The Project Gutenberg eBook of Firegod, by William Scarff

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
using this eBook.

Title: Firegod

Author: William Scarff

Release Date: July 15, 2022 [eBook #68529]

Language: English

Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed
             Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIREGOD ***





                                FIREGOD

                           BY WILLIAM SCARFF

              Some are born to greatness, others achieve
                 the rulership of systems--but Merssu
                   wanted to be a god. All he needed
                was a million years and a little luck!

           [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
                      Rocket Stories, July 1953.
         Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
         the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]


"Your Majesty!"

D'hai Merssu, Emperor of All the Suns, Protector of the Galaxy, looked
up calmly as his prime minister burst into the room. His lean, brooding
face did not change expression as he watched the pale and perspiring
man cross the flagstoned floor with a sharp, nervous patter of leather.

"Gently, Tors, gently," he said quietly, his eyes mocking under their
overhang of dark eyebrow. "You're Prime Minister now--remember that.
A prime minister doesn't come blundering into the palace looking as
though the sky was falling. It creates unrest in the population. Try to
remember that we're no longer a pair of obscure rabblerousers, trying
to overthrow the Crown. We _are_ the Crown now. Try to act like it."

"D'hai, the sky _is_ falling!" Tors burst out unheedingly, "I have word
that the Earthmen are driving beyond the Rim and into the heart of the
Empire itself! Their ships are irresistible. They're winning battle
after battle! And the people are restless! They say it's time the False
Emperor's rule was overthrown. Some of the garrisons are rebelling!"

Still the Emperor's expression did not change. "So," he said calmly,
"the Earthmen were not bluffing when they said they'd maintain the
rights of the old Emperor."

"Yes! You said they wouldn't, D'hai. What are we going to do?"

"I was wrong, Tors," Merssu said evenly. "No matter. As for what
we are going to do, why, I suppose you'd better arrange for another
broadcast. Tell the people we have weapons ready if the situation
becomes serious, that they have nothing to fear."

"But the situation _is_ serious! And what weapons?"

"No weapons, Tors," Merssu explained patiently. "But the story will
serve to keep the people calm--and, perhaps, make them think twice
about revolt. Now go. Hurry!"

The prime minister's feet pattered over the floor again. The door to
the room closed.

Merssu smiled quietly. He rose, and opened the concealed door behind
his chair. Closing it behind him, he slipped into a passage of which
no one knew, and ten minutes later he was in a private tubeway that
led half-way across the continent into the heart of an old and barren
mountain range.

As he sat comfortably in the padded upholstery of the tube car, Merssu
smiled again. Poor Tors! So excitable. Always the hysteric--a perfect
rabblerouser, perhaps, but not a clever man. No, never a clever man. A
clever man knew when the game was over. And Merssu laughed.

The game had been worth it. Five years ago, he had been a
revolutionary, slinking through the alleys at night, always in
danger--and always clever. Four years of that, and then--Empire.
Absolute rule over the entire Greater Magellanic Cloud. Now he was once
again in danger. But it was a danger he had long ago foreseen, and
planned for. And the past year had been worth it. He laughed again.
Poor, addle-witted Tors! Left with the empty bag in his hands.

       *       *       *       *       *

The spaceship rested like a crouching bullet in its chamber. As he slid
the tubeway door shut behind him, Merssu admired the savage sleekness
of its lines once again. Even more, he admired his cleverness in having
it built. A clever man always has a back door. He crossed the hangar
floor unhurriedly, and climbed into the ship.

The control room was small, but efficient. A hundred controls lay
closely around the padded chair, some of them for the standard drive,
others for the hyperspatial warp.

The hyperspatial warp! Merssu smiled. There was his escape--and more.
Here were the means for his future rulership over nothing so small as
the Cloud--here were entire galaxies waiting for his hand.

Hyperspace! There was something to make a man think! Another universe,
not beyond, but _alongside_ his own, hidden in the complex byways
of Reimannian geometry and the mathematics of Einstein. A universe
where time itself ran slower, where a year of normal time encompassed
centuries. A ship could twist itself into that universe and travel just
below the speed of light, the limit which, in normal space, was the
barrier no ship could cross. But, in hyperspace, while the same barrier
existed, a man from normal space could travel for centuries, covering
great distances, while, for him, only a few months passed.

Merssu chuckled. Behind him, stored in the great holds of the ship,
were working models of every machine and weapon the Cloud civilization
possessed. There were plans, manuals, instructions, all translated into
basic symbology that any intelligent being could understand. Packed
into this ship was an entire civilization, ready to be brought to
whatever people Merssu chose. He had only to enter hyperspace and lose
himself where no Earthman or rebel could follow, and there he would
find a primitive race, barely beginning to rise out of the mud. He
would bring them civilization. In return, he would have--Godhood!

They would worship him, those primitive people. He would be Merssu
the Firegod, thundering out of the sky, bringing with him the gift of
civilization. And once the gift was given, he would climb back into the
sky on a pillar of fire, promising to return when his people were ready.

