
Kenneth J. Malone, a weary FBI agent, drags himself out of bed on a morning that feels ominously wrong. Staring into a rippled mirror, he finds his own reflection warped, his confidence shaken, and a lingering sense that something far stranger than a bad haircut is afoot. The narrative captures his cynical humor as he wrestles with the mundanity of post‑vacation life while hinting at a deeper, unseen menace.
Set against the backdrop of a 1970s Washington, D.C., the story blends dry bureaucratic banter with a creeping sense of unease. Malone’s routine—chasing counterfeit rings, polishing his pistol, and polishing his self‑image—quickly spirals into a puzzling mystery that promises more than the usual case file. Listeners can expect a clever mix of science‑fiction intrigue and witty, self‑deprecating commentary, all delivered in a brisk, engaging style that keeps the tension simmering without giving away the twists that lie ahead.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (231K characters)
Series
Psi-Power 1
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2007-08-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1927–1987
A prolific mid-20th-century science fiction and fantasy writer, he became especially known for witty, idea-rich stories and for creating the popular Lord Darcy mysteries. His work ranged from pulp-magazine adventures to clever alternate-history fantasy, often published under a variety of pen names.
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1933–2002
A prolific American science fiction writer, he built a career that stretched across more than 50 years and ranged from sharp satire to fast-moving adventure. He also wrote under several names, leaving a large and varied body of work for genre readers to discover.
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