The Project Gutenberg eBook of Rescue Mission, by Robert Silverberg This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world 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.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: Rescue Mission Author: Robert Silverberg Release Date: May 03, 2021 [eBook #65241] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESCUE MISSION *** RESCUE MISSION By Robert Silverberg Snaring both Earthmen in a mind-web was easy for the mutant telepath. But once you've caught your prey--how do you get rid of them? [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy December 1957 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Rick Mason's ship was still high over Mordarga, coming in for a landing, when the cry for help sounded in his audio phones. Rick frowned, reached to the control panel to turn up the amplification--then realized that the voice had not come over the audio after all. It had spoken in his mind. _Help! Rick, they've caught me!_ There was urgency in the mental cry. Instantly, Mason sized up the situation. It was his partner, Klon Darra, the Venusian--the other half of this mentally-attuned Solar System intelligence team. Klon Darra was in trouble! He focussed his mental energies and replied: _I read you, Klon Darra. What's the problem?_ The response was blurred and indistinct, as if the Venusian were laboring under great mental strain. _I ... landed on schedule. Fell into hands of ... ruler. In prison. Going to be tortured. I...._ Mason struggled to keep his attention on his descending spaceship while picking up the Venusian's fading mental voice. _Go ahead, Klon Darra. I hear you._ _They're going to torture me. Help me, Mason. Help!_ _Where are you?_ Mason asked. _Dungeons of the main palace, Mordarga City. Hurry, Rick. There's not much time!_ Mason switched on the fore visi-plate and the mottled grey-and-blue surface of Mordarga became visible ahead of him. The planet Mordarga was one of the universe's potential trouble-spots. That was why the Solar System Government had sent a team of its intelligence agents there. But they had planned on a leisurely, detailed reconnaissance of the planet, intending to return to home base with a full account of Mordarga's weaknesses and future militaristic plans. Now, that was changed; Klon Darra would have to be rescued at once. The Mordargans probably knew by now that the Solar System had discovered Mordarga's warlike aims. Rick began setting up his landing orbit. The tiny two-man ship curved sharply downward as his trained fingers played over the control console. The planet of Mordarga sprang up to meet the down-plunging ship. * * * * * Mordarga was in the Sirius system, a big, ugly world inhabited by big, ugly humanoids. Mason landed in a secluded spot on the north continent of the planet, coming to rest in a foul-smelling valley between two looming mountains. Jutting angular blue-leaved trees stuck up around, and hoarse-voiced alien wildlife chattered and yawped in the background. Mason strapped his safety-kit to his side, flipped on the homing-switch he'd need to find his way back to the ship, and lightly swung down from to the ground. He started to walk. Unless his figures were wrong Mordarga City lay three miles to the west. He kept his receptive mind attuned, hoping to hear from the Venusian again but Klon Darra was not sending. They made a good team, Mason and the Venusian. A pair of Earthmen somehow never were as efficient together as a mixed-planet outfit; the green-skinned Venusian had certain attributes Mason lacked and vice-versa. Together they were a well-nigh perfect intelligence team. Knowledge of Mordarga's future intentions was essential to the safety and security of the Solar System. Suddenly Klon Darra's voice sounded in his mind. _Mason, have you landed yet?_ _Yes. I'm on my way. You all right?_ _They still don't know why I'm on Mordarga. They picked me up on suspicion. If you can get me out of here before they find out._ _I'm three miles out of Mordarga City. Can you hold out for another half hour?