The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rastignac the Devil, by Philip Jose Farmer

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Title: Rastignac the Devil

Author: Philip Jose Farmer

Release Date: February 12, 2010 [EBook #31262]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Fantastic Universe May 1954. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this
publication was renewed.

_Here is high fidelity fiction at Philip Jose Farmer's
story-telling best. It's a vibrant, distractingly different
tale of three centuries into the future. And as you read
you'll have a vague, uneasy feeling that it's all taking
place somewhere in the unexplored parts of the universe, even
today._

rastignac the devil

_by ... Philip Jose Farmer_

Enslaved by a triangular powered despotism--one lone man
sets his sights to the Six Bright Stars and eventual freedom
of his world.

* * * * *

_After the Apocalyptic War, the decimated remnants of the French
huddled in the Loire Valley were gradually squeezed between two new
and growing nations. The Colossus to the north was unfriendly and
obviously intended to absorb the little New France. The Colossus to
the south was friendly and offered to take the weak state into its
confederation of republics as a full partner._

_A number of proud and independent French citizens feared that even
the latter alternative meant the eventual transmutation of their
tongue, religion and nationality into those of their southern
neighbor. Seeking a way of salvation, they built six huge space-ships
that would hold thirty thousand people, most of whom would be in deep
freeze until they reached their destination. The six vessels then set
off into interstellar space to find a planet that would be as much
like Earth as possible._

_That was in the 22nd Century