The Project Gutenberg eBook of In the Earth's Shadow, by John L. Chapman

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: In the Earth's Shadow

Author: John L. Chapman

Release Date: March 13, 2021 [eBook #64803]

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8

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

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE EARTH'S SHADOW ***

IN THE EARTH'S SHADOW

by JOHN L. CHAPMAN

The adventure of a man who sat
alone in space for six years!

[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Comet December 40.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

Ferris was in the tiny cupola, admiring the immense sphere of Earth above him, when the bell sounded. Galsworth again, no doubt. It had been Galsworth every time for twenty-four hours. What did he want now?

Ferris went below, preparing himself for the same ugly face, the usual grating voice. He sat before the screens and snapped a switch. The screen colored, took form. He was right.

Galsworth said: "Fuel Station 12?" As if he didn't know. When Ferris nodded, the company head announced: "Replacement will be in effect within ten hours. You'll prepare for the trip."

"Replacement!" Ferris gasped. "For what reason—"

"You'll have the details when you reach Earth, Ferris. Be ready when Brooks arrives. He'll be there shortly."

"Brooks! Who's he? The kid?"

"You're asking too many questions, Ferris. Brooks is young, yes, but he'll fill the position. We'll explain later. That's all."

It took a few minutes for Ferris to recover. Replacement! After six years of service at the number one fuel station between the Earth and Moon. Why, he was the only man who could handle Station 12! And Galsworth was sending Brooks, a green kid barely out of SM school. What was the guy thinking of?

Angered, Ferris got up from his stool and paced the floor. It was easy to picture Galsworth sitting at his desk. He'd be chewing a big cigar, pounding a pudgy fist into his palm, telling young Brooks that Station 12 needed a stalwart lad willing to face numerous cosmic dangers in order that commerce between the Earth and Moon would not fall below its present status. Only Galsworth would say it like that.

Well, what was wrong with the present status? Ferris had kept the company heads above water; he hadn't fallen down on the job. But they apparently weren't satisfied. Something was wrong, and it seemed that Galsworth was taking it out on Ferris.

Still perplexed, Ferris entered his living quarters and began packing. He dismissed Galsworth from his mind, wondered whether or not Brooks could meet the task of operating the station. It was a lonely job, sitting there in the cylindrical island of space, watching ships approach and pass in the cold void that housed him. Brooks would grow weary of it, just as Ferris had at first. There wasn't a more dismal existence in the solar system, but to Ferris it was home, and even the thought of that was comforting.

The sound of a hissing airlock brought Ferris to his senses. Brooks was ahead of schedule—

Ferris went back to the control room. A tall fellow stood there, his hair drooping, his space tunic ripped open at the collar. His face was stone-like.

"You aren't Brooks," said Ferris. "What do you want?"

"Fuel," the other dropped a hand to a belt holster. "I need fuel for my ship—a lot of it. And you're the only fellow in my path who's got it. Let's not waste time."

"You've come to the wrong place," said Ferris, starting forward. "The barrels here are under government combination seal, and can't be opened by anyone other than the inspectors who accompany our regular ships."

"Nevertheless," the tall fellow drew his beam gun, "you have fuel in your repulsion tanks, and that's as good as any."

For a moment Ferris stood there, undetermined. Then he remembered a police bulletin not so long ago. A convict had escaped from one of Earth's interplanetary prisons. He understood now.

"You're Siegal," he said.

The other nodded. "My ship hasn't the fuel to carry me to the Moon. I don't like to insist, but I'm going to drain your tanks."

"The station will fall," Ferris warned. "If the repulsion tanks are drained, gravity will take hold."

"Unfortunate," said Siegal, "but it's me or the station. I've brought a hose along—also a container. I'll give you the pleasure of filling it for me. Hurry."

Ferris had no choice, so he did as directed. Siegal had the drop on him, and it was best to play safe. Perhaps he could talk the fellow out of his wild plan. There was a chance.

"Think you'll make it to the Moon?" queried Ferris as he loosened a valve and inserted the hose. "It's a long trek for such a small amount of fuel. Besides, you'll burn up half the stuff getting started. There's no launch here, you know."

"I left Earth without a launch," said Siegal crisply. "I can do it again."

The syphon began a steady flow.

"You won't make it," remarked Ferris. "And if you do get there, what then? There's no place for you on the Moon. They'll track you down in a few days."

Siegal laughed. "You seem quite certain of all this."

"Besides," went on Ferris, "I'll tell them all about you. They'll know just where you are, and they'll be waiting for you when you reach the Moon."

"Not if I destroy your radio," said Siegal, "and not if you ride the station back to Earth."

For a long minute there was silence. The only sound was the trickling of the liquid fuel. Ferris became uneasy.

"That's murder," he said at length.

"True," agreed Siegal. "That is murder, isn't it?"

The container was full. At the point of Siegal's gun, Ferris carried the fuel to the airlock, where he was forced to don a space tunic and transport the container to the lone ship that was anchored outside. He made several trips, until the station's tanks were nearly empty. Through vision screens, the glow of the repulsion jets could be seen, receding gradually.

"The station will move in a matter of hours," said Ferris. "It's a devilish trick, Siegal, and I hope they get you for it."

"Never mind. Just fill the container again. I want to be sure the tank is empty."

Ferris set to work again. As he bent over the tanks, the floor gave a sudden lurch and threw him against the wall. Siegal clutched a door frame and steadied himself.

"No tricks, Ferris."

"But the station's moving. Can't you see?"

"Sooner than you expected. Perhaps you can tell me why."

"I don't know, Siegal. Something's happened."