_ Mason asked. Silence for a moment. Then the Venusian said, _I think so. So far they've just tried some elementary torture. Not kid stuff but I'm still okay._ Mason grinned. A Venusian's pain threshold was fantastically high; the Mordargans could torture Klon Darra for days without getting any essential information from him. But there were other methods. Klon Darra said: _They've sent for a telepath. Once they penetrate my mind they'll know why we're here. We'll both be cooked._ _Don't worry_, Mason telepathed. _I'll be there with bells on._ There were occasional buildings now, he saw; the main bulk of Mordarga City lay up ahead, sprawling in a disorderly, confused fashion. The Mordargans, for all their neat precision of mind, cared little about the arrangement of their cities. Mason saw some of the Mordargans now--husky brutes seven feet tall, square-shouldered and thick-muscled. They were gray-skinned with blazing white eyes and savage fangs; they diverged most sharply from the humanoid pattern in the pair of thick, stubby antenna sprouting from their heavy-browed foreheads. Those antenna governed the extra Mordargan sense--the sense of balance, of perspective, of distance-judgment. It made them deadly in a hand-to-hand fight. A couple of the Mordargans looked at him suspiciously but without overt antagonism. Earth and Mordarga were still theoretically at peace and Earthmen on Mordarga were, if not common, at least not totally unknown. Mason kept his eyes to the ground and walked quickly past the Mordargans. They were a surly, unpredictable race; he didn't want any trouble with them now. He tried a message to Klon Darra. _Hey, Venusian! How's it going?_ _The telepath is due to arrive in one hour, Rick. Where are you now?_ _On the outskirts, just coming into the city. I'll be there to spring you in plenty of time._ The main palace was visible ahead, about a mile further into the city. Mason quickened his pace. There was time but not much. He stepped between a pair of drunken Mordargans who were jostling each other on the narrow street. Suddenly one of them turned and said, "Hey, there's an Earthman. Come on, Terran. Have a drink with us?" * * * * * They were wobbling unsteadily. Mason caught his breath. He had little enough time to get to Klon Darra as it was. He calculated the speed at which they could move and wondered if he could outrun them. "Sorry," he snapped. "I'm too busy for a drink now." He lowered his head and ran. They grunted in surprise and started to chase him. He heard their heavy feet clobbering along on the pavement. He cursed. They were probably just trying to be sociable but this was no time for that. "Ho, Earthman! You run fast but your legs are short!" He glanced back. They were gaining on him. A tangle of buildings loomed up ahead and he made for those. A rough hand clamped around the back of his neck and dragged him to a halt. Mason spun around and waded in without waiting for an introduction. His fist crashed into the stomach of the nearest Mordargan and sent him rocking back against his companion. Mason hit him again and he started to sag. The heavy body thudded against the pavement. But the other Mordargan was more sober. He stepped over his companion's unconscious body and wrapped mighty arms around Mason's middle. The Earthman gasped and turned purple. His fists pounded at the alien without avail. "Had enough, Earthman?" "You're choking me! Let go!" "When a Mordargan invites you to drink with him, you drink!" The alien tightened his grip and Mason felt the universe reel. He could hardly see; his eyes were ready to pop. Against the 300 pound Mordargan he stood no chance at all. Suddenly the alien released him. Mason took several hesitant, dizzy steps, sucking in breath as fast as he could. The alien's bearhug had nearly finished him. The big Mordargan was chuckling happily. "Earthman, you don't know how close you came to death just then!" "Oh, yes I do!" Mason said, rubbing his bruised body. There didn't seem to be any obvious broken bones at any rate. But he was wasting valuable time. "Will you come now, Terran?" "I--I have an appointment," Mason said. He realized the futility of trying to run away again. There was a blaster in his pocket but it was hardly possible to gun the creature down on a public street. "I can't stay," he said. "You can't? We'll see about that." * * * * * The Mordargan equivalent of a bar was a long, low-ceilinged place dimly lighted. Curious fumes of alcohol and other things drifted in the atmosphere. Mason could see Mordargans lying prostrate here and there, some of them totally unconscious, others contentedly sucking on feeding-tubes. There was no way to escape the obstinate conviviality of the alien who had encountered him. Mason's only hope was to make a quick exit once the Mordargan had decided he was through drinking. "What'll you have, Terran?" "You name it," Mason said. "I'll match you drink for drink if you'll pay." "Fair enough. We'll start with _gruuna_. Straight?" "Why not?" "Two bowls of _gruuna_," the alien bellowed. The drinks arrived. They were a murky, slimy-looking stuff that fizzed faintly and gave