Secret of the Stars
Read Secret of the Stars Online
Authors: Andre Norton
Secret of the Stars
Andre Norton
Star Hunter
and
Secret of the Lost Race
. Together in an omni trade paperback volume from master storytelling legend, Andre Norton. A hunted man makes a last stand against deadly pursuers on a hellish planet. A hunter on a dangerous world encounters a menacing alien.
Secret of the Lost Race
Joktar was running for his life—and he didn’t know why. After growing up orphaned in the spaceman’s helltown of interstellar New York, Joktar was adept at dodging the law, but he knew of no special reason why all the police forces of the civilized galaxy should suddenly concentrate on him. All he knew was that he had to run—out of the Solar system and across the galaxy to the mysterious Wolf worlds. In the freezing hell that was the planet Fenris, Joktar turned to face his hunters and fight to regain his freedom in a universe gone mad.
Star Hunter
On safari to an unexplored jungle world, Ras Hume must hunt two kinds of quarry—the fearsome native beasts and the equally menacing lone survivor of a mysterious spaceship crash.
Baen Books
By Andre Norton
Time Traders
Time Traders II
Star Soldiers
Warlock
Janus
Darkness & Dawn
Gods & Androids
Dark Companion
Masks of the Outcasts
Moonsinger
Crosstime
From the Sea to the Stars
Star Flight
Search for the Star Stones
The Game of Stars and Comets
Deadly Dreams
Moonsinger's Quest
The Forerunner Factor
Ice and Shadow
Children of the Gates
Secret of the Stars
SECRET OF THE STARS
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Secret of the Lost Race copyright © 1959 by Ace Books, Inc.
Star Hunters copyright © 1962 by Andre Norton.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form
A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale,
NY 10471
ISBN: 978-1-4767-3674-7
eISBN: 978-1-62579-282-2
Cover art by Adam Burn
First Baen paperback printing, May 2014
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York,
NY 10020
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Norton, Andre.
[Novels. Selections]
Secret of the stars / by Andre Norton.
pages ; cm
ISBN 978-1-4767-3674-7 (omni trade
pbk.)
1.
Science
fiction. I.
Norton, Andre. Secret of the lost race. II. Norton, Andre. Star hunter. III. Title.
PS3527.O632A6 2014
813'.52--dc23
2014002508
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Electronic Version by Baen Books
Confidential: X3457-A-R-
From: Kronfeld, Director, Colonization Project 308
To: Lennox, Commander, Space Scouts, Fifth Sector, Detached Rating
Subject: Service Files
Require release to this department service files for following:
O-S-S-D 451 Marson, H. Deceased.
O-S-S-D 489 Ksanga, V.T. Deceased.
Confidential: X3457-A-R- Reply
From: Lennox, Commander, Space Scouts, Fifth Sector, Detached Rating.
To: Kronfeld, Director, Colonization Project 308
Subject: Service Files
Regret orders forbid release of official records to any department not connected directly with service.
(Message in code from Lennox to Sen Yen Lui, Commander-in-Chief, Fifth Sector, accompanying micros of above)
What is going on? Who talked and where? Should these files be “lost” for the duration?
(Reply in code from Sen Yen Lui to Lennox)
Sit tight. We will ask questions of our own. If there is trouble shall contact you at once so you may take proper steps.
Order: 56431-S.S.D.
From: Mahabi Kabali, Space Admiral, Commanding Fifth Sector
To: Sen Yen Lui, Commander-in-Chief, Space Scouts, Fifth Sector
Subject: Service Files
You will herewith order release of records of following (listed below) to be consulted, in accordance with usual procedure, by Kronfeld, Director of Colonization Project 308.
O-S-S-D 451 Marson H. Deceased
O-S-S-D 489 Ksanga, V.T. Deceased
(Coded note accompanying the above)
Sorry. Pressure is on, hard. We cannot sit on this now. Anyway both men are safely dead, and have been for years. And there cannot be any possible leak of the real facts; only suspicions.
(Call on private com-band from Kronfeld to Bryar Morle, Port of N’Yok)
Get your best private investigator on this. We know now that the probable port of entry
was
N’Yok. And there was a child that looked young but was about six or seven. Time of entry approximately fifteen—sixteen years ago. Sure, the trail is cold, and it’s getting colder all the time. But this is our first positive lead; it could well be the last. I needn’t tell you that this is a category one order. Time is running out. Draw on the Foundation Funds. We can prove our case if we have the evidence. Those boneheads in uniform are already sweating!
(Comment of Bran Hudd, partner in Hudd and Rusto, Private Investigators)
Cold trail? This thing’s in space freeze now. What does this joker think we are—miracle men or time travelers? Rusto: He lays down the credits like he grows ’em special in his cellar. So we go through the motion anyway. And a spread of cash can loosen tongues. You have that mock-up of what they think the dame looked like. Shove off and start earning our share.