But what have the Polite People to do with murder? Crime is unknown on
Pudibundia."
"We believe, saving their feelings, that it may not be unknown there.
And what I am going to find out is this. There have been pilots for
many years who have brought back stories of the Puds, and there are
still a few--a very few--young pilots alive to tell those stories. What
I am going to find out is why there are no old pilots around telling
those stories."
* * * * *
It wasn't much of a trip for a tripper, six weeks. And Marlow was
well received. His host also assumed the name of Marlow out of
politeness. It would have been impossible to render his own name in
human speech, and it would have been impossible for him to conceive
of using any name except that of his guest, with its modifiers. Yet
there was no confusion. Marlow was Marlow, and his host was the
One-Million-Times-Lesser-Marlow.
"We could progress much faster," said Marlow, "if we dispensed with
these formalities."
"Or assumed them as already spoken," said the
One-Million-Times-Lesser-Marlow. "For this, in private, but only in the
strictest privacy, we use the deferential ball. Within it are all the
formulae written minutely. You have but to pass the ball from hand to
hand every time you speak, and it is as if the amenities were spoken.
I will give you this for the time of your stay. I beg you never to
forget to pass it from hand to hand every time you speak. Should you
forget, I would not, of course, be allowed to notice it. But when you
were gone, I should be forced to kill myself for the shame of it. For
private reasons I wish to avoid this and therefore beseech you to be
careful."
The One-Million-Times-Lesser-Marlow (hereafter to be called OMTLM
for convenience but not out of any lack of politeness) gave Marlow
a deferential ball, about the size of a ping-pong ball. And so they
talked.
"As a police official, I am particularly interested in the crime
situation on Pud," said Marlow. "An index of zero is--well, if I could
find a politer word I would use it--suspicious. And as you are, as well
as I can determine, the head police official here, though in politeness
your office would have another name, I am hoping that you can give me
information."
"Saving your grace, and formula of a formula, what would you have me
tell you about?"
"Suppose that a burglar (for politeness sake called something else)
were apprehended by a policeman (likewise), what would happen?"
"Why, the policeman (not so called, and yet we must be frank) would
rattle his glottis in the prescribed manner."
"Rattle his gl--I see. He would clear his throat with the appropriate
sound. And then the burglar (not so called)?"
"Would be covered with shame, it is true, but not fatally. For the
peace of his own soul, he would leave the site in as dignified a manner
as possible."
"With or without boodle?"
"Naturally without. One apprehended in the act is obliged to abandon
his loot. That is only common politeness."
"I see. And if the burglar (not so called) remains unapprehended? How
is the loss of the goods or property recorded?"
"It goes into the coefficient of general diminution of merchandise,
which is to say shrinkage, wastage or loss. At certain times and places
this coefficient becomes alarmingly large. Then it is necessary to use
extraordinary care; and in extreme cases a thrice-removed burglar may
become so ashamed of himself that he will die."
"That he will die of shame? Is that a euphemism?"
"Let us say that it is a euphemism of a euphemism."
"Thrice-removed, I imagine. And what of other crimes?"
* * * * *
Here OMTLM rattled his glottis in a nervous manner, and Marlow
hurriedly transferred his deferential ball to the other hand, having
nearly forgotten it.
"There being no crime, we can hardly speak of _other_ crimes," said
OMTLM. "But perhaps in another matter of speaking, you refer to--"
"Crimes of violence," said Marlow.
"Saving your presence, and formula of a formula, what would we have to
be violent about? What possible cause?"
"The usual: greed, lust, jealousy, anger, revenge, plain perversity."
"Here also it is possible for one to die of shame, sometimes the
offender, sometimes the victim, sometimes both. A jealous person
might permit both his wife and her paramour to die of shame. And the
State in turn might permit him to perish likewise, unless there were
circumstances to modify the degree of shame; then he might still
continue to live, often in circumscribed circumstances, for a set
number of years. Each case must be decided on its own merits."
"I understand your meaning. But why build a fence around it?"
"I do not know what you mean."
"I believe that you do. Why are the Polite People of Pudibundia so
polite? Is it simply custom?"
"It is more than that," said the polite Pud.
