THE TIME TRADERS
BY ANDRE NORTONScience Fiction THE STARS ARE OURS! STAR BORN THE TIME TRADERS Historical Fiction YANKEE PRIVATEER Edited by Andre Norton BULLARD OF THE SPACE PATROL SPACE SERVICE SPACE PIONEERS |
◂ Andre Norton
THE TIME
TRADERS
THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
2231 West 110th Street,Cleveland 2, Ohio
Nelson, Foster & Scott Ltd.
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Transcriber's note:
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the copyrighton this publication was renewed.
THE TIME TRADERS
CHAPTER 1
To anyone who glanced casually inside the detention room the young mansitting there did not seem very formidable. In height he might have beena little above average, but not enough to make him noticeable. His brownhair was cropped conservatively; his unlined boy's face was not one tobe remembered—unless one was observant enough to note those light-grayeyes and catch a chilling, measuring expression showing now and then foran instant in their depths.
Neatly and inconspicuously dressed, in this last quarter of thetwentieth century his like was to be found on any street of the city tenfloors below—to all outward appearances. But that other person underthe protective coloring so assiduously cultivated could touch heights ofencased and controlled fury which Murdock himself did not understand andwas only just learning to use as a weapon against a world he had alwaysfound hostile.
He was aware, though he gave no sign of it, that a guard was watchinghim. The cop on duty was an old hand—he probably expected some reactionother than passive acceptance[Pg 10] from the prisoner.