Transcriber's Notes:Obvious printer errors have been corrected (including switched lines).Ellipses have been standardised. Otherwise the text is as printed.
THEDEFIANTAGENTS
By Andre Norton
RIDE PROUD, REBEL!
STORM OVER WARLOCK
GALACTIC DERELICT
THE TIME TRADERS
STAR BORN
YANKEE PRIVATEER
THE STARS ARE OURS!
Edited by Andre Norton
SPACE PIONEERS
SPACE SERVICE
THEDEFIANTAGENTS
BYANDRENORTON
THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
CLEVELAND AND NEW YORK
[Pg 4]Published by The World Publishing Company2231 West 110th Street, Cleveland 2, Ohio
Published simultaneously in Canada byNelson, Foster & Scott Ltd.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62-9063
FIRST EDITION
WP262
Copyright © 1962 by Andre NortonAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form without written permission from the publisher,except for brief passages included in a review appearing ina newspaper or magazine. Printed in the United States of America.
FOR P. SCHUYLER MILLERwho expressed a wishfor some Apache colonists,
and CHARLES F. KELLEYwho has a likingfor "time agent" tales.[Pg 7][Pg 6][Pg 9][Pg 8]
THE DEFIANT AGENTS
1
No windows broke any of the four plain walls of the office; there was nofocus of outer-world sunlight on the desk there. Yet the five disks setout on its surface appeared to glow—perhaps the heat of the mischiefthey could cause ... had caused ... blazed in them.
But fanciful imaginings did not cushion or veil cold, hard fact. Dr.Gordon Ashe, one of the four men peering unhappily at the display, shookhis head slightly as if to free his mind of such cobwebs.
His neighbor to the right, Colonel Kelgarries, leaned forward to askharshly: "No chance of a mistake?"
"You saw the detector." The thin gray string of a man behind the deskanswered with chill precision. "No, no possible mistake. These five havedefinitely been snooped."
"And two choices among them," Ashe murmured. That was the importantpoint now.
"I thought these were under maximum security," Kelgarries challenged thegray man.
Florian Waldour's remote expression did not change. "Every possibleprecaution was in force. There was a sleeper—a hiddenagent—planted——"[Pg 10]
"Who?" Kelgarries demanded.
Ashe glanced around at his three companions—Kelgarries, colonel incommand of one sector of Project Star, Florian Waldour,