"Then there is a real reason for it? And can you tell it to me?"
"There is a real reason for it. I cannot tell it to you now, though,
and perhaps not ever. But there is a chance that you may be given a
demonstration of it just before you leave. And if you are very wise,
you may be able then to guess the reason. I believe that there are
several who have guessed it. I hope that we will have time for other
discussions before you leave our sphere. And I sincerely do hope
that your stay on Pudibundia is a pleasant one. And now, saving your
presence, we must part. Formula of a formula."
"Formula of a formula and all that," said Marlow, and went to discover
the pleasures of Pudibundia.
Among the pleasures of Pud was Mitzi (Miniature Image a
thousand-times-removed of the Zestful Irma) who had now shaped up into
something very nice. And shaped up is the correct term.
At first Marlow was shocked by the appearance of all the females he met
on Pud. Crude-featured, almost horse-faced, how could they all look
like that? And he was even more shocked when he finally realized the
reason. He had become used to the men there looking like himself out of
politeness. And this--this abomination--was the female version of his
own appearance!
But he was a man of resources. He took from his pocket a small picture
of Irma that he always carried, and showed it to the most friendly of
the girls.
"Could you possibly--?"
"Look like that? Why, of course. Let me study it for a moment. Now,
then."
So the girl assumed the face of Irma.
"Incredible," said Marlow, "except Irma is red-headed."
"You have only to ask. The photo is not colored and so I did not know.
We will try this shade to start with."
"Close, but could you turn it just a little darker?"
"Of course."
And there she was Irma of the most interesting face and wonderful hair.
But the picture had been of the face only. Below that, the girl was a
sack. If only there were some way to convey what was lacking.
"You still are not pleased with me," said the Miniature Image a
thousand-times-removed of the Zestful Irma (Mitzi). "But you have only
to demonstrate. Show me with your hands."
Marlow with his hands sculptured in the air the figure of Irma as he
remembered it, and Mitzi assumed the form, first face on, then face
away, then in profile. And when they had it roughly, they perfected it,
a little more here, a little less there. But there were points where
his memory failed him.
"If you could only give me an idea of the convolutions of her ears,"
said Mitzi, "and the underlying structure of the metatarsus. My only
desire is to please. Or shall I improvise where you do not remember?"
"Yes, do that, Mitzi."
And how that girl could improvise!
* * * * *
Marlow and Mitzi were now buddies. They made a large evening of it.
They tied one on; formula of a formula, but they tied one on. They
went on a thrice-removed bender. At the Betelgeuse Bar and Grill,
they partook of the cousin of the cousin of the alcohol itself in the
form of the nono-rhumbezoid, made of nine kinds of rum. At the B-flat
Starlight Club, they listened to the newest and most exciting music on
all Pudibundia. At Alligator John's, one checks his inhibitions at the
door. Here one also checks his deferential ball. Of course the formulae
are built into the walls and at each exchange it is always assumed that
they are said.
But the Iris Room is really the ultimate. The light comes through
seven different colors of glass, and it is very dim when it arrives.
And there the more daring remove their goggles entirely and go about
without them in the multi-colored twilight. This is illegal. It is
even foolhardy. There is no Earthly equivalent to it. To divest oneself
and disport with Nudists would be tame in comparison. But Mitzi and her
friends were of the reckless generation, and the Iris Room was their
rendezvous.
The orgy will not be detailed here. The floor show was wild. Yet we
cannot credit the rumor that the comedian was so crude as to look
directly at the audience even in that colored twilight; or they so
gauche as to laugh outright at the jokes, they who had been taught
always to murmur, "One knows of one who knows of one who ventures to
smile." Yet there was no doubting that the Iris Room was a lively
place. And when they left it at dawn, Marlow was pleased and sleepy and
tipsy.
There was a week of pleasure on Pudibundia: swimming with Mitzi down
at West Beach, gourmandizing with Mitzi at Gastrophiles, dancing with
Mitzi, pub-crawling, romancing, carrying on generally. The money
exchange was favorable and Marlow was on an expense account. It was a
delightful time.
But still he did not forget the job he was on, and in the midst of his
pleasure he sought always for information.
