The Project Gutenberg EBook of Despoilers of the Golden Empire, by
Gordon Randall Garrett

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Title: Despoilers of the Golden Empire

Author: Gordon Randall Garrett

Illustrator: Kelly Freas

Release Date: December 31, 2007 [EBook #24091]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration]

DESPOILERS
OF THE
GOLDEN EMPIRE

BY DAVID GORDON

_A handful of men, and an incredible
adventure--a few super-men, led by a
fanatic, seeking to conquer a new world!_

Illustrated by Freas

I

In the seven centuries that had elapsed since the Second Empire had been
founded on the shattered remnants of the First, the nobles of the
Imperium had come slowly to realize that the empire was not to be judged
by the examples of its predecessor. The First Empire had conquered most
of the known universe by political intrigue and sheer military strength;
it had fallen because that same propensity for political intrigue had
gained over every other strength of the Empire, and the various branches
and sectors of the First Empire had begun to use it against one another.

The Second Empire was politically unlike the First; it tried to balance
a centralized government against the autonomic governments of the
various sectors, and had almost succeeded in doing so.

But, no matter how governed, there are certain essentials which are
needed by any governmental organization.

Without power, neither Civilization nor the Empire could hold itself
together, and His Universal Majesty, the Emperor Carl, well knew it. And
power was linked solidly to one element, one metal, without which
Civilization would collapse as surely as if it had been blasted out of
existence. Without the power metal, no ship could move or even be built;
without it, industry would come to a standstill.

In ancient times, even as far back as the early Greek and Roman
civilizations, the metal had been known, but it had been used, for the
most part, as decoration a