Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings Ace Books Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York 36, N.Y. RAY CUMMINGS’ novels in Ace editions: THE MAN WHO MASTERED TIME (D-173) BRIGANDS OF THE MOON (D-324) BEYOND THE VANISHING POINT (D-331) WANDL THE INVADER (D-497) THE SHADOW GIRL (D-535) BEYOND THE STARS Copyright ©, 1963, by Ace Books, Inc. [Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] An Ace Book, by arrangement with Gabrielle Cummings Waller. Magazine version serialized in _Argosy All-Story Magazine_. To DONALD A. WOLLHEIM _With affectionate regard and appreciation_ _of his loyal friendship through the years._ Printed in U.S.A. ONE OF THEIR ATOMS—OUR UNIVERSE! “The scene outside my window was a chaos: showers of white sparks were rushing at us. I tried to shout a warning, but instead I laughed with a touch of madness. I realized then that these sparks were really stars—and they were passing through us. I could see their luminous white points beaming within the vehicle as the stream flowed through. These stars were mere electrons and our vehicle comparatively was a puff of vapor.” Racing through the vast depths of space in a vehicle larger than the universe itself—a fantastic concept and one that only the mind of a master pioneering science-fiction writer could conceive and then translate into a classic tale of exciting adventure in a cosmos _BEYOND THE STARS_. Beyond the Stars I “CALLING FOR HELP!” There is a saying in the Service that when Liner 40 N runs late the whole world waits. It may be true enough; I suppose it is. But to me, as Commander 3 of Liner 40 N on that night in May, 1998, it was a particularly annoying truth. For I was running late; at the Azores I was a good twenty-eight minutes behind where I should have been, and it hardly made things any easier for me to contemplate an impatient world awaiting me.