The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bear Trap, by Alan Edward Nourse

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Title: Bear Trap

Author: Alan Edward Nourse

Release Date: January 26, 2010 [EBook #31094]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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_Dr. Alan E. Nourse, who when last heard of was vacationing in
Alaska--and probably gathering material for SF or Mystery stories
set against this background--is the author of many mystery and
science fiction stories including MARTYR, the lead novel in our
January 1957 issue._

bear
trap

_by ALAN E. NOURSE_

The man's meteoric rise as a peacemaker in a nation tired
by the long years of war made the truth even more shocking.

The huge troop transport plane eased down through the rainy drizzle
enshrouding New York International Airport at about five o'clock in the
evening. Tom Shandor glanced sourly through the port at the wet landing
strip, saw the dim landing lights reflected in the steaming puddles. On
an adjacent field he could see the rows and rows of jet fighters, wings
up in the foggy rain, poised like ridiculous birds in the darkness. With
a sigh he ripped the sheet of paper from the small, battered portable
typewriter on his lap, and zipped the machine up in its slicker case.

Across the troop hold the soldiers were beginning to stir, yawning,
shifting their packs, collecting their gear. Occasionally they stared at
Shandor as if he were totally alien to their midst, and he shivered a
little as he collected the sheets of paper scattered on the deck around
him, checked the date, 27 September, 1982, and rolled them up to fit in
the slim round mailing container. Ten minutes later he was shouldering
his way through the crowd of khaki-clad men, scowling up at the sky,
his nondescript fedora jammed down over his eyes to keep out the rain,
slicker collar pulled up about his ears. At the gangway he stopped
before a tired-looking lieutenant and flashed the small fluorescent card
in his palm. "Public Information Board."

The officer nodd