PERRY MASON-fighting attorney, who preferred being paid off as a sheep to being double-crossed like a lamb　　DELLA STREET-who was a faithful Girl Friday (also Sunday and Monday, if not quite always)　　EVA GRIFFIN-well groomed and well heeled, who was a phony　　HARRISON BURKE-Congressman, whose Duty to the People was to keep them from knowing he was mixed up in murder　　FRANK LOCKE-editor of Spicy Bits, who was Southern, but no gentleman　　PAUL DRAKE-who turned up some interesting information on Georgia peaches and sons of same　　SIDNEY DRUMM-who put himself out on a limb of the tree Perry Mason was up　　GEORGE C. BELTER-who got his money by blackmail, and who-naturally-got his...　

　DREAD　　THERE IS NO delight the equal of dread. If it were possible to sit, invisible, between two people on any train, in any waiting room or office, the conversation overheard would time and again circle on that subject. Certainly the debate might appear to be about something entirely different; the state of the nation, idle chat about death on the roads, the rising price of dental care; but strip away the metaphor, the innuendo, and there, nestling at the heart of the discourse, is dread. While the nature of God, and the possibility of eternal life go undiscussed, we happily chew over the minutiae of misery. The syndrome recognizes no boundaries; in bath-house and seminar-room alike, the　

　　I would like to thank everyone who encouraged or tolerated me during this project. Thanks to Mark, who gave me the initial push to get started, Carol McCleary for seeing the potential, Bob Gleason and Greg Cox for many good suggestions and for pushing me to a new level, and to my wife, Gale, for hours of reading and rereading.　Abby, Katie, and Bethany-this is why Dad sat at the puter all those hours.　　DRAMATIS PERSONAE　　OREGON　　Kenny Randall-Student at Oregon Institute of Technology, and a member of the group.　Dr. George Coombs-Former professor of anthropology, now a chiropractor.　Dr. Chester Piltcher-Professor of system science at Oregon Institute of Technology, and the leader of the gro　

　To love, and bear; to hope till Hope creates　From its own wreck the thing it contemplates.　Percy Bysshe Shelley,　Prometheus Unbound　Prologue　False Angels　　JERUSALEM　The wound was their path.　Nathan Lee Swift sat strapped in the belly of the cargo helicopter with a dozen assorted archangels, looking down upon what little remained. The earthquake was visible mostly by what was no longer visible. Cities and villages had simply vanished in puffs of dust. Even his ruins were gone. The map had gone blank.　The air was hot. It was summer. There was no horizon. The sands stretched into haze. He felt chained to the giant beside him, his former professor David Ochs. He had not wanted to leave, now he　

THE RIDDLE HOUSEThe villagers of Little Hangleron still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied.The Little Hagletons all agreed that the old house was "creepy." Half a century ago, something strange and horrible had happened there, something that the older inhabitants of the village still liked to discuss when topics for gossip were scar　

　Neither do they expect trouble with a cargo that is sewn up tight.　Only a privileged few knew exactly when the Kruxator Collection would arrive in the country. That it was due to e to Britain was mon knowledge, and you had only to read a newspaper to discover that March 15th was the day on which the fabled group of paintings and jewellery were to go on display - for two weeks - at the Victoria and Albert Museum.　The Kruxator Collection is called after its founder, the late Niko Kruxator, whose fabulous wealth arose from sources unknown, for he had arrived penniless in the United States at about the time of the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. By the time he died in 1977, most people th　

　　IT WAS nothing out of the ordinary that Mrs. Barry Rackham had made the appointment with her finger pressed to her lips. That is by no means an unusual gesture for people who find themselves in a situation where the best thing they can think of is to make arrangements to see Nero Wolfe.　　With Mrs. Barry Rackham the shushing finger was only figurative, since she made the date speaking to me on the phone. It was in her voice, low and jerky, and also in the way she kept telling me how confidential it was, even after I solemnly assured her that we rarely notified the press when someone requested an appointment on business. At the end she told me once more that she would have preferred to spea　

CAMILLUS445?-365 B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenAMONG the many remarkable things that are related of FuriusCamillus, it seems singular and strange above all, that he, whocontinually was in the highest commands, and obtained the greatestsuccesses, was five times chosen dictator, triumphed four times, andwas styled a second founder of Rome, yet never was so much as onceconsul. The reason of which was the state and temper of thecommonwealth at that time; for the people, being at dissension withthe senate, refused to return consuls, but in their stead elected...　

THE UNDERGROUND WORKERSOn a bitter night somewhere between Christmas and the New Year, aman set out to walk to the neighbouring village. It was not manymiles off, but the snow was so thick that there were no roads, orwalls, or hedges left to guide him, and very soon he lost his wayaltogether, and was glad to get shelter from the wind behind athick juniper tree. Here he resolved to spend the night,thinking that when the sun rose he would be able to see his pathagain.So he tucked his legs snugly under him like a hedgehog, rolledhimself up in his sheepskin, and went to sleep. How long heslept, I cannot tell you, but after awhile he became aware thatsome one was gently shaking him, while a s　

Twenty Years Afterby Alexandre Dumas [Pere]1The Shade of Cardinal Richelieu.In a splendid chamber of the Palais Royal, formerly styledthe Palais Cardinal, a man was sitting in deep reverie, hishead supported on his hands, leaning over a gilt and inlaidtable which was covered with letters and papers. Behind thisfigure glowed a vast fireplace alive with leaping flames;great logs of oak blazed and crackled on the polished brassandirons whose flicker shone upon the superb habiliments ofthe lonely tenant of the room, which was illumined grandlyby twin candelabra rich with wax-lights.Any one who happened at that moment to contemplate that redsimar the gorgeous robe of office and the rich lace,.　

EvangelineA Tale of Acadieby Henry Wadsworth LongfellowTHIS is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring oceanSpeaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.This is the forest primeval; but where are the hearts that beneath itLeaped like the roe, when he hears in the woodland the voice of the huntsman?Where is the thatch-roofed village, the home of Acadian farmers,Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water t　

THE LITTLE GREEN FROG[8][8] Cabinet des Fees.In a part of the world whose name I forget lived once upon a timetwo kings, called Peridor and Diamantino. They were cousins aswell as neighbours, and both were under the protection of thefairies; though it is only fair to say that the fairies did notlove them half so well as their wives did.Now it often happens that as princes can generally manage to gettheir own way it is harder for them to be good than it is forcommon people. So it was with Peridor and Diamantino; but of thetwo, the fairies declared that Diamantino was much the worst;indeed, he behaved so badly to his wife Aglantino, that the...