The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sword, by Frank Quattrocchi

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Title: The Sword

Author: Frank Quattrocchi

Illustrator: Tom Beecham

Release Date: June 5, 2010 [EBook #32697]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE SWORD

By Frank Quattrocchi

Illustrated by Tom Beecham

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from IF Worlds of Science
Fiction March 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: _There were but three days in which to decipher the most
cryptic message ever delivered to earth._]

George Harrison noticed the flashing red light on the instrument panel
as he turned onto the bridge to Balboa Island. Just over the bridge, he
pulled the car to the curb and flipped the switch with violence.
"Harrison," he muttered.

"How's the water, fella?" asked the voice of Bob Mills, his assistant.

There was a beautiful moon over the island. The surf lapped at the tiers
of the picturesque bridge. Soft music was playing somewhere. There was a
tinkle of young laughter on the light sea breeze.

Harrison was vacationing and he viewed the emergency contact from
Intersolar Spaceport with annoyance.

"What do you want, Bob?"

"Sorry, George," Bob Mills said more seriously. "I guess you got to come
back."

"Listen--" protested Harrison.

"Orders, George--orders from upstairs."

Harrison took a long look at the pleasant island street stretching out
before him. Sea-corroded street lamps lit the short, island
thoroughfare. People in light blue jeans, bronzed youths in skipper
caps, deep-tanned girls in terry-cloth.

"What the hell is it?"

"Don't know, but it's big. Better hurry." He clicked off.

Harrison skidded the car into a squealing turn. Angrily, he raced over
the bridge and onto the roaring highway. Thirty minutes later Intersolar
Spaceport, Los Angeles, blazed ahead of him.

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