Cinderella Story

In Short

This science fiction tale follows Orison McCall, a secretary who accepts a job at the William Howard Taft National Bank, only to find the institution is a front for an extraterrestrial takeover. Led by the enigmatic Dink Gerding, the bank’s staff—many wearing strange earmuffs—harbor advanced technology and a secret agenda to subvert Earth. The book, a product of the mid-century pulp tradition, blends cold-war paranoia with whimsical, surreal invention, exploring how an ordinary person navigates a reality where the floorboards hide alien empires.

The Story

Orison McCall, a resourceful secretary, reports for her first day at the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. She is immediately struck by the oddities of the environment: the eccentric First Vice-President, Mr. Wanji, wears furry green earmuffs despite the warmth, and the bank’s upper floors are strictly off-limits. Orison, who is secretly acting as a spy for a Washington intelligence agency, grows increasingly suspicious of the bank’s bizarre atmosphere and its young, charismatic president, Dink Gerding.

Dink takes an immediate, insistent interest in Orison, proposing marriage almost upon their first meeting. As Orison digs deeper, she discovers the secret: the bank is a hub for an alien "subversion-and-conquest" task force. The "earmuffs" are a necessity to hide purple-skinned alien appendages, and the upper floors house millions of Microfabridae—tiny, intelligent, spider-like creatures that feed on gold and act as master engravers for perfect, counterfeit currency. The goal of this alien faction, led by Dink’s power-hungry brother, Kraft Gerding, is to economically destabilize Earth to facilitate a bloodless conquest.

The conflict escalates when Kraft, attempting to use the counterfeit fortune to seize control of the planet, kidnaps Orison to use her as leverage against Dink. Orison finds herself held in an armory basement guarded by purple-eared soldiers. Through a telepathic connection with "Elder Compassion"—the ancient, monstrous, and intellectually superior leader of the alien group—Orison coordinates with Dink to escape. In a dramatic climax, Dink and his loyalists use the Microfabridae to disable Kraft’s guards, allowing Orison to escape her cell via a commandeered Sherman tank.

Dink defeats Kraft in a ritualistic sword duel, leaving the traitor bound and stripped of his power. Following the coup, Elder Compassion reveals that their mission to conquer Earth was a mistake, as it invited the "seeds of violence" that inevitably lead to ruin. The aliens decide to retreat to their own "Golden Worlds." To make amends for their financial subversion, they extract real gold from deep within the earth to replace the counterfeit money they distributed. In the final moments, Orison accepts Dink’s proposal, choosing to leave her life on Earth behind to join him as the Empress-Consort of their extraterrestrial empire, marking the beginning of a new chapter where Earth and the Golden Worlds will eventually unite.

How It Unfolds

The employment interview Orison meets the unconventional bank management, noticing the inexplicable use of earmuffs and a strange, coded vocabulary. She begins her secretarial duties while attempting to piece together the bank’s true, high-stakes purpose.

The discovery After sneaking into the upper floors, Orison witnesses the existence of millions of Microfabridae working within steel tanks. She realizes these creatures are manufacturing impossibly perfect currency, identifying the bank’s role in a global subversion plot.

The abduction Kraft Gerding, the antagonistic brother, takes Orison hostage to force Dink’s compliance in the planned coup. She is imprisoned in an armory basement, surrounded by military hardware and purple-eared guards who serve the alien conspiracy.

The telepathic rescue Orison establishes a mental link with the alien elder, Compassion, who helps orchestrate her liberation. She and a fellow captive officer use a tank to break out of the facility, enabling Dink to confront his brother.

The conclusion The aliens, having realized that their methods of conquest were self-defeating, prepare to abandon their base. After securing the return of stolen wealth and finalizing the betrothal, Orison departs Earth with Dink to rule over their distant empire.

The People

Orison McCall is a sharp, observant secretary who refuses to be intimidated by the absurdity surrounding her. She desires clarity and professional stability but finds herself thrust into an intergalactic conflict, ultimately transitioning from a cautious spy to an interstellar empress.

Dink Gerding is the handsome, high-ranking alien prince masquerading as a bank president. He is torn between his heritage as an "Heir-Apparent" and his growing, genuine affection for Orison. He is physically capable and grand in his mannerisms, yet he remains surprisingly suggestible regarding his brother’s treachery.

Kraft Gerding serves as the primary antagonist, an arrogant, power-mad brother who views Earth as a commodity to be purchased. His coldness and reliance on force stand in stark contrast to the more nuanced, though still alien, perspective of his brother.

Elder Compassion is the ancient, disembodied intellectual force behind the alien task force. Communicating through telepathy and scratchboards, he represents the moral pivot of the story, ultimately recognizing the humanity of Orison and the futility of their violent mission.

In Its Own Voice

When Orison first encounters the bank’s staff, she is baffled by their dress code and general demeanor.

"The First Vice-President was a cool cat--the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs--was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!"

As the true nature of the bank's work is revealed, the small, spider-like creatures are shown to have a surprising aesthetic quality.

"The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink."

Even when facing the overwhelming power of the extraterrestrial visitors, Orison maintains her dry, cynical wit.

"I'm not required to put up with male chauvinism from a pillow, Mister, no banns having been published between us."

What It's Really About

The book is a playful subversion of the "cold war" thriller, replacing political spies with extraterrestrial ones. Its central theme is the incompatibility of greed with sustainable governance; the aliens fail because they attempt to "purchase" a planet rather than engage with it. The story also examines the nature of "otherness" through the lens of language and behavior—the earmuffs act as a barrier to understanding, literally muffling the outside world. Ultimately, it poses the question of whether a person can retain their moral agency when confronted by an overwhelming, technologically superior force that views the world through a completely different logic.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the whimsical, slightly disorienting tone of 1960s science fiction will find this a fascinating relic. It feels like a fever dream where The Office meets a space opera; the transition from mundane bank procedures to high-stakes planetary conquest is handled with a breezy, detached confidence. The prose is marked by an era-specific slang that can feel jarring or dated, reflecting the mid-century preoccupation with "cool" culture and rigid gender dynamics.

The book is not a complex, deeply layered novel; it moves with the rapid, episodic pace of a magazine serial, which is precisely how it was originally published. It is best enjoyed by those who appreciate the charm of pulp logic—where telepathic monsters quote Scarlatti and secret societies use earmuffs to hide their true forms. While the characters often feel like archetypes, the sheer imaginative audacity of the plot—and the strange, lingering question of what it means to be a "conqueror"—gives the story a memorable, surreal quality. If you are looking for a compact, bizarre, and lighthearted romp through a hidden corner of the science fiction canon, this short tale offers a unique, if occasionally eccentric, reading experience.