The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tydore's Gift
    
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: Tydore's Gift

Author: Alfred Coppel

Release date: December 6, 2020 [eBook #63975]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
        Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TYDORE'S GIFT ***




Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net









                             TYDORE'S GIFT

                           By ALFRED COPPEL

          So unpredictable, these dead-world Tower Dwellers!
            Take old Tydore who placed such an inestimably
           valuable gift in the greed-hands of one he hated.

           [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
                    Planet Stories September 1951.
         Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
         the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]


The sun was a shrunken red disk against the starfields, a distant
pale luminosity surrendering to the encroachment of the falling night.
Hoarfrost crunched under Marley's feet as he walked by the still black
waters of the canal, and then thin wind whispered over the sand and
across the breasts of the ancient hills. Starlight gleamed in the dark
water as the day faded. Earth hung low in the sky, like an emerald
pendant over the bosom of a sleeping woman.

Marley pulled his silks and furs closer about his shoulders. The air
was sharp and cold. His breath froze wraithlike in the icy evening as
he hurried down the path toward Tydore's tower.

The green planet shone like a beacon in his eyes. Home. The thought
brought impatience and a longing to walk again under a pale sky and a
warm sun. He looked about him with faint distaste. This peace--this
solitude of low red hills and blue-black nights--was alien to Marley.
It was unreal. Mars was a dream. An ancient wasted slumbering dream.

Marley's lips compressed as he thought of Tydore and their last
meeting. It seemed that Tydore laughed at him. Tydore withheld too
much, and there was so little time left. There was an acrid core
of decadence in the old Martian, Marley thought. A consciousness
of too many millenia of civilization and decay. Devious was the
word, perhaps, though it seemed a pallid one for the reality of the
Martian's intricate mind. It was always impossible to know what he was
thinking--how much he knew. About Marley being a spy. About the war on
Earth. In spite of himself, Marley smiled. It sounded so melodramatic
that way, but it was the way it really was. The Martians held the
perfect weapon. Marley needed that weapon, and his nation had put forth
a gigantic effort to get him to Mars so that he might steal it.

Tydore's tower loomed up before him in the fading light, a fey
filligree of minarettes and graceful flying buttresses too delicate
for a grosser world than Mars. The tower's reflection shimmered in the
still dark waters of the canal like an alter ego extending deep into
the liquid depths.

Marley descended the steps of delicately wrought stone that led to the
tower's underground entrance with care, for the drifted ferric sand
made them treacherous. How like the Martians, he thought with some
irritation, to make it necessary to travel down in order to enter a
tower. Everything the long way, the hard and devious way.

The outer doorway was shaped like a fleur-de-lis and it opened from the
top down, sliding into a recess of ancient, oily machinery. It would
be far too simple to make a door that looked and worked like a door.
Everything Marley had seen during his months on Mars served only to
increase his sense of alienage. He had seen only Tydore, of course, of
the living Martians. There were only a handful left and they lived
in their isolated towers along the still canals surrounded by their
tissue-thin manuscripts and ancient, reedlike music spools that filled
the air of their retreats with skeins of weird and enharmonic melody.

The weapon was Tydore's. He had rebuilt it from plans drawn by some
ensorcelled armorer dead over five thousand years. Rebuilt it in the
paradoxical way that Martians seemed to do everything, for if there was
one thing that no Martian needed it was a weapon. No strife had marred
the planet's peace for millenia. But build it he had, and Marley's
hands itched for the sleek deadliness of it--the smooth grained stock,
the oddly wrought, ornate muzzle. There was a vicious, tangy violence
frozen into every line of the weapon. And it was the only hand gun
Marley had ever seen that chained the forces of the atom. With such
weapons an army could be invincible.

       *       *       *       *       *

Tydore stood to greet him. With the elaborate courtesy of his kind, he
performed the ritual gestures of welcome, his slender, finely veined
hands tracing the ancient symbols in the air.

