(01-29-2020, 07:53 PM)nemonowan Wrote: It's "Allamagoosa" by Erik Frank Russel, winner of the 1955 short story Hugo Award.
You can read it at Baen Books: https://www.baen.com/Chapters/1439133476...76___3.htm
Huh, must have read something (ahem) "inspired" by it the way the standard high fantasy setting is "inspired" by JRR Tolkien, I guess, because I very specifically remember the MacGuffin device ending up being an actual breakthrough improvement. That doesn't make it any less entertaining an old spacer's yarn, of course. Thanks nemonowan!
--
noli esse culus
noli esse culus