off a sour odor. Mason stared at his bowl unhappily. "Drink up, Earthman!" The Mordargan lifted his bowl in massive fingers and held it to his tooth-ringed mouth. He drained it in one long slupping gulp. Mason shivered a little and picked up his own bowl. He sipped. The stuff was as mild as molten uranium and twice as potent. It seared its way down into his stomach and landed with a _thunk_. Mason wondered if the drink gave off alpha particles; it was that hot. _The things a man has to do in the name of Solar System intelligence_, he thought. He wondered what was happening to the Venusian. Impatience coursed through him. He had to get away, had to reach the dungeon before the Mordargans could interrogate Klon Darra with the telepath. _Rick! Where are you?_ came the sudden anxious mental plea. _The telepath's here. They'll be questioning me soon, and_.... _I'm trying to get to you_, Mason telepathed. _But I'm having trouble. Stall if you can._ "Ready for your second bowl, Earthman?" the Mordargan asked jovially. Mason shuddered. "I'm not through with this one," he said. "Slow, eh? Drink it down!" Obediently Mason lifted the drink to his lips, took another shallow sip, winced as the ghastly stuff travelled down his gullet. Maybe _gruuna_ was champagne to these evil-smelling so-and-sos, but it was no drink for an Earthman. And the telepath had arrived at the dungeon. Before long they'd know everything. He squinted around the edge of the bowl, eyeing the big Mordargan speculatively. _Gruuna_ was potent stuff, he reflected; what would be the effect if I hurled a bowlful of it into the Mordargan's eyes? It was worth a try. In one quick motion he lowered the bowl from his mouth, heaved its contents upward into the alien's face and started to run. He heard a roar of pain and anger from behind. And the door slammed shut in his face. He hadn't figured on that. The bartender probably could control the door manually from behind the bar and the moment Mason had broken away the signal to shut the door had been given. He turned. The alien was rumbling toward him, wiping his eyes, bellowing in rage. Mason started to reach for his blaster but there was no time. The giant crashed into him. He fought back gamely but the Mordargan was a foot taller and 125 pounds heavier, he didn't stand a chance. Fists slammed into his stomach and chest; he beat them off feebly, hardly able to see in the dimness of the bar. _Rick! Rick! Where are you?_ came the Venusian's mental voice. But Mason was unable to answer. A barrage of mighty blows crashed in on him and he spun, clawing to keep his balance, and started to fold up. He heard Klon Darra saying, _Here comes the telepath now._ His head crashed against the wall and he blanked out. The amused laughter of the Mordargans seemed to follow him into unconsciousness. * * * * * He awoke later--hours, days, weeks, years later, it seemed. He felt mummified. His body ached; his eyes wouldn't focus properly and in his mouth was the acrid, retch-inducing taste of the _gruuna_. But aside from the pain, aside from the physical miseries he felt, he sensed a stinging sense of personal failure. He was an agent of Solar System Intelligence, a member of the galaxy's proudest and toughest organization ... and he had failed to rescue his own partner. By now the telepath had probably drained Klon Darra's mind of its secrets, had learned that there was another Intelligence agent loose on Mordarga, that Earth suspected the big planet of hostile intentions, that.... It was all over. The team of Klon Darra and Rick Mason had been considered the tops of Intelligence but that rating looked pretty hollow now. The Venusian had gotten himself trapped on landing and Mason had flubbed a chance to rescue him. He had wound up lying somewhere--where?--with a hangover and a headache. He looked around. He was in an alley and by the smell of it it was the alley back of the bar. They had probably dumped him after the Mordargans had finished having their fun with him. Bright Sirius blazed high overhead. It was morning, probably getting toward noon. The Morning After. _Mason? Are you awake?_ The soft mental whisper jolted him like a blast of raw energy. He just hadn't expected to hear from the Venusian. _Where are you, Klon Darra? What's going on?_ _I'm still in the dungeon_, the Venusian said. _They'll be interrogating me again this afternoon. Why weren't you here last night?_ Mason went red with shame. _I ran into trouble. I'm sorry, Klon Darra. Damned sorry._ _There's no time for feeling sorry now_, came Klon Darra's thought. _Break our mental linkage and get off Mordarga in a hurry._ _And leave you here?