Impact
()
Read more from Irving E. Cox
The Future of Darkness: 30+ Dystopias in One Edition Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/560 Space Sci-Fi Books: Intergalactic Wars, Alien Attacks & Space Adventures: Space Viking, A Martian Odyssey, Triplanetary… Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdolescents Only Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Instant of Now Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGOING NOWHERE? – Perchance to Dream & The Guardians (Dystopian Classics): Science Fiction Novellas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdolescents Only Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greatest of Dystopian Classics of All Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImpact Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGoing Nowhere?: Science Fiction Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Guardians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cartels Jungle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Guardians & Perchance to Dream (2 Dystopian Tales in One Edition): Science Fiction Novellas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Impact
Related ebooks
Impact Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUncle Abner: Master of Mysteries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uncle Abner, Master of Mysteries: A Collection of Classic Detective Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Siege of Stars: Book One of The Sigil Trilogy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exploiter's End Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sigil Trilogy (Omnibus vol.1-3) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRevenant- A Jake Crowley Adventure: Jake Crowley Adventures Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dark Lords 1: Captured by the Dark Lord Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Elder Sign End Times Trilogy Book One: Arkham Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Woman's Burden: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEVE: The Burning Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love's Prophecy: Prophecy Series, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exodus Seven: The Arcadia Series, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStations of the Tide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Old Dark: The Last Dragon Lord, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond the Farthest Suns Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Courage of Marge O'Doone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBy Honor Betray'd: Book Three of Mageworlds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Annie Without Crow: A Tor.com Original Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Pirate Duchess: Duchess Series, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Dragon Lord: The Complete Trilogy: The Last Dragon Lord Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn Burning Sands: Burning Sands, #9 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDawn of the Lightkeepers: David Rose, #0.5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlack Hole, White Fountain: The Ferryman Pentalogy, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWalk to the End of the World: Book One of 'The Holdfast Chronicles' Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost Dorsai Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sleuth Of St. James's Square Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Borgia Kiss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Impact
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Impact - Irving E. Cox
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Impact, by Irving E. Cox
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.org
Title: Impact
Author: Irving E. Cox
Release Date: May 23, 2008 [EBook #25567]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IMPACT ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Andrew Wainwright and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Over the cabin ’phone, Ann’s voice was crisp with anger. Mr. Lord, I must see you at once.
Of course, Ann.
Lord tried not to sound uncordial. It was all part of a trade agent’s job, to listen to the recommendations and complaints of the teacher. But an interview with Ann Howard was always so arduous, so stiff with unrelieved righteousness. I should be free until—
Can you come down to the schoolroom, Mr. Lord?
If it’s necessary. But I told you yesterday, there’s nothing we can do to make them take the lessons.
I understand your point of view, Mr. Lord.
Her words were barely civil, brittle shafts of ice. However, this concerns Don; he’s gone.
Gone? Where?
Jumped ship.
Are you sure, Ann? How long ago?
I rather imagined you’d be interested,
she answered with smug satisfaction. Naturally you’ll want to see his note. I’ll be waiting for you.
The ’phone clicked decisively as she broke the connection. Impotent fury lashed Lord’s mind—anger at Don Howard, because the engineer was one of his key men; and, childishly, anger at Don’s sister because she was the one who had broken the news. If it had come from almost anyone else it would, somehow, have seemed less disastrous. Don’s was the fourth desertion in less than a week, and the loss of trained personnel was becoming serious aboard the Ceres. But what did Ann Howard expect Lord to do about it? This was a trading ship; he had no military authority over his crew.
As Lord stood up, his desk chair collapsed with a quiet hiss against the cabin wall, and, on greased tubes, the desk dropped out of sight beneath the bunk bed, giving Lord the luxury of an uncluttered floor space eight feet square. He had the only private quarters on the ship—the usual distinction reserved for a trade agent in command.
From a narrow wardrobe, curved to fit the projectile walls of the ship, Lord took a lightweight jacket, marked with the tooled shoulder insignia of command. He smiled a little as he put it on. He was Martin Lord, trade agent and heir to the fabulous industrial-trading empire of Hamilton Lord, Inc.; yet he was afraid to face Ann Howard without the visible trappings of authority.
He descended the spiral stairway to the midship airlock, a lead-walled chamber directly above the long power tubes of the Ceres. The lock door hung open, making an improvised landing porch fifty feet