"The gods of sand and wind have brought you safely to my house, man
of Earth. I give thanks and pray you find peace and wisdom within my
walls."

The old Martian's chanting voice was like the fluting grace of a
Scarlatti choral. It was one with the miniscule paintings that covered
the walls, the finely wrought carvings on the antique flagstones under
his feet. Marley was not at home in the fluid Martian tongue, but the
very sound of the words conjured for him the serried ranks of spectral
generations that had reached their culmination in this one robed
ancient.

And yet, he thought with irritation, Tydore's words mean not at all
what they said. Through the finely polished phrases of welcome ran
a thread of hidden mockery--even hate--for Marley and everything he
represented. Never once had Tydore, by word or deed, indicated that he
felt anything but friendship for his visitor from the silvery ship out
on the desert, and yet there was no mistaking the nuance of contempt.
Tydore despised Marley as an outworld savage. One with the despoilers
of the holy places of Mars.

Not that the Martians had gods. They had lived too long for that, and
their deities existed only in their beautifully turned phrases and
their hyper-cultured ritual. But the first men from Earth had looted
the libraries and shattered the soaring towers. It was a thing no
Martian would ever forget--or forgive. It marked Earthmen for what
they were. In Martian eyes--precocious barbarians. Targets for Martian
subtlety.

"I give thanks for your welcome," Marley said slowly, his tongue clumsy
on the singing syllables.

Tydore inclined his head slightly and indicated that Marley should
follow him up the winding ramp that pierced the core of the tower. Each
time Marley came, the ritual was the same, as unchanging as the still
waters of the dark canals or the frozen loneliness of the red hills
beyond. They would pass the first level, where the old engines supplied
Tydore with what little heat and sustenance he needed. They would go on
to the second level, where the music spools lay in ordered confusion
amid the sonic transcribers that Tydore used to weave the sounds of the
Martian night into atonal poems of melody. And then they would reach
the level of the weapon.

It would still be in its crystal case, guarded by a lock of bronze. A
lock to which there was one key, and that one key on a silver chain
around Tydore's neck. They would pass the weapon by and seek the top
level, a platform shielded against the frigid night by a crystal
canopy. And there they would begin their nightly fencing with words and
ideas under the guise of friendship.

Marley's heart was pounding suddenly as he drew near to the weapon. His
patience was failing him at long last, he knew. He was sick of Mars,
sick of Tydore. Sick of posing as a humble seeker after knowledge. If
he could not trick the Martian into parting with the weapon soon, he
knew that he must chance violence. He had not dared it before, because
he could never be sure that Tydore and his kind were as defenseless as
they seemed. It was paradoxical that they should possess a weapon such
as _the_ weapon and yet be unwilling or unable to use it.

Still it seemed to Marley that such must be the case. He could only
explain it to himself by saying that they had lived too long, amid
too much deviousness and inverted purpose to be quite virile. They
were--the word came readily to mind from the days of his training on
Earth--decadent. And the meek did not inherit the earth or anything
else, he told himself with satisfaction. Only the militant, the
ruthless.

       *       *       *       *       *

The time had come, Marley thought, for the calculated risk. Direct
action. He could scarcely contain himself as they passed the weapon and
climbed to the top level.

"You seem preoccupied tonight, Marley," Tydore said, pouring two tiny
goblets of wine, "Can it be that you grow tired of Mars?"

Marley sipped the wine thoughtfully. To him it seemed completely
insipid and without flavor. Subtlety again? He doubted it. "I mean to
ask a favor of you, Tydore," he said, "And I but ponder how I should
begin."

"My house is yours," the Martian replied softly, "And all that it
contains."

Marley's eyes narrowed. Did he imagine the accent on the last phrase,
or was it actually there? He decided to be very cautious. "I came here,
as you know," he said, "To learn everything I might about your kind. As
you know, we of Earth are a young race, still much in need of guidance
and knowledge."

"You have learned much," Tydore said.

Marley's tone grew harder. "But not enough."