"When I return here," he said slyly, "we will do the many things that
time does not allow. When I come back here--"
"But you will not return," said Mitzi. "Nobody ever does."
"And why not? It is surely a pleasant place to return to. Why won't I
return?"
"If you cannot guess, then I cannot tell you. Do you have to know why?"
"Yes, I have to know why. That is why I came here, to find out. To find
out why the young men who come here will never be able to return here,
or to anywhere else."
"I can't tell you."
"Then give me a clue."
"In the Iris Room was a clue. It was not till the color-filtered light
intruded between us that we might safely take off our goggles. I would
save you if I could. I want you to come back. But those higher in
authority make the decisions. When you leave, you will not return here,
or anywhere else. But already one has spoken to one who has spoken to
one who has spoken too much."
"There is a point beyond which politeness is no longer a virtue, Mitzi."
"I know. If I could change it, I would."
* * * * *
So the period of the visit was at an end, and Marlow was at his last
conference with OMTLM, following which he would leave Pudibundia,
perhaps forever.
"Is there anything at all else you would like to know?" asked OMTLM.
"There is almost _everything_ that I still want to know. I have found
out nothing."
"Then ask."
"I don't know how. If I knew the questions to ask, it is possible that
I would already know the answers."
"Yes, that is entirely possible."
OMTLM seemed to look at him with amused eyes. And yet the eyes were
hidden behind purple goggles. Marlow had never seen the eyes of OMTLM.
He had never seen the eyes of any of the Puds. Even in the Iris Room,
in that strangely colored light, it had not been possible to see their
eyes.
"Are you compelling me to do something?" asked Marlow.
"I may be compelling you to think of the question that has eluded you."
"Would you swear that I have not been given some fatal sickness?"
"I can swear that to the very best of my knowledge you have not."
"Are you laughing at me with your eyes?"
"No. My eyes have compassion for you."
"I have to see them."
"You are asking that?"
"Yes. I believe the answer to my question is there," Marlow said firmly.
OMTLM took off his purple goggles. His were clear, intelligent eyes
and there was genuine compassion in them.
"Thank you," said Marlow. "If the answer is there, it still eludes me.
I have failed in my mission for information. But I will return again. I
will still find out what it is that is wrong here."
"No, you will not return."
"What will prevent me?" asked Marlow.
"Your death in a very few weeks."
"What will I die of?"
"What did all your young pilots die of?"
"But you swore that you did not know of any sickness I could have
caught here!" Marlow cried.
"That was true when I said it. It was not true a moment later."
"Did all the pilots ask to see your eyes?"
"Yes. All. Curiosity is a failing of you Earthlings."
"Is it that the direct gaze of the Puds kills?"
"Yes. Even ourselves it would kill. That is why we have our eyes always
shielded. That is also why we erect another shield: that of our ritual
politeness, so that we may never forget that too intimate an encounter
of our persons may be fatal."
"Then you have just murdered me?"
"Let us say rather that one hears of one who hears of one who killed
unwillingly."
"Why did you do it to me?" demanded Marlow.
"You asked to see my eyes. It would not be polite to refuse."
"It takes you several weeks to kill. I can do it in a few seconds."
"You would be wrong to try. Our second glance kills instantly."
"Let's see if it's faster than a gun!"
* * * * *
But OMTLM had not lied.
It is not polite to lie on Pudibundia.
Marlow died instantly.
And that is why (though you may sometimes hear a young pilot tell
amusing stories immediately--oh, very immediately--on his return from
Pudibundia) you will never find an old pilot who has ever been there.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Polite People of Pudibundia, by R. A. Lafferty
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POLITE PEOPLE OF PUDIBUNDIA ***
***** This file should be named 60955.txt or 60955.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/5/60955/
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 print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law 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 in the United States with eBooks
not protected by U.S. copyright law. 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
www.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 unprotected by copyright law 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 in the United States and
most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the
United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
are located before using this ebook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (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 The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, 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
works not protected by U.S. copyright law 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 information page at
www.gutenberg.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. 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 in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, 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 contact links and up to
date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
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 www.gutenberg.org/donate
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: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty 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 not protected by copyright 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: 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.
