The Road to the Rim

MEET JOHN GRIMES

at the very beginning of a career that will lead him to fame and glory out at the edge of the galaxy, out where the laws of men are nonexistent, and those of nature itself are sometimes tenuous.

Someday Grimes will be a Commodore in the secessionist Rim Worlds Navy, but for now he is merely a very junior Lieutenant in another space navy entirely, that of the Federation. If he keeps his nose clean, one day he can be an Admiral in that Service, all he has to do is follow regulations regardless of the consequences, and obey orders regardless of whether they are right or wrong—and he is determined to do just that.

But being John Grimes, he will find it a more difficult task than he expects-especially when he must turn a blind eye to the piratical acts of the Waldegrenese Navy, or ignore the plight of a beauteous damsel in distress. That's why, although he doesn't know it yet, he is already on 

THE ROAD TO THE RIM

EBook

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, June 2007

ISBN-13: 978-0-4417-3100-8
ISBN-10: 0-4417-3100-7

Copyright© 1967 by A. Bertram Chandler

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

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Dedication:
For Admiral Lord Hornblower, R. N.

Lieutenant John Grimes of the Federation Survey Service: fresh out of the Academy—and as green as they come!

"What do you think you're playing at?"

"Captain," said Wolverton, "I can no more than guess at what you intend to do—but I have decided not to help you do it."

"Give me the initiator, Wolverton. That's an order!

"A lawful command, Captain? As lawful as those that armed this ship?"

"Hold him, Grimes!"

 . . . They hung there, clinging to each other, but more in hate than in love. Wolverton's back was to the machine; he could not see, as could Grimes, that there was an indraught of air into the shimmering, spinning complexity. Grimes felt the beginnings of panic . . . all that mattered was that there was nothing to prevent him and Wolverton from being drawn into the machine . . . .Violently Grimes shoved away. To the action, there was a reaction . . .

When he had finished retching, Grimes forced himself to look again at the slimy, bloody obscenity that was a man turned inside out—heart still beating, intestines still writhing . . .