
Part 1
A self‑assured space‑hunter with a flair for bravado, he sets out on a daring expedition across the blue‑white dunes of Polaris III. Accompanied by his loyal, purple‑skinned Andromedan guide Mimp, he carries only a ray‑rifle, a bolo knife, a pipe of exotic Yekkweed, and a few essential gadgets. Their goal: to track down the fabled flying tuskers of K’niik‑K’naak, massive winged beasts that haunt local legend.
The trek quickly becomes a study in contrast—his swaggering commands clash with Mimp’s quiet competence, producing a mix of comic banter and genuine camaraderie. As the sun sets over the shifting sands, they set up a makeshift camp, sharing a mint julep and the strains of Chopin from a portable piano, all while keeping a vigilant eye on the horizon for any sign of the elusive herd. The desert’s harsh beauty and the promise of an encounter with these impossible creatures keep the tension high, inviting listeners to join the adventure step by step.
Language
en
Duration
~12 minutes (12K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2019-12-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1931–1992
A wildly prolific American writer, he moved easily between stage farce and science fiction, building a career that included more than eighty plays as well as dozens of speculative short stories and novels. His work has a lively, idea-driven energy that helped him stand out in both theater and genre fiction.
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