
In a scorched world where super‑bombs have reshaped the landscape, the sleepy town of Ozona clings to a fragile sense of order. Two scholars—one a former physicist turned reluctant teacher, the other a poet who warns against scientific hubris—find themselves blocked by a hulking town enforcer and his armed youths. Their quiet protest reveals a deeper clash between the cold logic of research and the yearning for beauty that the town’s leaders fear could destabilize their fragile peace.
The enforcer, wielding both authority and violence, insists the men leave before the town awakens, hinting at past riots and burned institutions. As the sunrise heats the cracked road, the protagonists must decide whether to submit to the threat or defend their right to question a society that treats knowledge as a crime. Listeners are drawn into a tense early‑morning standoff that sets the stage for a larger battle over imagination, control, and survival.
Language
en
Duration
~37 minutes (35K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Royal Publications, Inc,1957.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2022-06-22
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1910–1992
A sharp, imaginative voice in fantasy, horror, and science fiction, this American writer helped shape modern sword-and-sorcery through the adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. His work is known for its wit, atmosphere, and willingness to move easily between eerie horror, big ideas, and playful adventure.
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