The Keeper (short story)
Encyclopedia
"The Keeper" is a science fiction
short story
written by H. Beam Piper
. It is a part of Piper’s Terro-Human Future History series, and has the distinction of being the last one in the series, being set in the 301st Century A.E. (Atomic Era).
It made its first appearance in the July 1957 issue of Venture Science Fiction
.
The men inform Raud that his world is actually Terra, the world where man was born, and that the crown is none other than that of Great Britain
, the last nation to join the Terran Federation in the “Third Century Pre-Interstallar.” They wish to take the crown to the capital world of the Empire, to Dremna, to protect it, and they are willing to pay handsomely for it. But, Raud cannot give up the sacred trust that his family has been guarding since time immemorial.
After the men from the stars leave, however, Vahr returns with three people from the south, and steals the crown. And so, Raud the Keeper sets off on the men’s trail, determined to retrieve the crown. After a heroic adventure, Raud takes the crown, and goes off to meet the men from the stars, whom he now learns are actually princes of the Empire. Raud had decided that he could no longer protect the crown, and without children, there would be no one after him to keep it. The story ends with Raud deciding how he will keep his new found fortune, and how he will protect it.
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
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by H. Beam Piper
H. Beam Piper
Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper...
. It is a part of Piper’s Terro-Human Future History series, and has the distinction of being the last one in the series, being set in the 301st Century A.E. (Atomic Era).
It made its first appearance in the July 1957 issue of Venture Science Fiction
Venture Science Fiction Magazine
Venture Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, first published from 1957 to 1958, and revived for a brief run in 1969 and 1970. Ten issues were published of the 1950s version, with another six in the second run. It was founded in both instances as a companion to The...
.
Synopsis
The old men speak of a time many years ago when hundreds of starships were visible in the nighttime sky, but now the world is old, poor and forgotten. Raud the Keeper is surprised one day when a local man named Vahr Farg’s son brings two men from another world to his home. It seems that the men are scholars who have heard of the great crown that Raud is charged with keeping, and they wish to see it.The men inform Raud that his world is actually Terra, the world where man was born, and that the crown is none other than that of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the last nation to join the Terran Federation in the “Third Century Pre-Interstallar.” They wish to take the crown to the capital world of the Empire, to Dremna, to protect it, and they are willing to pay handsomely for it. But, Raud cannot give up the sacred trust that his family has been guarding since time immemorial.
After the men from the stars leave, however, Vahr returns with three people from the south, and steals the crown. And so, Raud the Keeper sets off on the men’s trail, determined to retrieve the crown. After a heroic adventure, Raud takes the crown, and goes off to meet the men from the stars, whom he now learns are actually princes of the Empire. Raud had decided that he could no longer protect the crown, and without children, there would be no one after him to keep it. The story ends with Raud deciding how he will keep his new found fortune, and how he will protect it.