The Project Gutenberg EBook of The K-Factor, by
Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)

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.net

Title: The K-Factor

Author: Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)

Illustrator: Summers

Release Date: September 8, 2007 [EBook #22540]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE K-FACTOR ***

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

[Illustration]

THE
K-FACTOR

By HARRY HARRISON

_Speed never hurt anybody--it's the sudden stop
at the end. It's not how much change that signals
danger, but how fast it's changing...._

Illustrated by Summers

"We're losing a planet, Neel. I'm afraid that I can't ... understand
it."

The bald and wrinkled head wobbled a bit on the thin neck, and his eyes
were moist. Abravanel was a very old man. Looking at him, Neel realized
for the first time just how old and close to death he was. It was a
profoundly shocking thought.

"Pardon me, sir," Neel broke in, "but is it possible? To lose a planet,
I mean. If the readings are done correctly, and the k-factor equations
worked to the tenth decimal place, then it's really just a matter of
adjustment, making the indicated corrections. After all, Societics is an
exact science--"

"Exact? _Exact!_ Of course it's not! Have I taught you so little that
you dare say that to me?" Anger animated the old man, driving the shadow
of death back a step or two.

Neel hesitated, feeling his hands quiver ever so slightly, groping for
the right words. Societics was his faith, and his teacher, Abravanel,
its only prophet. This man before him, carefully preserved by the
age-retarding drugs, was unique in the galaxy. A living anachronism, a
refugee from the history books. Abravanel had singlehandedly worked out
the equations, spelled out his science of Societics. Then he had trained
seven generations of students in its fundamentals. Hearing the article
of his faith defamed by its creator produced a negative feedback loop in
Neel so strong his hands vibrated in tune with it. It took a jarring
effort to crack out of the cycle.

"The laws th