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nydus/Short Science FictionPublic

A collection of short science fiction stories by Noel Loomis.

Page 77 of 170
Table of Contents

The Mischievous Typesetter

perfect timing. The assembling elevator filled and High-Pockets’ eyes began to gleam. “She’ll have to wait for me to send the line in,” he thought. But old No. 7 wouldn’t be denied. The elevator went up, the line went in, the elevator came down, and mats started dropping again. High-Pockets got up and went to a window. He leaned out and breathed the crisp night air.

When he got back the take was finished.

He got the second take of the same story and went back to the machine. He put the take in the copy holder and then, out of habit, he looked at the stick. It was already half full of type. He was almost afraid to compare it with his copy, but he did.

After he checked it, he got up and went to the locker room. Nobody else was there. He pulled the pint bottle out of his coal pocket and without hesitation violated another strict office rule⁠—he took

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