Project Gutenberg's The Return, by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire

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Title: The Return

Author: H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire

Illustrator: Kelly Freas

Release Date: July 17, 2006 [EBook #18855]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RETURN ***

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Astounding Science Fiction,
January, 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any
evidence that the copyright on this publication was renewed.

THE RETURN

BY H. BEAM PIPER

AND

JOHN J. McGUIRE

[Illustration: ]

* * * * *

_The isolated little group they found were doing fine--
but their religion was most strange--and yet quite logical!_

Illustrated by Kelly Freas

Altamont cast a quick, routine, glance at the instrument panels and
then looked down through the transparent nose of the helicopter at the
yellow-brown river five hundred feet below. Next he scraped the last
morsel from his plate and ate it.

"What did you make this out of, Jim?" he asked. "I hope you kept
notes, while you were concocting it. It's good."

"The two smoked pork chops left over from yesterday evening," Loudons
said, "and that bowl of rice that's been taking up space in the
refrigerator the last couple of days together with a little egg
powder, and some milk. I ground the chops up and mixed them with the
rice and the other stuff. Then added some bacon, to make grease to fry
it in."

Altamont chuckled. That was Loudons, all right; he could take a few
left-overs, mess them together, pop them in the skillet, and have a
meal that would turn the chef back at the Fort green with envy. He
filled his cup and offered the pot.

"Caffchoc?" he asked.

Loudons held his cup out to be filled, blew on it, s