The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Helpful Hand of God, by Tom Godwin

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Title: The Helpful Hand of God

Author: Tom Godwin

Illustrator: Barberis

Release Date: October 24, 2009 [EBook #30322]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction December 1961.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright
on this publication was renewed.

the helpful hand of

god

... Can be very helpful indeed. But of course, it's long
been known that God helps those who wisely help
themselves....

BY TOM GODWIN

ILLUSTRATED BY BARBERIS

* * * * *

(From "Vogarian Revised Encyclopedia":

_SAINTS: Golden Saints, properly, Yellow Saints, a term of contempt
applied by the Vogarian State Press to members of the Church Of The
Golden Rule because of their opposition to the war then being planned
against Alkoria. See CHURCHES._

_CHURCH, GOLDEN RULE, OF THE: A group of reactionary fanatics who
resisted State control and advocated social chaos through "Individual
Freedom." They were liquidated in the Unity Purge but for two-thousand
of the more able-bodied, who were sentenced to the moon mines of Belen
Nine. The prison ship never arrived there and it is assumed that the
condemned Saints somehow overpowered the guards and escaped to some
remote section of the galaxy.)_

Kane had observed Commander Y'Nor's bird-of-prey profile with detached
interest as Y'Nor jerked his head around to glare again at the
chronometer on the farther wall of the cruiser's command room.

"What's keeping Dalon?" Y'Nor demanded, transferring his glare to
Kane. "Did you assure him that I have all day to waste?"

"He should be here any minute, sir," Kane answered.

"I didn't find the Saints, after