EMPIRE
A Powerful Novel of Intrigue and Action
in the Not-So-Distant Future
by
CLIFFORD D. SIMAK
A Complete ORIGINAL Book, UNABRIDGED
WORLD EDITIONS, Inc.
105 WEST 40th STREET
NEW YORK 18, NEW YORK
Copyright 1951
by
WORLD EDITIONS, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
CHAPTER ONE
Spencer Chambersfrowned at the spacegramon the desk before him.John Moore Mallory. That wasthe man who had caused so muchtrouble in the Jovian elections.The troublemaker who hadshouted for an investigation ofInterplanetary Power. The manwho had said that Spencer Chambersand Interplanetary Powerwere waging economic war againstthe people of the Solar System.
Chambers smiled. With long,well-kept fingers, he rubbed hisiron-gray mustache.
John Moore Mallory was right;for that reason, he was a dangerousman. Prison was the placefor him, but probably a prisonoutside the Jovian confederacy.Perhaps one of the prison shipsthat plied to the edge of the System,clear to the orbit of Pluto.Or would the prison on Mercurybe better?
Spencer Chambers leaned backin his chair and matched his fingertips,staring at them, frowningagain.
Mercury was a hard place. Aman's life wasn't worth much[8]there. Working in the powerplants, where the Sun pouredout its flaming blast of heat, andradiations sucked the energyfrom one's body, in six months,a year at most, any man was finished.
Chambers shook his head. NotMercury. He had nothing againstMallory. He had never met theman but he rather liked him.Mallory was just a man fightingfor a principle, the same as Chamberswas doing.
He was sorry that it had beennecessary to put Mallory in prison.If the man only had listenedto reason, had accepted the proposalsthat had been made, orjust had dropped out of sightuntil the Jovian elections wereover ... or at least had moderatedhis charges. But when hehad attempted to reveal the offers,which he termed bribery,something had to be done.
Ludwig Stutsman had handledthat part of it. Brilliant fellow,this Stutsman, but as mean a humanas ever walked on two legs.A man utterly without mercy,entirely without principle. A manwho would stoop to any depth.But a useful man, a good one tohave around to do the dirty work.And dirty work sometimes wasnecessary.
Chambers picked up the spacegramagain and studied it. Stutsman,out on Callisto now, hadsent it. He was doing a good jobout there. The Jovian confederacy,less than one Earth yearunder Interplanetary domination,was still half rebellious, still angryat being forced to turn overits government to the hand-pickedofficials of Chambers' company.An iron heel was neededand Stu