Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 10 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

- upon it, and the captain was dragging the mast which had the line wrapped about it toward Lackland. The man’s approach was slow, for the terrible fatigue seemed to grow with every instant; but he finally reached a point about ten feet from the edge, reached over as far as -his clumsy garment would permit, and took the mast from the tiny being who had reared up to meet him. Without a word of caution or any other suggestion of doubt in his big friend, Barlennan turned back to the raft, made sure its cargo was lashed securely, pushed it until it was teetering on the edge of the cliff, and climbed aboard. He turned for a last look at Lackland, and the man could have sworn that he winked. Then, “Hang on, Charles,” came the voice over the radio; and the captain stepped deliberately to the outer edge of the precariously balanced raft. His pincers were securely caught in the lashings, which was all that kept him aboard as the platform teetered once and slipped over the rim. There was enough slack in the line Lackland was holding to permit a couple of feet of fall; and raft and passenger vanished instantly. A sharp jerk told the man that at least the line was still hold- ing, and an instant later Barlennan’s voice cheerfully conveyed the same information. “Lower away!” was the concluding phrase; and Lackland obeyed. It was rather like handling a kite, at least in the form of windlass he was using —simply “a cord wound on a stick. It revived childhood memories; but if he lost this kite he would, he knew, be much longer in getting over it. He did not have the best possible grip on the mast, and he slowly pivoted so as to wind the cord about his body before he tried to change holds. Then, satisfied, he paid out slowly. Barlennan’s voice came at intervals, always with something encouraging; it was as though the midget had an idea of the anxiety in Lackland’s mind. “Half- way now,” “Smooth going.” “You know, I don’t mind looking down even this far, now.” “Almost there—just a little more —that’s it; I’m down. Hold on to the tackle for a little, please; Ill tell you ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION © when the area is clear and it’s all right to throw it down.”. Lackland continued to obey. For a keepsake, he tried to break off a foot or two from the end of the cable, but found it impossible even with armored hands. However, the edge of one of the locking snaps on his armor proved sharp enough to cut the stuff, and he wound the souvenir around his arm before starting to carry out the remaining requests of his ally. “We have things out from underneath, Charles; you can let go of your end of the rope and toss the mast over whenever you want.” The fine cord slithered in- stantly out of sight, and the ten-inch twig that was one of the Bree’s main booms followed. Seeing things fall free in triple gravity, Lackland found, was even worse than thinking about it. Maybe it would be better at the poles—then you couldn’t see them at all. Not where an object falls some two miles in the first second! But perhaps the abrupt vanish- ing would be just as hard on the nerves. Lackland shrugged off these thoughts, and turned back to the tank. For the couple of hours the process took he watched the Bree’s reassembly through the vision sets. With just the traces of a wish that he might go along, he saw the cluster of rafts pushed out into the broad stream, and listened to the farewells of Barlennan, Dondragmer, and the crew—he could guess at the meaning of the sounds uttered even by the sailors who spoke no English. Pre- sently the current bore the vessel far enough from the cliff to be seen from the tank’s position. Lackland raised a hand silently in farewell, and watched her as she shrank slowly and finally vanished toward the distant sea. For long minutes he sat silently; then roused himself to call the Toorey base. “You may as well come and pick me up, I’ve done all I can on the surface.” CHAPTER X. THE river, once away from the vicinity of the great fall, was broad. and slow. At first the air trapped by the descending water furnished a breeze toward the sea, and Barlennan ordered the sails set to EOMIEHOOKSEEO