
A weary traveler arrives in New York with a single suitcase that holds more than just clothes—inside are the keys to a strange kingdom, literally typewriter keys, and a desperate need for armed help. He checks into a sketchy hotel, greasing the bellboy with cash and a booby‑trapped bag, all while trying to stay one step ahead of a shadowy figure named Vern Engdahl. The city’s bustling streets and smoky skyline provide a gritty backdrop for his nervous negotiations and the odd instructions he gives to the staff.
As he cleans up from a gritty Bronx arrival and peers out over the Hudson, the protagonist—using an alias to keep his real name hidden—plots a quick errand for an electric typewriter at the old PX, the former Macy’s. The narrative mixes dry humor with classic noir tropes, turning a simple check‑in into a tense game of cat‑and‑mouse, and leaves listeners wondering just how far he’ll go to protect his mysterious cargo.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (79K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Barbara Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-04-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1919–2013
A giant of science fiction, this Hugo and Nebula winner helped shape the genre as both a writer and an editor. Best known for sharp, idea-rich novels like The Space Merchants and Gateway, he spent more than seven decades imagining possible futures.
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