_ _I don't matter. They know you're here, Rick. Leave now, while you can. They've sent orders out to find you and bring you in. Get going!_ Mason shook his head obstinately, even though he knew the Venusian could not see the gesture. He got to his feet and leaned against the wall, rubbed his throbbing forehead. _I'm not leaving you here, Klon Darra. I'll be there inside the hour and this time I mean it._ He started to walk out of the alley, groping unsteadily at the wall to keep from falling flat on his face. Slowly, strength returned. And purpose. He had fumbled last night. Now, he would make it up. * * * * * The main palace was a tall, lopsided structure built of a coarse-grained granite-like stone. The noon sun struck slantwise against the slabs which sparkled weirdly. Rick Mason stood outside and directed a thought at the Venusian within. _Klon Darra?_ _Yes?_ _I'm right outside the palace._ _I thought I told you to leave Mordarga at once._ _The hell with that_, Mason said in an impatient mental snap. _I'm here. Guide me in._ _Very well. I'm in a dungeon on the third sublevel of the palace. If you can get that far I'll direct you the rest of the way._ A Mordargan guard, his nose in the air, stood outside the main walk that led to the palace. Mason walked past him, nodded obsequiously, and kept going. The guard didn't even bother to notice him. He didn't need to. He was just a decoration. But the guard at the inner wall frowned suspiciously and said, "Where are you going, Earthman?" "Inside." Mason's voice was tight. "I want to look around a little." "Do you have a pass?" "Sure. Right here in my hand." The subminiaturized blaster in his palm flashed once, a brief bright spurt of energy that bored a pencil-thin hole through the Mordargan's burly chest. Mason leaped forward, caught the guard as he started to fall, and eased him to a sitting position on a bench. The alien's eyes were glazing. The shot had been instantly fatal. "You wait right here," Mason told the dead Mordargan. "I'm going inside." He ran up the broad stone steps of the palace, entered an empty corridor and ducked into a beckoning stairway. No one interfered with him as he circled downward, down into the palace's depths. On the third level downward he shot another beam of thought at the captive Venusian. _I'm here, Klon Darra!_ _You're a crazy fool, but I'm glad you did it_, came the reply. _Go down the left-hand corridor about a hundred paces and turn right. There's an alcove there and a half-stairway that descends about eight feet. I'm in a room at the bottom of that stairway. Got all that?_ _You bet. I'm going to come in shooting--and we'll be on our way out of here in no time._ Following the Venusian's instructions he tiptoed along the strangely silent corridor, looking for the alcove and the half-stairway. He found it. The door was unguarded. Palming the tiny blaster, he went quietly down the stairs, groped for the handle of the door. In the instant he threw the door open the Venusian's mental voice wailed, _Look out, it's a trap!_ But it was too late. A rolling tide of mental force came thundering out and held him frozen. * * * * * There were three people in the room. One was Klon Darra, lying on a table, his hands and legs strapped down with metal binding. The other two were Mordargans. One was tall and fierce-looking, with bright white eyes glaring authoritatively from his gray face. The other was small--no taller than an Earthman--with an abnormally large, grotesque, swollen head. The head was light blue rather than the usual gray and was covered with the pulsing striations of veins--the telepath. The telepath was staring at Mason and holding him immobile. "Now we have both the spies," said the big Mordargan in a rumbling voice. "Well done, Senibro. Very well done indeed." Mason struggled to move, to muster enough coordination to fire the blaster he still held in his hand. But despite an effort that brought sweat to his face he was totally frozen, statuelike. The big Mordargan approached and casually relieved him of the blaster--and his other weapons as well. Impotently, Mason glared at him. "All right," the big man said to the telepath. "You can relax the controls now. He's weaponless." Mason went limp as the mental force-field blinked out around him. He said, "What the hell is this? Who are you, and by what authority are you holding a citizen of the Solar System prisoner here?" The big Mordargan grinned. "I'm Levron Clargo. You may know me: I'm head of Security in Mordarga City. I'm holding this Venusian here by authority of my