Robert Helm thought he had lots of life left. Then he was confronted with the possibility that he might be wrong. On a whim, he chose to try to cram as much as possible into whatever time was left,... More > knowing that no matter how much trouble he got himself in to, he might not have to live long with the consequences. He opted for a wild ride, which took him from England to Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Italy. He moved among men worth millions, and even billions, and he staked his life for so many thousands of dollars that the numbers began to lose all meaning. Helm became involved in games, some with a deadly purpose, and international conspiracies, one of which was aimed at saving the world with an act of monumental destruction. His initial object was to raise enough money to enjoy himself in case he received bad news from his doctor. He soon found out that he had no guarantee of staying alive to spend his earnings; unless he got really creative.< Less
Jeremy Haig had achieved success as a treasure hunter while working closely with academics. He had made himself a lot of money but he had retained respectability. Haig was the sort of person who uses... More > a metal detector to uncover history because that is his main interest. He was pleased to discover ancient gold and silver, but the real treasures, for him, were artifacts of baser metals.
The Fantony brothers had the potential to create a great deal of wealth for themselves if they could only find a way to turn stolen bullion into something apparently more respectable. They knew that the easiest way to make money is to adapt an existing money-spinning idea.
Finding a good idea to use as a starting point was proving to be very hard work. Haig was to become their unwitting model, an inspiration for the conversion of new into old and a guide to the way to retain possession of what looked like a chance discovery.< Less
Robert Helm thought he had lots of life left. Then he was confronted with the possibility that he might be wrong. On a whim, he chose to try to cram as much as possible into whatever time was left,... More > knowing that no matter how much trouble he got himself in to, he might not have to live long with the consequences. He opted for a wild ride, which took him from England to Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Italy. He moved among men worth millions, and even billions, and he staked his life for so many thousands of dollars that the numbers began to lose all meaning. Helm became involved in games, some with a deadly purpose, and international conspiracies, one of which was aimed at saving the world with an act of monumental destruction. His initial object was to raise enough money to enjoy himself in case he received bad news from his doctor. He soon found out that he had no guarantee of staying alive to spend his earnings; unless he got really creative.< Less
Jeremy Haig had achieved success as a treasure hunter while working closely with academics. He had made himself a lot of money but he had retained respectability. Haig was the sort of person who uses... More > a metal detector to uncover history because that is his main interest. He was pleased to discover ancient gold and silver, but the real treasures, for him, were artifacts of baser metals.
The Fantony brothers had the potential to create a great deal of wealth for themselves if they could only find a way to turn stolen bullion into something apparently more respectable. They knew that the easiest way to make money is to adapt an existing money-spinning idea.
Finding a good idea to use as a starting point was proving to be very hard work. Haig was to become their unwitting model, an inspiration for the conversion of new into old and a guide to the way to retain possession of what looked like a chance discovery.< Less
Sketches made by Harry Turner in Southern India, while on wartime service with the RAF as a radar technician, and the drawings and paintings they inspired after he was demobbed
Successful interstellar travel relies on both the human and technological resources working together. When one fails, it might be possible to rely on the other. When both fail, everyone is in a lot... More > of trouble. This is the story of how the crew of Mjeltan Star responded to their catastrophic double failure.< Less
In the world of the Night Flowers, there are major companies at war over the right to reclaim refuse and generate power from the discards. That vicious commercial war is being waged in a society... More > which has already taken a plunge into lawlessness on a grand scale. People carry arms quite legitimately because there are plenty of others ready to take advantage of them if they are unprepared, or unwilling, to defend themselves. Citizens at every level of this society will circumvent taxes perceived to be unjust, but, as always, the many are going about their lives and creating a framework of normality, through which the lawless carve an extraordinary path.< Less
Successful interstellar travel relies on both the human and technological resources working together. When one fails, it might be possible to rely on the other. When both fail, everyone is in a lot... More > of trouble. This is the story of how the crew of Mjeltan Star responded to their catastrophic double failure.< Less
In the world of the Night Flowers, there are major companies at war over the right to reclaim refuse and generate power from the discards. That vicious commercial war is being waged in a society... More > which has already taken a plunge into lawlessness on a grand scale. People carry arms quite legitimately because there are plenty of others ready to take advantage of them if they are unprepared, or unwilling, to defend themselves. Citizens at every level of this society will circumvent taxes perceived to be unjust, but, as always, the many are going about their lives and creating a framework of normality, through which the lawless carve an extraordinary path.< Less