He laughed aloud, the deep bass sound echoing through the control
chamber. Why not? He could fly back into space and spend a year,
waiting, while centuries passed on the primitive world. When he
returned, that world would be his, and soon afterward the entire
universe would bow before the name of Merssu, the immortal Firegod, for
there is no force so strong, no loyalty so great, as that of men for
their gods.

Still laughing, he blasted the ship out of its hangar into the darkness
of space, and a little later, into hyperspace, while the big blue ships
of Earth smashed his discarded Empire behind him.

       *       *       *       *       *

In a month, he had found his planet, and his people. They were almost
human in appearance, but shorter. So much the better. He was like them,
but just different enough to be a god.

He brought his ship roaring down through the atmosphere, trailing a
streamer of flame. As he passed over the sea that covered most of the
world, the wash of his jets kicked the water into froth, and the sound
of his passage echoed through the sky.

The village rested on the shore of the sea. The mud huts trembled as
his ship sank down, resting on its jetstream until it settled slowly to
the ground.

Smiling faintly, Merssu put on his spacesuit, strapping his antigravity
harness on over it. He flew out of his upper airlock, carrying a gun in
his hand.

He hovered in the air above the village. He pointed the gun into the
air and fired. A cone of flame shot toward the sky. He pointed the
gun at the sea, and towering curtains of steam rose to hang over the
village.

Merssu descended, and found his people groveling in the mud.

Weeks passed. A stream of men carried the ship's cargo into a great
sprawling building that Merssu carved out of a stone cliff with a
subatomic cutter. The lintels of the building were sanctified with
the blood of virgins. A new class of people arose in the village--the
Priests of Merssu, the Firegod.

And as the ship rose up into space again, on its journey back into the
normal space where Merssu would wait his year and the centuries would
pass for his people, the priests chanted over their altars.

"He will return. Merssu goes to his kingdom in the sky, but he will
return, bearing flame in his hands. Merssu the Firegod--Merssu, the
immortal Bringer of Fire--will return."

And the centuries passed.

Merssu brought his ship out of the sky, tearing the air as he came, the
growl of his jets thundering over the mighty city on the sea. The sound
echoed back from the carved face of the Temple of Merssu, and beat
against the spreading buildings.

The ship settled to earth. Merssu strapped on his antigrav unit, and
flashed out into the air above the city. He fired his gun into the sea,
and the steam-curtain rose once more. He pointed the gun skyward, and
the heavens danced with flame.

A low, snarling car bearing the sign of Merssu's priesthood drove up to
him as he touched the ground. Two men got out and walked toward him,
one of them dressed in the somber black of the priesthood. Merssu stood
waiting, his eyes lighting with triumphant fire.

"Who are you?" the priest asked.

Merssu stared, the pose broken. "Who am I? Kneel, fool! I am Merssu,
the Firegod."

The two men looked at him speechlessly for a moment, then burst into
laughter.

"Merssu!" The priest wiped his eyes. The other man's laughter trailed
into anger.

"Watch your tongue, blasphemer!" he said curtly, drawing a gun from his
holster.

"Merssu!" the priest repeated, "You're the fool, stranger. At least
the others who've tried to claim his godhood had the sense to disguise
themselves to resemble his pictures."

"Pictures change, rash priest!" Merssu thundered. "I am the Firegod!
Look on my power!" Once more he fired into the sea, and once more the
steam pillars rose. "I am the God of Fire. I fly in the hands of flame.
I walk on the air. I burn the land and the sea. I am Merssu!"

The priest's face lost its tolerant amusement. His mouth twisted in
scorn.

"Walk on the air, do you? In a Mark XI Antigrav belt, yes. Burn sea and
land, eh? With a sungun, certainly. Fly in hands of flame? If you wish
to be picturesque about it, yes--but so does every drunken fool of a
spaceman."

"_I tell you, I am Merssu!_" Merssu screamed. "_Bow down and worship!_"

"_Silence!_" The priest's voice was dangerous, "You will come with us
to the temple. There you'll see how we worship imposters!"

"I'll kill you!" Merssu shouted, raising his gun.

The priest motioned with his hand. The man with him blew Merssu's head
off.

"Blasphemer!" the priest spat disdainfully, his voice filled with
disgust. He and his retainer turned back to the car, leaving the body
to be carted away later.

       *       *       *       *       *

Every evening at sunset, the priests of Merssu stand over their altars
and intone the words.

"He will return. Merssu the Firegod--Merssu, the immortal Bringer of
Fire--will return."

And the people of Merssu's world intone in reply, "He will return."
Throughout the galaxies of hyperspace, wherever the men of Merssu's
world may wander, there are other priests, and other races that
respond, but the ritual is always the same.

"He will return."

And the city waits. The planet waits, and the other planets about the
other stars through all the galaxies of hyperspace wait.

They always will.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIREGOD ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the
United States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
1.E.8.

1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
  restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
  under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
  eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
  United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
  you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided that:

* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
  Literary Archive Foundation."

* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
  works.

* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
  receipt of the work.

* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm

Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.

The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without
widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.