Key Out of Time is a science fiction novel by American writerAndre Norton, the fourth in her series The Time Traders. It was first published in 1963, and as of 2012, had been reprinted in 17 editions with cover changes, as well as twice in a combined edition with The Defiant Agents. It is part of Norton's Forerunner universe. Key Out of Time continues the series’ premise, an encounter between Western heroes, and the Russian Communists, and the Baldies, a mysterious alien race that used time travel to alter Earth. Events in the previous novel, The Defiant Agents, are treated as a Time Agent failure – but re-read that novel for a different interpretation. The setting of this novel is a world, Hawaika, appearing to be a tropical paradise. Kirkus Reviews, strongly supportive after following the series for years, writes
Plot
In the present day, Time Agents Ross and Gordon come with settlers to the water-dominated planet, Hawaika, to search remains of the alien Baldies from the distant past. Intelligent dolphins assist them. While setting up their time gate, a storm destroys it and strands them widely separated in the unknown past. The dolphins and humans can communicate, and Ross learns Gordon is hostage in a castle through a native, Loketh. Ross and Loketh are captured by seafaring Rovers, then join them. They liberate a Roverisland that had been captured by the Baldies. Ross convinces a coalition of natives the Baldies are playing them against one another. Ross finds Ashe at last, in the company of the mystic and advanced Foanna, who turn out to be only three – the last of their race. The Foanna set a trap for the Baldies, using their castle as bait, but they cannot win against the whole force without increasing their numbers. Ross and Ashe agree to a process mentally joining them with the Foanna. A second encounter with the Baldies, they win. In a final encounter, Ross is teleported to a Baldy ship like the one familiar to him from Galactic Derelict, and sets its course to a random destination. The main Baldy installation is simultaneously attacked and the Baldies driven off the planet.
