The Gnome's Gneiss

The Gnome's Gneiss is a fantasy novelet written by Kendell Foster Crossen in the early 1950s, first published in Startling Stories in May 1952. Set in post-World War II America, it follows Kevan MacGreene, an Irish American who, after being rejected from the draft, takes a job with Troubleshooters, Inc. His assignment leads him into a whimsical world of gnomes and Norse gods, where he must negotiate peace between mortals and magical beings, including an irate gnome seeking revenge for a damaged piece of art. The story blends humor with mythology, exploring themes of belief and diplomacy in a fantastical setting.