
In a world where telepaths have learned to hide their gifts behind a centuries‑old Masquerade, a modest man named Jonas navigates the treacherous streets of early‑17th‑century Speyer. Far from the stereotypical knight, he is short, lumpy‑faced, and armed with nothing more than wits and a secret mind‑power that could betray him at any moment. As he surveys the town from a hilltop, the ordinary bustle of market stalls, stone churches, and mud‑brick houses masks a darker undercurrent of suspicion and inquisitorial danger.
Jonas is drawn into a risky assignment that forces him to balance his desire for a quiet life with the ever‑present threat of exposure. While the city’s sturdy buildings stand as symbols of stability, the hidden network of telepaths prepares for a daring act that could change their fate. Listeners will be swept into a tale of subtle heroism, where survival hinges on timing, secrecy, and the courage to “stick his neck out” in a world that punishes the uncanny.
Language
en
Duration
~41 minutes (39K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Greg Bergquist, Bruce Albrecht and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2008-01-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1933–2002
A prolific American science fiction writer, he published novels and stories for decades under his own name and several pseudonyms. He is especially remembered for lively, humorous work and for collaborations with Randall Garrett, including stories about the character John Buckner.
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