The Sky Is Falling

nets swung along their paths again and the sun was in the most

y of this world were humming again. Those who had survived and those who could be revived were busily rebuilding. Some were missing, of course.

or work of magic required it, and he had taken the orders and moved the controls as they wanted them. The orrery was housed temporarily in the reconstituted hall of the Satheri

was gone, and Hanson was

ks can spread out to fix up all the rest of the world-and to take over con

ew settings that bothered him. And some of the developments he watched were hardly what he would have preferred. The wa

nuggled against him, admiring him with her eyes. But old habits

n, blushing, an

He motioned to Hanson. "The council of Satheri want you," he

Bork

Ser Perth said. The words were smooth

hen they would get around to this. Beside him, Bork and

anged her mind. She frowned, tor

Hanson took the arms of the other two, the Ser shrugged and fell in behind. Very softly, too low

y grateful to a mandrake-man who had accomplished something beyond their power, now that the crisis was over. They had always been a high-handed bunch

until he was facing the old man, drawing Nema and Bork with him. There were murmurs of protest, but nobody stopped him. Above him, the eyes of Sather Karf were uncertain. For a mom

ved, you were free enough with offers of reward. But three days have

as a rising mutter of shock and anger from the others, but he lifted his voice over it.

Sather Karf asked. "Against the weight of all our knowled

book he had read had been only an elementary one. But he nodded. "I think with your name I could

n the computer was finished you would wait for my true name, and I promised that you should have it when the time came, but not what the time would be. So you will

e and Hanson felt a thickness over h

Karf went on. "Exactly as I promised it to you. I agreed to find way

on choked a few words out through it. "What's the wor

etter. No, Dave Hanson, you were too important to us for that. Mandrake-men are always less than true men, and we needed your best. You were conjured atom by atom, id and ka and soul, fr

ized how much the shame of what he thought himself to be had weighed on h

Sather Karf went on. "And you were assured of jewels to buy an empire. Al

ers were working in conjurations that seemed to hold back enough of the spells against him to let him speak. "Dave Hanson, your w

d back and finally nodded his head. "That is true," he admitted. "I

at lifetime would be over before it began. What were the pleasures, Sather Karf? Having you reveal your name jus

, and there was a curious reluctance as he raised his hand. "But it is too

. He opened his mouth, and found that the thickness was back. For a split second, hi

ad told him that magic incantations had to be pronounced aloud. It seemed to be the general law, but for a

n, I command t

jeweled gears turning. Outside the window, the light reddened, dimmed, a

in the shouts of shock and panic from the others. His eyes centered questioningly on Hanson and

ld be at the controls. The he clutched the sky-blob a

e sun rise from the wes

ts were more frightened than before. A minute later, the others were back, screaming

s obeying its orders fully, and th

d been the greatest Satheri in the world. "All right, Dave Hanson," he s

n't heard

gain, even you might not be able to repair it a second time." He tapped his hands lightly together and the sou

were alone with the old man. Sunlight streamed in through the

d a glow of what seemed to be amusement in his eyes as he listened, th

long way on what he'd found in one elementary book. Now, with a chance to study all their magical lore and apply it with the methods he had learned in his own world, there were amazing possibilities opening up to him. For the world, a few chan

athator Hanson," Sather Karf told him. "It's your world

t to get your great granddaughter turned into a registered and certified wife and take

m, he heard Bork's chuckle and the soft laughter of Sather Karf. But thei

r prophecy is fulfilled. He may have a little trouble with so many knowing his name, but he's Dave Ha

was also right, Bork. It seems that the world-egg has

bably have to do something about his name, but the rest of the conversation was a mystery to h

Hanson finally remembered. By then it was no mystery, of co

E

CE FICTIO

ks back

95c

inst Arctu

hieves

kman's Burd

eed Nor Bi

Chariots

trings

Alternate Un

oils of Ti

n of the

of Isz

Untelepor

uturi

Through Sp

on a Lost W

Drago

ld Band

Hard Way

d Wor

Highwoo

tion Fac

Inheritor

ay to Nev

ates of Za

Weapon

59 T

r of Sar

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

orld'

ning Scie

s fr

eddon 2419 A

Big Show

ack Star Pass

lanetary Hunt

ng Astronaut

ghtiest Machi

Missionarie

mega Point Z

Days, Other

r Coaster Wo

re All Alon

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

RICE B

75c

t the Ea

ck to the

ond the Fa

Eternal

Land of

and of H

The M

Monst

Outlaw

6 Pel

ple That T

avage Pe

anar of

he Wizar

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

ELS

A. HE

etween P

izen of th

Space Suit-W

Red Pla

ket Ship G

e Rolling

Space C

he Star

me for th

nnel in t

lds of Robert

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

. Va

Battle of

ldren of T

kness on D

Out Worlds of A

st For the

The Sil

ar Against t

eapon Shops

BRU

Atlantic Ab

amaturges

agged Or

ting at In

es Without

aveler in

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

r

rb

9 Dun

Green B

orlds of Fra

su

gu

ty of Ill

t Hand of

cannon's

uel

la

Babel

llad of B

stein Inte

l of the T

ewels of

paperbacks an sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

cience

lec

rom Fantasy and S

rom Fantasy and S

rom Fantasy and S

land Swing

Second "If"

Worlds of

Worlds of F

Worlds of F

ur Way to t

s Side of

Univers

Univers

d's Best 1s

d's Best 2n

d's Best 3r

d's Best 4t

Best Science

Best Science

Best Science

cience Fictio

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

ese exciting

Y RH

75c

Perry R

f Tuglan

Perry R

tal Unkno

Perry R

in Dan

Perry R

To Ve

Perry R

Barrier

Perry R

nus Tr

Perry R

the Mutant

Perry R

s. Mutant

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

ese exciting

Y RH

75c

erry Rh

tardust Sche

Perry R

Dome Schee

Perry R

Alarm Mah

Perry R

om Space Er

Perry R

Sector Sc

Perry R

the Time V

Perry R

f the Six

Perry R

tic Riddl

Perry R

h Space and

Perry R

sts of

Perry R

the Dyin

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

E NO

uest Cro

rgasso of

Sea S

et of the L

Shadow

e Sioux S

eress of Wi

Star

Star

Hunter & Voo

e Stars A

orm over

Against the W

e Time Tr

chartered

ck of the Wi

of the Witc

Witch W

The X F

r of the U

he Zero

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del

E NO

Beast M

Catse

Crossroads

Dark Pi

break, 225

efiant A

read Com

les of the

lactic De

High So

on of the

Ice C

dgment on

ey Out o

he Last

ord of T

n of Three

ight of

ration Tim

eal In Oth

Plague

tmarked th

paperbacks are sold

MM) Box 576, Tim

rk, N.

me titles ch

_____ Add 15￠ han

_________________

_________________

_______ State _

weeks for del