"It's all right, finish your work."

Ferris complied. Once more the precious liquid trickled into the container. Minutes passed.

"Brooks reporting, sir."

Siegal turned, astounded. The red-headed youngster stood there, a look of bewilderment on his face. Then Ferris leaped, caught Siegal about the hips and sent him sprawling over the station floor. But the convict was elusive. He twisted free, somewhat dazed, and stood erect. He fired a beam at Ferris, who rolled across the floor in pain. Brooks, realization having dawned upon him, started forward. Siegal emitted a shrill noise, grabbed the container and ran for the airlock. Brooks blocked his way, and went down as the gun struck his skull. Siegal leaped over him, vanishing a moment later beyond the airlock.

His brain in a turmoil, Ferris got slowly to his feet and looked about. The room was empty. No Siegal, no Brooks. The station was tilted at an angle, swaying slightly. It was falling, due to the excess weight applied when Brooks anchored his cruiser.

Ferris nursed his aching head. The beam had shaved his neck just below the ear, breaking his space tunic's glass helmet, otherwise doing no harm.

Ferris made his way to the airlock. Through the heavy glass he glimpsed a portion of Siegal's ship. Quickly, a plan formed in his mind.

He removed a metal space suit from a locker, donned it and clumped awkwardly up a stairway leading to the upper level. He crossed to a second airlock, advanced through, and stepped lightly onto the top of Siegal's ship. He dropped flat and crawled to the supply lock, through which a ship's food bundles were loaded. He grasped the latch firmly, and waited.

A minute later the little cruiser moved into space. Behind, Fuel Station 12 continued its Earthward fall. Ferris watched it go, his heart heavy. All his belongings went with Station 12, all the things he had called his home for six long years. He wondered about Brooks. The fellow's cruiser was drifting lifelessly to one side, no doubt having been cut free by Siegal. There was no evidence of Brooks' whereabouts.

Ferris clung to the heavy latch as Siegal's cruiser slipped away in space. Above and all around him hovered the vast outline of Earth, the continents and oceans showing dimly through the deep shadows. To the left was the Moon, drifting aimlessly along the great star-curtain.

Ferris tugged at the latch. It moved a little. He tugged again and it sprang free. Ferris stood up, straddled the circular lock, and pulled back the cover. Air rushed out. Through the narrow hole he saw the tiny storage compartment. Satisfied, he let himself through and dropped to the floor, pulling the cover back in place as he did so.

The room was small—only a few feet higher than Ferris, not much longer. The sound of the oxygen pumps grew louder for a moment, as the semi-vacuum was being replaced.

Ferris waited several minutes, then removed the space suit. Finding the air suitable, he stepped to the compartment door, opened it a crack, and peered out.

Steps led downward to a brief corridor. Beyond the corridor, a portion of the control room was visible.

Ferris moved out, went down the steps and proceeded cautiously along the corridor.

He put a hand to his forehead; a sudden dizziness swept through him. He leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes. There was blood on his sleeve.

He couldn't remember how long he waited there; it may have been a number of minutes. He could feel his sickness overcoming him. He was weakening.

A footstep sounded, and Ferris tried to open his eyes. Then he turned to go back, but a voice stopped him. It was Siegal's.

There was no use resisting. Siegal still had the drop on him. The convict led him into the control cabin, forced him into a seat.

"You're a good man, Ferris," Siegal said, "but not good enough. I might be able to use you, though—more or less as a shield when I get to the Moon."

Somewhat revived, Ferris looked up. His head still hurt him, but he was able to recollect his surroundings. He thought of Fuel Station 12—it would be nearing Earth now. Soon it would strike, and then Galsworth would be notified. Things would begin to happen.

"Brooks reporting."

Siegal swung, shouting angrily. But the youth was on him, knocking the beam gun away, pinning him against the wall of the cabin. Ferris watched dazedly, wondering where Brooks had come from. Nauseating sensations swept him again, and things went black for a moment. He heard Siegal's yells. A blow was struck, and Brooks tumbled back.

Ferris pushed himself from the stool and fell over the beam gun. As Siegal bore Brooks to the floor, Ferris rolled over, brought up his arm and pulled the trigger. His aim was bad, but the beam did its work. Siegal simply went limp.

For a long minute Ferris lay there, looking up at the youthful form of Brooks over him. He grinned.

"Good work, Brooks. You make a better stowaway than I do."

"This is the first time," said Galsworth, "I've ever seen bandages on you, Ferris."

"I came to talk business, Galsworth. At least, you called me here for that reason, didn't you?"

The company head placed a pudgy fist against his palm. "Of course. I thought you'd like to know why you were called in from 12."

"Because you wanted to send Brooks there. Well, that's okay. He's a good man—"

"No, not just that. We've a passenger pilot's license for you, if you want it. Something we've been planning for some time. You're the only one of our station operators who has passed the exams."

Ferris grew red in the face. "Then, all this was just a—promotion?"

Galsworth nodded. "When the new Station 12 is situated, Brooks will take over. We've better things for you. Willing?"

To Ferris, it was overwhelming—more so than it had been aboard Siegal's cruiser. He felt suddenly as if he would faint—the wound—

He did faint right there in Galsworth's office, but when he revived Galsworth was still smiling. It was all right—after six years!

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE EARTH'S SHADOW ***

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™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ 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™ 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™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

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

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ 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™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ 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™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

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™ 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™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ 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™ electronic works provided that:

• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ 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™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ 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™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ 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™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ 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™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ 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™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ 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™ 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™ 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™ electronic works

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

Project Gutenberg™ 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™, 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.