Henry Kuttner - Ahead of Time

Abrain in a box

fightsa criminal plot

Avisitor from the future

turnsout to be peculiar

evenfor his society

Aneternal hillbilly family

survivesthe centuries

andgets into political trouble

Asick electronic calculator

catchesa psychosis from its operator

...these are some of the highly original and vividly written stories youwill find in this selection of a masters work.

Sciencefiction and fantasy grow constantly in popularity. Writing of thisquality and imagination is the reason. Henry Kuttner demonstratesagain in this book why more and more readers are becoming devotees ofthat intriguing fiction which is not content to stay in the world aswe see it and know it, which takes us to the farthest reaches ofspace and time, to the farthest reaches of the human mind.

BYHENRY KUTTNER

Fury

ManDrowning

Aheadof Time

(AsLewis Padgett)

TheBrass Ring

TheDay He Died

AGnome There Was

RobotsHave No Tails

Tomorrowand Tomorrow andThe Fairy Chessmen

Thisis an original publication not a reprintpublished by BallantineBooks, Inc. Ahardbound edition of this book, priced at $2.00, is available at yourlocal bookstore.

AHEADof TIME

HenryKuttner

Tenstories of Science Fiction and Fantasy

BALLANTINEBOOKS NEW YORK

"OrElse" appeared in amazingstories , Copyright1953 by ziff-davispublishing company ; "Homeis the Hunter," Copyright 1953 by galaxypublishing corporation ; "ByThese Presents" appeared in fantasticadventures , Copyright1952 by ziff-davispublishing company ; "DeProfundis," original version, was published as "TheVisitors" by c.h. liddell , Copyright 1953 by columbiapublications, inc. , revisedversion published as "De Profundis"; "Pile ofTrouble," Copyright 1948 by standardmagazines, inc. "Deadlock"and "Camouflage" are reprinted from AstoundingScience Fiction , Copyright1942 and 1945 respectively by Street& Smith Publications, Inc. ; "Shock"and "Ghost" are reprinted from AstoundingScience Fiction , Copyright1943 by Street& Smith Publications, Inc.

Copyright,1953, by Henry Kuttner
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.53-9110
Printed in the United States of America

BALLANTINEBOOKS
404 Fifth Avenue NewYork 18, N. Y.

Contents

aheadof time

OrElse

Migueland Fernandez wereshooting inaccurately at each other across the valley when the flyingsaucer landed. They wasted a few bullets on the strange airship. Thepilot appeared and began to walk across the valley and up the slopetoward Miguel, who lay in the uncertain shade of a cholla, swearingand working the bolt of his rifle as rapidly as he could. His aim,never good, grew worse as the stranger approached. Finally, at thelast minute, Miguel dropped his rifle, seized the machete beside him,and sprang to his feet.

"Die,then," he said, and swung the blade. The steel blazed in the hotMexican sun. The machete rebounded elastically from the stranger'sneck and flew high in the air, while Miguel's arm tingled as thoughfrom an electric shock. A bullet came from across the valley, makingthe kind of sound a wasps sting might make if you heard itinstead of feeling it. Miguel dropped and rolled into the shelter ofa large rock. Another bullet shrieked thinly, and a brief blue flashsparkled on the strangers left shoulder.

"Estoyperdido," Miguelsaid, giving himself up for lost. Flat on his stomach, he lifted hishead and snarled at his enemy.

Thestranger, however, made no inimical moves. Moreover, he seemed to beunarmed. Miguels sharp eyes searched him. The man wasunusually dressed. He wore a cap made of short, shiny blue feathers.Under it his face was hard, ascetic and intolerant. He was very thin,and nearly seven feet tall. But he did seem to be unarmed. That gaveMiguel courage. He wondered where his machete had fallen. He did notsee it, but his rifle was only a few feet away.

Thestranger came and stood above Miguel.

"Standup," he said. "Let us talk."

Hespoke excellent Spanish, except that his voice seemed to be comingfrom inside Miguels head.

"Iwill not stand up," Miguel said. "If I stand up, Fernandezwill shoot me. He is a very bad shot, but I would be a fool to takesuch a chance. Besides, this is very unfair. How much is Fernandezpaying you?"

Thestranger looked austerely at Miguel.

"Doyou know where I came from?" he asked.

"Idont care a centavo where you came from," Miguel said,wiping sweat from his forehead. He glanced toward a nearby rock wherehe had cached a goatskin of wine. "From losestados unidos, nodoubt, you and your machine of flight. The Mexican government willhear of this."

"Doesthe Mexican government approve of murder?"

"Thisis a private matter," Miguel said. "A matter of waterrights, which are very important. Besides, it is self-defense. That cabrn acrossthe valley is trying to kill me. And you are his hired assassin. Godwill punish you both." A new thought came to him. "How muchwill you take to kill Fernandez?" he inquired. "I will giveyou three pesos and a fine kid."

"Therewill be no more fighting at all," the stranger said. "Doyou hear that?"

"Thengo and tell Fernandez," Miguel said. "Inform him that thewater rights are mine. I will gladly allow him to go in peace."His neck ached from staring up at the tall man. He moved a little,and a bullet shrieked through the still, hot air and dug with avicious splash into a nearby cactus.

Thestranger smoothed the blue feathers on his head.

"FirstI will finish talking with you. Listen to me, Miguel."

"Howdo you know my name?" Miguel demanded, rolling over and sittingup cautiously behind the rock. "It is as I thought. Fernandezhas hired you to assassinate me."

"Iknow your name because I can read your mind a little. Not much,because it is so cloudy."

"Yourmother was a dog," Miguel said.

Thestrangers nostrils pinched together slightly, but he ignoredthe remark. "I come from another world," he said. "Myname is" In Miguels mind it sounded likeQuetzalcoatl.

"Quetzalcoatl?"Miguel repeated, with fine irony. "Oh, I have no doubt of that.And mine is Saint Peter, who has the keys to heaven."

Quetzalcoatlsthin, pale face flushed slightly, but his voice was determinedlycalm. "Listen, Miguel. Look at my lips. They are not moving. Iam speaking inside your head, by telepathy, and you translate mythoughts into words that have meaning to you. Evidently my name istoo difficult for you. Your own mind has translated it asQuetzalcoatl. That is not my real name at all."

"Deveras," Miguelsaid. "It is not your name at all, and you do not come fromanother world. I would not believe a norteamericano ifhe swore on the bones of ten thousand highly-placed saints."

Quetzalcoatlslong, austere face flushed again.

"Iam here to give orders," he said. "Not to bandy wordswith Look here, Miguel. Why do you suppose you couldntkill me with your machete? Why can't bullets touch me?"

"Whydoes your machine of flight fly?" Miguel riposted. He took out asack of tobacco and began to roll a cigarette. He squinted around therock. "Fernandez is probably trying to creep up on me. I hadbetter get my rifle."

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