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  Mataal had no time to meditate on the consequences. Perhaps it was just as well. His demise was a final judgment which condemned his race to slow extinction in some far corner of the universe.

  • • •

  Goldstein's mesmerized condition faded from him. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed. He seemed to sink under a tidal wave of exhaustion. His eyes only perceived blurred outlines and quivering shadow shapes before him. He heard Everson's voice as he shouted some kind of command.

  Then somebody was very close to him. By making a tremendous effort he was able to make out who it was—the Colonel.

  "It's all over, Goldstein," said Everson.

  "It was Mataal," he whispered. "I'm innocent!"

  "I know, my son," said the Commander. "It's alright. I'm sure you're exhausted. When you've regained your strength you may be able to remove that big chunk of metal from the bridge so that Dr. Morton can get to the alien's corpse."

  Goldstein's vision became clearer. He looked across the area to where the block had smashed Mataal to the deck. The alien's head was visible and had not been damaged. Death had brought on an uncanny alteration in him. The hard Eppanian features had shrunk into a bat-like caricature. The face was still somewhat human—and yet inhuman.

  "I can't help you, Colonel," said Goldstein, almost gratified by the fact. "I'm not able to move matter around any more.

  "What a monstrosity!" whispered Weiss as he cautiously approached Mataal's remains.

  "Wrong," Goldstein corrected. "What do you know about him anyway? He was no monstrosity. I was a part of him and I can understand his behavior. He thought first of his people and only then of himself. Do you understand, Weiss? He wasn't bad or a monster—he was just... something else."

  THE HORROR

  Copyright © Ace Books 1975

  Ace Publishing Corporation

  All Rights Reserved

  THE SHIP OF THINGS TO COME

  THE HORDES OF DRUUFON.

  They constitute a clear and present danger on distant Grautier, the Solar Empire's forward base 6562 light-years from the homeworld, Earth.

  Grautier is in a state of alarm as the Terran Spacefleet prepares to engage in battle with the enemy Druufs.

  Out around Grautier a unique phenomenon is occurring: two time-planes are beginning to stabilize–the Einstein continuum that includes our own Earth and that other continuum of the menacing alien universe of the Druufs.

  The ferocious foe is not unknown to Atlan for he fought them 10,000 years ago in his youth and is wary of them now. He warns Perry Rhodan of the peril they portend and his friend heeds the warning and develops an audacious plan.

  Little as the peacelord likes it, a blood-red haze of battle is about to explode in

  THE CRIMSON UNIVERSE by K.H. Scheer