American Science Fiction #41 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

YS te kas el ote ~bewilderment. STOPWATCH ON THE ATTENTION CANADIAN IN- TELLIGENCE: COLONEL ARMSTRONG SUSPENDED FROM FURTHER DUTIES FOR OVERSTEPPING’ HiS AUTHORITY. WILL REPORT BACK TO WASHINGTON AT ONCE TO FAGE CHARGES. . “Now,” explained Major Burley sternly, “You will understand why | must cancel your plans, sir.” I blew sky-high. “Go ahead. Let the world blow up behind their stuffed-shirtism and quin- tuplicate file copies and pedantic memos and see how well that will protect them when the earth goes ‘puff.’ 29 The Major stared at me in frank This “puff” business was something entirely new to him. I felt a strong grip on my arm. “Easy, Arnold,” Armstrong was saying, a warning look in his eyes. “This is one moment when we have to keep our heads, or more than just ys will lose them. Hold tight here for a day. Washington probably got Disney’s report on your trip to the Congo. I think I can talk my way out of the mess. If I don't,” he shrugged hopelesslyy “it’s all up to you. a ee next day I sweated for a word from Armstrong. About five o’clock a call came from one of his friends in Washington. He was under house arrest, but still striving desperately to wake the Government up to Chetzisky’s threat. 1 drink lightly, but, if at that mo- ment I had had a bottle I would have emptied it at one swift sitting. In- stead, 1 took an ice-cold shower to calm myself. Half-way through the shower I ran out and picked up the phone to put in a long-distance call. I had an idea. -. Nevil Oxford answered. I poured out my story. His voice shook as he talked with me. I had him on the ropes and I kept pouring it on. The earth had only six days to live un- less the nation did something about it. We were just a stone’s throw, so to speak, from catching up with Chetzisky. What was needed was to +] WORLD 1S rouse public opinion and force the . complacent hand of the swivel-chair bureaucrat. As a crusher, I told him that the world-wide radio-active count had gone up five roentgens. If only he knew how absurd that was . . .« but it turned the trick. “All right, Arnold, I'll go on the air to-night with the story,” he said wearily, with the tone 6f a man. ac- quiescing in an inevitable surrender. -I dressed, arranged for a plane to take me and Johnny Eagle into Tweedsmuir early next morning, and settled back with a drink for Nevil Oxford’s broadcast. The commercial came on. I gritted my teeth and waited. (Then Nevil broke in, his voice tense and pregnant with fear: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. To-night I am breaking the biggest story of my career. It has taken me a long time to decide on telling it, but it must be told.” There was a pause. I sat bolt-up- right. Had he lost his courage again? Then Nevil was. speaking again, his — tone almost inaudible. “If a letter that went out to the Governments of the world a month ago is true—and 1 fear horribly that it is—you and I have only six days to live. The world the end next Monday. Yet nothing is in 29 , ‘ The voice was cut off and organ music filled the air waves. 1 stood up and flung my glass at the wall. You warn them and they throttle you; the ostrich hadn’t a thing on them. I went down to the lobby and bought a few magazines to read my- self to sleep with, but at two in the morning I was still awake. I put on the radio to get some slumber music. Instead there was a deluge of breath- less newscasts and special bulletins. Nevil had started things popping all right, despite being cut off the air. Curious, angry newsmen had dug up the story and spread it in the head- lines of extras from coast to coast. At this moment it was being shorst- — waved to every part of the world. Al- ready public opinion was beginning to simmer. A special dawn mecting of the cabinet was called. I fell off to sleep smiling; there was hope, . Cconnmicloolks.conn