The intricate Terro-Human series begins here. How can scientists and engineers cope with the demands placed on them by corrupted political forces? What should a man do if he were plagued by terrifying glimpses into the future? How can archaeologists translate a dead language found among the ruins of a lost civilization, on an alien planet? H. Beam Piper lays the foundations for his elaborate future history of man among the stars in "The Mercenaries," "The Edge of the Knife," and "Omnilingual."