
BY RANDALL GARRETT
Illustrated by van Dongen
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THE END
Anketam is a seasoned overseer on the sprawling estates of The Chief, a world where the rhythm of planting, harvesting, and rivalry defines daily life. As the sun sets over endless green shoots, he pushes his crew to finish transplanting ahead of schedule, earning a brief respite for fishing and rest. His friendly competition with fellow supervisor Jacovik fuels both pride and tension, turning ordinary work into a subtle contest of skill and quality.
Beyond the fields, Anketam’s thoughts turn to the unpredictable weather that can ruin months of effort, and to the simple comforts waiting at home—a warm meal and a quiet evening with his family. The narrative captures the quiet dignity of labor, the camaraderie among workers, and the looming uncertainty that every harvest brings. Listeners will find a vivid portrait of a man balancing duty, rivalry, and the hope of a stable future in a world where every season carries its own stakes.
Language
en
Duration
~57 minutes (54K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Geetu Melwani, Bruce Albrecht and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2008-01-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1927–1987
A prolific mid-century science fiction and fantasy writer, he became especially well known for the Lord Darcy stories, where detective fiction meets an alternate world shaped by magic. He also wrote heavily for the pulp magazines of the 1950s and 1960s and collaborated with other major SF writers.
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