Grendel (Niven)
Encyclopedia
"Grendel" is an English language
science fiction
short story written in 1968 by Larry Niven
. It is the fourth in the series of Known Space
stories featuring crashlander
Beowulf Shaeffer
. The short story was originally published in Neutron Star (1968), and reprinted in Crashlander
(1994).
touch sculptor named Lloobee has gone missing.
Soon enough, the kidnappers make contact with the local government and demand ten million "stars" (the interstellar form of currency) for Lloobee's safe return. Because Kdatlyno cannot spend extended time in small space ships (Margo mentioned seeing a large yacht before passing out), Shaeffer reasons that Lloobee's kidnappers must have taken him onto the planet. After looking through spaceport records, Shaeffer and fellow passenger Emil Horne reason that the most likely ship to have carried Lloobee was Drunkard's Walk, a ship owned by Larchmont Bellamy, an acquaintance of Shaeffer's.
At Emil's insistence, the two briefly visit Bellamy's hunting camp. After dinner, Emil and Shaeffer say their goodbyes and leave. However, after flying over the horizon, Shaeffer drops the ship almost to ground level and subsonic speed, turning back to the camp. He reasons that not only are Bellamy and crew the kidnappers, but that Margo must have helped them. On foot, they find the cave where Lloobee is being held but, before Shaeffer can explain that the Gummidgy MP's can take care of the matter from this point, Emil charges into the cave, revealing their positions and capturing them both and render them unconscious.
When he awakens, Bellamy and his co-kidnappers openly discuss what to do about Shaeffer and his friend, thinking that he is still unconscious. They plan on faking their death by a carnivore. Lloobee suddenly leaps at one of the kidnappers, allowing Shaeffer a window to jump up and race out of the cave. He makes his way to the car, where he finds Bellamy waiting for him to appear. Because the goggles worn by everyone form a black protective dot over the sun, Shaeffer approaches the car with the sun at his back to cover his approach; he charges and the two fight hand-to-hand until Shaeffer runs into the car and takes off.
Bellamy then comes after Shaeffer in Drunkard's Walk and attempts to force Shaeffer into landing by repeatedly slamming the car with sonic booms. Shaeffer flies his car into the flank of the larger ship. The resulting crash breaks the bones in his hands and destabilizes Bellamy's yacht, causing it to spin end-for-end and bounce off into the distance. Bellamy is thrown high into the air and to his death.
Later, Schaeffer reveals to Margo that he knows of her involvement. She reveals that she is much older than she appears; she asks him to stay with her until his lover on Earth, Sharrol, ends her two year marriage contract with a local genius. Shaeffer agrees.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story written in 1968 by Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
. It is the fourth in the series of Known Space
Known Space
Known Space is the fictional setting of some dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by author Larry Niven. It has also in part been used as a shared universe in the Man-Kzin Wars spin-off anthologies sub-series....
stories featuring crashlander
Crashlander
Crashlander is a fix-up by Larry Niven published in 1994 , set in his Known Space universe. It is also a term used in the Known Space universe-Crashlander :...
Beowulf Shaeffer
Beowulf Shaeffer
Beowulf Shaeffer is a fictional character from Larry Niven’s Known Space series. Shaeffer is a crashlander, a native of We Made It, a planet circling the star Procyon...
. The short story was originally published in Neutron Star (1968), and reprinted in Crashlander
Crashlander
Crashlander is a fix-up by Larry Niven published in 1994 , set in his Known Space universe. It is also a term used in the Known Space universe-Crashlander :...
(1994).
Synopsis
Beowulf "Bey" Shaeffer is on a flight between Down and Gummidgy when the ship's captain, Margo Tellefsen, announces that she is dropping of out hyperdrive so passengers can witness a starseed setting sail. Just after this happens, all passengers are knocked out by a gas introduced in the ship's life system; while no cargo is missing, a KdatlynoKdatlyno
Kdatlyno are an extraterrestrial species in Larry Niven's fictional Known Space universe. They first appeared in the short story Grendel.Kdatlyno are chiefly known for their touch sculpture, their sonar "vision" and for being a race subjugated by the ferocious, warlike Kzinti.In appearance they are...
touch sculptor named Lloobee has gone missing.
