Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

26 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION translation won’t be necessary. We just got a flash from Detection that they’ve spotted the ship that sent it. It’s a small scout head- ing in On emergency drive. She should be here in a matter of minutes.” Krogson flipped off the screen im- patiently. “Whatever it is, it’s sure to be more trouble,” he said to nobody in parti- cular, Suddenly he became aware that the fleet was no longer in motion, “Well,” he said sourly to Kurt, “we’re here. What now?” “Send a ship down to the garrison and bring Colonel Harris back up here so that you and he can work this thing out between you. Tell him that Dixon is up here and has everything under control.” Krogson turned to the executive officer. “All right,” he said, “do what he says.” The other saluted and started toward the door. “Just a second,” said Kurt, “if you have ' any idea of telling the boys outside to cut the transmission leads from fire control, I wouldn’t advise it. It’s a rather lenghty pro- cess and the minute a trouble light blinks on that board, up we go! Now on your way!” CHAPTER XIV. LIEUTENANT COLONEL BLICK, acting com- mander of the 427th Light Maintenance Battalion of the Imperial Space Marines stood at his office window and scowled down upon the whole civilized world, all twenty-six kilometers of it. It had been a hard day. Three separate delegations of mothers had descended upon him demand- ing that he reopen the Tech Schools for the sake of their sanity. The recruits had been roaming the company streets in bands composed of equal numbers of small boys -a— oO ee EE T NEWSAGENT OR POST DIRECT TO: | ATLAS , | Publishing & Distributing Co. Ltd. | | 18 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, E.C.4 ! enclose cheque/P.O. value 13/6. Kindly arrange | for me one year’s subscription (twelve issues) to: | Astounding SCIENCE FICTION | | .. Commencing with the next issue. | (NAME) SOREN EEEET HT RT RETR ETE OTE E TE ESOT OP ET OTS POSE SSE ESSTS SSE ESE SES SSESSEEESE EES ESS ae CADRES no THOTT TOPE SO SOOO TEwET TES SPOT OPES TEES SOTO T HSS SEES EE EE TEE ESSE EERE ES EES ERE RSE SESE SEES ESOS ESESSTESEDEDESEEEOOO HOES SOT OT | eee osteunee . | BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE .. —— = ——— sa and large dogs creating havoc wherever they went. He tried to cheer himself up by ~ thinking of his forthcoming triumph when he in the guise of the Inspector General would float magnificently down from the skies and once and for all put the seal of final authority upon the new order. The only trouble was that he was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion that maybe that new order wasn’t all that he had planned it to be. As he thought of his own six banshees screaming through quarters, his suspicion deepened almost to certainty. - He wandered back to his desk and slumped behind it gloomily, He couldn’t backwater now, his pride was at stake. He glanced at the water clock on his desk, and then rose reluctantly and started toward the door. It was time to get into battle armor and get ready for the inspection. As he reached the door, there was a sudden slap of running sandals down the hall. A second later Major Kane burst into the office, his face white and terrified. “Colonel,” he gasped, “the I.G.’s here!” “Nonsense,” said Blick. “I’m the LG. now!” “Oh yeah?” whimpered Kane. “Go look out the window. He’s here and he’s brought . the whole Imperial fleet with him!” Blick dashed to the window and looked up. High above, so high that he could see them only as silver specks, hung hundreds of ships. “Headquarters does exist!” he gasped. He stood stunned. What to do... what to do... what to do—The question swirled around in his brain until he was dizzy. He looked to Kane for advice but the other was as bewildered as he was. “Don’t stand there, man,” he stormed. “Do something!” “Yes, sir,” said Kane. “What?” Blick thought for a long silent moment. The answer was obvious but there was a short, fierce inner struggle before he could bring himself to accept it. “Get Colonel Harris up here at once. He'll know what we should do.” A stubborn look came across Kane’s face “We're running things now,” he said angrily. Blick’s face hardened and he let out a roar that shook the walls. “Listen, you pup, when you get an order you follow it. Now get!” Forty seconds later Colonel Harris stormed into the office. “What kind of a Oo COMIC OOOXS»COln