
In a neon‑lit lounge on the hazy plains of Venus, a seasoned space‑drinker enjoys a Plutonian stinger while the night hums with the chatter of interstellar regulars. The peace shatters when a nervous newcomer bursts in, clutching a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and begging for a seat. Their frantic tale of a relentless heat‑ray gun and a shadowy pursuer named Luigi instantly pulls the narrator into a web of danger that stretches far beyond the bar’s cramped walls.
The stranger claims to be entangled in a bitter feud over a missing lover, a dispute that has drawn the wrath of a notorious outlaw whose reputation haunts every space station from the inner moons to the outer rim. As the two strangers trade stories over glowing drinks, the promise of a high‑stakes chase across dimensions looms, hinting at hidden alliances, daring escapes, and a quest for redemption that could reshape the very fabric of the galaxy.
Language
en
Duration
~35 minutes (34K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2021-09-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A mid-century science fiction writer with a knack for sharp, unsettling ideas, he published a run of short stories in the 1950s. His best-known work today is The Queen of Space, a pulpy, fast-moving novel that has found new life with modern readers.
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