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                           McGonigal's Worm

                           By R. A. LAFFERTY

                 _It had happened--no question of it.
                Now how could it be made to unhappen?_

           [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
             Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 1960.
         Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
         the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]


When it happened, it happened unnoticed. Though it affected all
chordata on Earth (with a possible exception to be noted in a moment),
nobody knew of it, not even the Prince of all chordata, Man himself.
How could he have known of it so soon?

Though his lifeline had suddenly been cut, it was a long lifeline
and death would still be far off. So it was not suspected for nearly
twenty-four hours, nor accepted even as a working theory f