Time Crime

"Time Crime" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction novel that focuses on the dangerous work of the Paratime Police as they uncover a disturbing slave trade operating across different timelines. The narrative centers on Kiro Soran, a guard captain, who stumbles upon a dark connection between slaves purchased at a plantation and their origins on a distant timeline. Soran's discovery that the slaves come from the Kholghoor Sector in India, after buying them from Calera, ignites a complex investigation, forcing him to confront moral challenges and the criminal activities of the elusive Wizard Traders. The story establishes a serious mood, highlighting the ethical problems of time travel when it is tied to commerce and the enslavement of people.