position, and you too. The Venusian was apprehended on suspicion of spying two days ago. We interrogated him and learned he had a partner at large on Mordarga. It was simpler to bring you here by a ruse than go looking for you." "Ruse? But--" Levron Clargo smiled coldly. "We've been in possession of the mind of your Venusian aide since Senibro, here, interrogated him late yesterday." Mason was stunned. The messages from Klon Darra today, the selfless plea that Mason leave Mordarga immediately and save himself-- A ruse. A trap. A hoax. They had used reverse psychology, played on his Earthman nature, knowing that if they told him to leave he'd first try to rescue his partner. And now they had both. Mason felt like four kinds of idiot. "Senibro, we can now interrogate both of them. But be very careful. I want to learn the mechanism of this linkage between them. Such a linkage would be very useful to know." Tensely Mason waited as the mutant telepath approached him. He looked away, avoiding the penetrating eyes. He glanced at the sleeping form of Klon Darra on the table--Klon Darra whose mind had probably watched helplessly as it had been manipulated to snare Mason. "Look at me," the telepath ordered. Mason formed a plan of action. He decided to leap on the telepath, kill him if possible; Levron Clargo would kill him but that didn't matter. Mason realized that if the aliens ever learned the secret of the telepathic linkage it would be disastrous for Earth. "Look at my eyes," the alien repeated. Mason readied himself to spring. _Don't do it_, whispered the mental voice of Klon Darra. _That you, Klon?_ _Yes. The mutant has relaxed control over me. Don't jump him as you're going to do. Let him start to probe you._ _Why?_ Mason asked. He was suspicious; Klon Darra's mental voice had fooled him once already. _Two minds are stronger than one, Rick. And we're linked._ Mason understood. Slowly he raised his head and stared levelly into the brooding, hypnotically-compelling eyes of the alien telepath. He felt the alien mind begin to enter his. Strange tendrils of thought probed within his skull. He held his breath, waiting, knowing now that Klon Darra had spoken the truth. "Find anything?" the Security chief asked. "Not yet," replied the telepath. "There's still some resistance. I--" And Mason struck. His mind, supported wholeheartedly by Klon Darra's, lashed out viciously at the mind of the probing mutant. A solid red fist of mental force crashed through the telepath's barriers. The Mordargan staggered, arms flailing. _Hit him again!_ Mason thought triumphantly to Klon Darra, and the Venusian responded. Jointly they barraged the alien's mind. "What's happening, Senibro?" asked the Security Chief. The telepath moaned. "I--I--" He slumped and fell heavily. The Solar System agents gave the telepath an extra jolt, a final thrust, to finish burning out the sensitive mutated mind. "Senibro! Senibro!" the Security Chief roared. He fumbled for his blaster. But Mason had long since anticipated the clumsy move. The speed of thought is infinite; Mason and the Venusian, working jointly, easily immobilized the Mordargan. The blaster dropped to the floor. "Go easy on him," Mason said aloud to his partner. "We'll need him to get us out of the palace." "Right." Together they bound the alien in a hypnotic compulsion--to conduct the two Solarians safely out of the palace. Then Mason sent an inquisitive mind-probe into the Mordargan's psyche. The yield of the probe was rich--data on Mordargan military movements, secret plans. Mason carefully memorized these things. Then he freed the Venusian. Klon Darra smiled in gratitude. "I was afraid you'd never get here," he said. "After they caught me I thought we were both finished. But we fooled them." Mason nodded. "We're still a good team, Klon Darra. A little careless at times but who minds that as long as we bring home what we went out here for." He turned to the stupefied Mordargan. "Let's go, Levron Clargo." When they returned to the ship, they would file their report. Mission--_successful_! *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESCUE MISSION *** Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world 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.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg-tm License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that: * You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." * You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works. * You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. * You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.