Soon enough, the kidnappers make contact with the local government and demand ten million "stars" (the interstellar form of currency) for Lloobee's safe return. Because Kdatlyno cannot spend extended time in small space ships (Margo mentioned seeing a large yacht before passing out), Shaeffer reasons that Lloobee's kidnappers must have taken him onto the planet. After looking through spaceport records, Shaeffer and fellow passenger Emil Horne reason that the most likely ship to have carried Lloobee was Drunkard's Walk, a ship owned by Larchmont Bellamy, an acquaintance of Shaeffer's.
At Emil's insistence, the two briefly visit Bellamy's hunting camp. After dinner, Emil and Shaeffer say their goodbyes and leave. However, after flying over the horizon, Shaeffer drops the ship almost to ground level and subsonic speed, turning back to the camp. He reasons that not only are Bellamy and crew the kidnappers, but that Margo must have helped them. On foot, they find the cave where Lloobee is being held but, before Shaeffer can explain that the Gummidgy MP's can take care of the matter from this point, Emil charges into the cave, revealing their positions and capturing them both and render them unconscious.
When he awakens, Bellamy and his co-kidnappers openly discuss what to do about Shaeffer and his friend, thinking that he is still unconscious. They plan on faking their death by a carnivore. Lloobee suddenly leaps at one of the kidnappers, allowing Shaeffer a window to jump up and race out of the cave. He makes his way to the car, where he finds Bellamy waiting for him to appear. Because the goggles worn by everyone form a black protective dot over the sun, Shaeffer approaches the car with the sun at his back to cover his approach; he charges and the two fight hand-to-hand until Shaeffer runs into the car and takes off.
Bellamy then comes after Shaeffer in Drunkard's Walk and attempts to force Shaeffer into landing by repeatedly slamming the car with sonic booms. Shaeffer flies his car into the flank of the larger ship. The resulting crash breaks the bones in his hands and destabilizes Bellamy's yacht, causing it to spin end-for-end and bounce off into the distance. Bellamy is thrown high into the air and to his death.
Later, Schaeffer reveals to Margo that he knows of her involvement. She reveals that she is much older than she appears; she asks him to stay with her until his lover on Earth, Sharrol, ends her two year marriage contract with a local genius. Shaeffer agrees.
See also
- "Neutron Star", the first story in the Beowulf ShaefferBeowulf ShaefferBeowulf Shaeffer is a fictional character from Larry Niven’s Known Space series. Shaeffer is a crashlander, a native of We Made It, a planet circling the star Procyon...
series - "At the CoreAt the Core (story)"At the Core" is an English language science fiction short story written in 1966 by Larry Niven. It is the second in the series of Known Space stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer...
", the second story in the series - "FlatlanderFlatlander (story)"Flatlander" is an English language science fiction short story written in 1967 by Larry Niven. It is the third in the series of Known Space stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer...
", the third story in the series - "The Borderland of SolThe Borderland of Sol (story)The Borderland of Sol is an English language science fiction novelette written in 1975 by Larry Niven. It is the fifth in the Known Space series of stories about crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer....
", the fifth story in the series - "ProcrustesProcrustes (story)"Procrustes" is an English language science fiction short story written in 1994 by Larry Niven. It is the sixth in the series of stories about crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer. The short story was originally published in Crashlander, Larry Niven, New York: Ballantine, 1994, pp...
", the sixth story in the series - "Ghost", the framing story in the collection CrashlanderCrashlanderCrashlander is a fix-up by Larry Niven published in 1994 , set in his Known Space universe. It is also a term used in the Known Space universe-Crashlander :...
- "Fly By Night", the seventh story in the series, written after CrashlanderCrashlanderCrashlander is a fix-up by Larry Niven published in 1994 , set in his Known Space universe. It is also a term used in the Known Space universe-Crashlander :...