Tydore's eyebrows arched delicately. "So? You have read my books,
listened to my music. You have tasted the wines and eaten the fruits of
Mars. You have seen the stars and the sand, the waters and the lichens.
Have you not known my world?"

"I want more," Marley said flatly.

Tydore smiled. In that smile Marley saw a flash of more distilled
venom and ancient hatred that he could have imagined existed. The utter
virulence of it left him shaken and his illogical fear brought anger.

He got to his feet, the tiny goblet in his hand. It was old and
delicate, a tiny gem of carved jade and ivory. To one such as
Tydore--priceless. Brutally, Marley crushed it to shards in his hands
and dropped it to the flagstones. The fragments tinkled as they fell.

"So it must always be," said Tydore in a soft voice.

"I have not come here to listen to music, Tydore," Marley said, "Nor to
read your books or to know your world. You have one thing that I want.
You will give it to me, or I will take it from you." He ground his heel
onto the remains of the goblet with a grating sound.

"The weapon," the Martian said, "You want the weapon. You may have it.
You need not have broken my goblet...."

Marley was almost sorry that he had won so easily. He suddenly wanted
to crush the old Martian as he had crushed the goblet. In both there
was a quality that eluded him, and it was maddening.

Tydore handed him the key. "Come, we will get it together."

Marley followed him cautiously, alert for any trickery. Presently they
stood before the case and Marley unlocked it, reaching greedily for
the polished stock. He cradled the gun in his arms lovingly, savoring
triumph. With this in his hands, he could defy a world.

"There is no other like it, nor any but I to make one," Tydore said
with a strange smile.

"Why did you make it?" asked Marley.

"I made it for you."

[Illustration: "_I made it for you...._"]

Marley laughed aloud. It was an alien sound in the thin, cold air of
the tower. "You're a liar, Tydore. You built this weapon long before I
ever left Earth and you know it."

"By you, I meant simply men like you," Tydore said. "When the first
Earthmen came and befouled Mars with their presence, I knew that I
must make the weapon." He smiled, showing even white teeth. "A small
triumph, but things are not to be measured by whether they are great
or small. Rather by their flavor, their grace, and their neatness,
Marley."

"You speak of triumph, old man," snorted Marley derisively, "while your
precious weapon is in my hands."

Tydore shrugged. "As I knew it would be one day when I spread the tales
of what the weapon would do. It drew you as a lodestone draws a sliver
of iron."

Marley felt a pang of panic. "You mean this thing is a fake?"

Tydore shook his head. "No counterfeit. It will do what I said it would
do. Kill. What more can one ask of a weapon?"

It was Marley's turn to smile. "Nothing. And there is only this one.
And if you were to die...."

Tydore smiled a veiled smile. "It is as the gods of sand and wind
decree."

Marley pointed the weapon at Tydore. He had only to kill the old
Martian and return to his ship. The mission was over. Completed. He was
done with Mars and with Tydore and his subtle scorn.

He cradled the weapon lovingly, laying his cheek to the carven stock.
Old Tydore had built well. There was perfect balance in the feel of
it. His finger curled around the trigger and he sighted carefully down
the long barrel at the robed figure of the Martian. Tydore was smiling
in the face of death, and Marley wanted to laugh out loud. This is the
way the world ends, he was thinking. Not with a bang but a whimper. He
squeezed the trigger....

The universe exploded in Marley's face. There was a streak of searing
pain that carried away half his face, and as he fell he could hear a
strange sound. For the first time, Tydore was laughing aloud. It was a
hideous sound. A voice for the torment and hatred of a race that had
lived too long, planned too much. Marley felt the tower pinwheel around
him, the flagstones leapt up to meet him, greeting the searing agony of
his face with the soundless laughter of a million intricate patterns of
lonely death. And blackness welled up out of the stones to engulf him,
but not before he knew--

Tydore had made the weapon with the muzzle resembling the stock. It was
as simple as that.







*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TYDORE'S GIFT ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.