Produced by Greg Weeks, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net _ONE MAN DISCOVERED THE TRUTH_ --The Fall of Rome, the Wars that racked the world, mass murder and horror.... Men thought they were historical accidents, "human nature." But each one was a move in a Universe-wide battle--and the men who suffered and died were the big chessmen. Finally, one man discovered the truth--and faced his strange destiny in the ultimate struggle for control of the Universe. _First of the Famous Lensman Series_ NOVELS OF SCIENCE FICTION by "DOC" SMITH _The Lensman series_ TRIPLANETARY FIRST LENSMAN GALACTIC PATROL GRAY LENSMAN SECOND STAGE LENSMAN CHILDREN OF THE LENS MASTERS OF THE VORTEX _The Skylark series_ THE SKYLARK OF SPACE SKYLARK THREE SKYLARK OF VALERON SKYLARK DU QUESNE TRIPLANETARY E.E. "DOC" SMITH _PYRAMID BOOKS_ _NEW YORK_ TRIPLANETARY A PYRAMID BOOK Published by arrangement with the Author Fantasy Press edition published 1948 Pyramid edition published August 1965 Eighth printing, January 1973 Copyright 1948 by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. No part of this book may be reprinted without written permission of the publishers. All Rights Reserved. ISBN 0-515-02890-8 Printed in the United States of America PYRAMID BOOKS are published by Pyramid Communications, Inc. Its trademarks consisting of the word "Pyramid" and the portrayal of a pyramid are registered in the United States Patent Office. Pyramid Communications, Inc. 919 Third Avenue New York, New York 10022 CONDITIONS OF SALE "Any sale, lease, transfer or circulation of this book by way of trade or in quantities of more than one copy, without the original cover bound thereon, will be construed by the Publisher as evidence that the parties to such transaction have illegal possession of the book, and will subject them to claim by the Publisher and prosecution under law." * * * * * Transcibers Note Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. * * * * * _TO ROD_ CONTENTS Chapter Page BOOK ONE: DAWN I. Arisia and Eddore 11 II. The Fall of Atlantis 18 III. The Fall of Rome 36 BOOK TWO: THE WORLD WAR IV. 1918 53 V. 1941 63 VI. 19--? 80 BOOK THREE: TRIPLANETARY VII. Pirates of Space 93 VIII. In Roger's Planetoid 107 IX. Fleet Against Planetoid 121 X. Within the Red Veil 130