And There Was Light E-Book

Lester Del Rey

• Herausgeber: Black Cat Weekly
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 18

Beschreibung

In a world divided, Johann Volcek makes a startling discovery that could end the threat of war forever. With the support of the powerful Director, Volcek prepares to test his invention on a global scale. As the fateful hour approaches, Johann reflects on his work and dreams of a peaceful future for his wife Stefanie and their unborn children. But when the switch is flipped...

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

AND THERE WAS LIGHT, by Lester del Rey

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Copyright © 1951 by Lester del Rey.

Originally published in Future, July 1951.

Public domain in the United States, but still

under copyright in Spain and other countries.

For more information, contact Wildside Press.

Published by permission of the author’s estate

and Wildside Press / John Betancourt.

Published by Black Cat Weekly.

blackcatweekly.com

AND THERE WAS LIGHT,by Lester del Rey

Stefanie was still white and weak, but the worry on her face had nothing to do with her recent sickness as she rushed about the small, crudely furnished apartment, trying to appear normal. Johann Volcek studied his young wife, worrying more about her than the meeting for the moment.

If the child had only lived… .

Then he smiled a bit ironically, before letting his mind come up with the old palliatives. There’d be other children for him and Stefanie—and for this half of the world. The other half would simply have to suffer painlessly through a generation, for the good of the whole world.

“But the Director, Johann… .” Stefanie’s voice was on the thinnest edge of hysteria. “Johann, to our place! If I’d known, I could have made curtains, at least. And can you be sure… .”

“It isn’t suspicion, radost moya,” he assured her quickly. “I told you the Director trusts me—he has to. And he simply wants to see you. You know he’s a family man himself.”

But he let her work, fussing about the place, refilling his coffee, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his coat. The doctor had told him that work was best for her—anything to get her mind off the lost child until there could be others. And the Director may have been a better distraction than any of the others, aside from the flattery of it.

Then the telephone on the wall rang sharply, and he answered it, smiling back at her. “Volcek.”

“Good, Johann.” It was the Director’s Secretary of Science, Jean Petrecci and Volcek’s sponsor. “We shall be there soon—and it’s a beautiful day for the test, not so?”