Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 10 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

MISSION OF GRAVITY The sailors were completely unused to aerial assault, and had also relaxed a trifle when their captain began his negotia- tion; in consequence, there was nothing resembling a fight. The Bree was captured in something less than five seconds, with two husky natives equipped with knives stationed, quite evidently ready for action, beside each member of the crew. A committee headed by the chief be- gan at once to investigate the food lockers, and their satisfaction was evident even through the language barrier. Bar- lennan watched with dismay as the meat was dragged out on deck in obvious pre- paration for transferral to a canoe, and for the first time it occurred to him that there was a possible source of advice which he had not yet used. “Charles!” he called, speaking English for the first time since the incident had begun. “Have you been watching?” Lackland, with mixed anxiety and amusement answered at once. “Yes, Barl; I know what’s been going on.” He watched the Bree’s captors for re- action as he spoke, and had no reason to » feel disappointment. The chief, who had 43 been facing away from the point where the radios were lashed in the center of: the ship, switched ends like a startled rattlesnake and then began looking around for the source of the voice with an unbelievably human air of bewilderment. One of his men who had been facing the radios indicated to him the one whose speaker Lackland had used, but after poking around the impenetrable box with knife and lance the chief obviously re- jected this suggestion. This was the moment the Earthman chose for apeuiane again. “Do you think there’s any chance e getting them scared of the radios, Barl?” The chief’s head was about two inches from the speaker this time, and Lackland had made no effort to reduce the volume. Consequently there was no question where the sound had come from; and the - chief began backing away from the noisy box. He was evidently trying to go slowly enough to satisfy his self-respect and fast enough to suit his other emotions, and once again Lackland had trouble in not laughing aloud. Before Barlennan had a chance to Have you enjoyed these stories ? If so, and you would like to travel further into the realms of SCIENCE-FICTION, your best and easiest plan is to write for our 1953 Catalogue containing details of over 1,000 books and magazines, Mail-order library, etc. etc. A valuable 20-page booklet free. Personal callers welcome. We are the largest specialist dealers in SCIENCE-FICTION in the world— take advantage of our expert service TO-DAY. New science-fiction books we can recommend are : SLAN (A. E. van Vogt) CHILDREN OF THE ATOM (Wilmar Shiras) AGAINST THE FALL OF NIGHT (Arthur C. Clarke) DREADFUL SANCTUARY (E. F. Russell) © BEST STF. STORIES, 3RD SERIES (Ed. Bleiler) INVADERS OF EARTH (Ed. Geoff Conklin) 10/6 18/6 18/6 9/6 9/6 10/6 _ (Add 6d. postage per book for mail orders) FOR THE BEST in SCIENCE-FICTION GREAT STORIES OF STF. (Ed. Marie Leinster) STRANGER FROM SPACE (Adair & Marriott) LIMBO ’90 (Bernard Wolfe) THE KRAKEN WAKES (John Wyndham) THE DEMOLISHED MAN (Alfred Bester) GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN (Ray Bradbury) FANTASY BOOK CENTRE 52 STOKE NEWINGTON ROAD, LONDON, N.16. Telephone : CLIssold 5541 Visit also our West End branch: 10 Sicilian sae Southampton Row, Holborn, W.C.1 (Tel.: CHAncery 8669) comirebook