Way Station: Clifford D. Simak

Enoch Wallace fought in the Civil War and returned to the simple house where he was born in rural Wisconsin. He still resides there today, and he hasn't aged a day since the war ended in 1865 - nor has his home, impregnable to any known weapon. For years he has secretly manned a way station for a galactic federation's transit network, acting as Earth's unassuming diplomat to the stars. The world around him has gone about its business, slowly building towards another World War and a modern America on the brink of war keeps tabs on odd folks within its borders. When a Washington agency takes an interest in Enoch, it threatens to destroy everything he has built: the trust of the aliens, his studies of advanced sciences, his hopes that one day Earth will join the federation - and the very existence of the way station. Meanwhile, the galactic federation is in turmoil. Now, both his home and the galaxy need a miracle to survive - a miracle that falls to Enoch Wallace to provide. Cover art: Almost Home, Randy J. Lagana.