Astounding British Edition, Vol. 6, No. 8 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

eo Be c q 50 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION “a ray on him. All you need is a knife. You just step inside the arms, slice his head clean off and get out of the way fast. See this scar? I didn’t move fast enough six months Shane looked puzzled. “Then danger is an integral part of your pattern of living. Are you trying to tell me there’s no danger in space?” “It’s a different kind, Brent. Once every few years a ship gets it. The people on it don’t even know what happened. I like a little danger all the time.” “Would you consent to an alteration of Sp eee secretions to take away this yen or danger?” “And start kissing babies again. Not a chance! Every Saturday I draw my pay and I hit all the joints along the Allada -Strip. You meet some interesting people. All Sun- ‘day I have a head and a half, On Monday I’m out in the weeds again with my crew of Harids.” “Central Assignment isn’t going to like my report on this.” Lee chuckled. “I sure weep for you pretty boys in gray. Tell them to mark my file closed and tell them where to file it for me, will you?” Shane Brent stood up slowly, looking more than ever like a big sleepy animal. “Suppose, Lee, that you could take-a route on one of the old ships? Manual controls, magnetic shoes, creaking plates—all the fixings.” Lee stared down at the table top for a few seconds. He said softly: “Nothing. in this world would keep me out of space, brother. Nothing!” ? Shane Brent asked: “And what if you had control of a modern job and had orders to take it so far that Centra] Astro couldn’t ’ give you a tape?” Lee grinned. “That'd be O.K., too. I hate those smug characters sitting there in their ivory tower and supplying little strips of plastic to do the job that good pilots should be doing.” Shane Brent looked rueful. “Well, I guess you've licked me, Hiram. This will be the first time I’ve ever had to report back a complete failure.” “Do them good back there,” Lee said, grinning. He stared curiously at Brent. “You know, Brent, you don’t look like a guy who’d get much of a bang out of all this investigation junk. Why don’t you take a- break? I'll get you a gang of Harids, These Solaray people are O.K. to work for. Stick around. On Saturday we'll hit the Strip. There’s a little gal dancing at Brownie’s. A Seattle gal. Blonde. She won't even give me the right time, but you just might manage to—” Brent grinned. “J better think that one over .Sorry to have taken so much of your time, Lee. See you around.” Shane Brent stood at the window and watched Hiram Lee walk off in the direction of the drying sheds. Already the thick heat had put a sheen of perspiration across the broad muscular shoulders of Lee. He walked with the carefree swing of an independent man of strength and courage. Shane Brent sighed, walked out into the heat and headed for the Solaray Communications Building. He showed his credentials to the pretty - clerk and said: “Ill need a private screen and a closed circuit and the usual guarantee of secrecy. It will be a charge to Central Assignment.” _ He went into the small room she ‘had indicated, and opened the switch under the dead screen. A muted hum filled the room. “Central Assignment,” he said. Thirty seconds later a clear feminine voice said: “Central Assignment.” “Brent calling. Give me Allison, please.” Allison’s face suddenly filled the screen. He was a white-haired man with a florid face and an air of nervousness and vitality. “Hello, Shane,” he said quietly. “Closed circuit?” : “Of course, Frank. I’ve got a report on Hiram Lee.” “Good! Let’s have it. I’ve got the recorder on. “Here goes. Memorandum to F. A. Allison. From Shane Brent. Subject: Per- sonnel for Project 81—Pilot Investigation. Case of Hiram Lee. Hiram Lee has been carefully investigated and it is recommended that permission be given the undersigned to approach Lee with an offer to join Project 81. Lee is alert, capable, strong, dependable to a sufficient degree. His training is excel- lent. He will need little indoctrination. Quinn is to be commended for recommending him to Central Assignment.-It is believed that the probable seven-year duration of the trip will not discourage Lee. It is also believed that the calculated risk of one in four of returning from the Project flight will not deter Lee. Permission is requested to contact Lee and furthermore to.sound him out on becoming a colonist, dependent, of course, on his finding a suitable woman to accom- pany him.” = Allison, who had been listening with interest, said: “Good work! You have the authority you request.” “Have you got a line on, the executive officer for Project 81 yet, Frank?” Allison frowned. “Not yet, Shane. But something will turn up. Foster and Brady have filled most of the remaining slots. Denvers will go along as head physicist for the refinement of the drive brick for the return. Central Astro had given us the take- off date as, let me see, ninety-three days from today.” “Pushing us, hey?” “Can't be helped. It’s either then or about three years from then. Say, Shane, instead Eomichbooksnco