Astounding Science Fiction, August 1955 (British Edition) — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

TIME CRIME 107 “Good actress, too,” Tortha Karf said. “It’s not easy to impersonate ourself.”’ “Well, Kostran Galth did a fine job of acting, too, ” Lovranth Rolk said. “That was done to perfection—the distinguished politician, supported by his loyal mistress, bravely facing the disgraceful end of his public career.” “You know, I believe I could get that girl a booking with one of the big theatrical companies. Now that Salgath’s dead, she’ll need somebody to look after her.” ‘‘What sharp, furry ears you have, Mr. Elbraz!’’ Zostha Olv grunted. The music stopped as though cut off with a knife, and the slim girl with the red hair vanished in a shatter of many colors. When the screen cleared, one of the announcers was looking out of it. “We interrupt the program for an important newscast of a sensational development in the Salgath affair,” he said. ‘““Your next speaker will be Yandar Yadd—”’ . “I thought you’d managed to get that blabbermouth transposed to Pol- Term,’’ Zostha said. “He wouldn’t go,”’ Tortha Karf replied. ‘Said it was just a trick to get him off Home Time Line during the Council crisis.” Yandar Yadd had appeared on the screen as the pickup swung about. *“, . . Recording ostensibly made by Councilman Salgath on Police Terminal Time Line, and telecast on Home Time Line an hour ago. Well, I don’t know who he was, but I now have positive proof that he ceeeny was not Salgath Trod!” “We’re sunk!” Zostha Olv grunted. ““He’d never make a statement like that unless he could prove it.”’ . Something suspicious about the whole thing, from the beginning,” the newsman was saying. “So I checked. If you recall, the actor imperson- ating Salgath gestured rather freely with his hands, in imitation of a well- known mannerism of the real Salgath Trod; at one point, the ball of his right thumb was presented directly to the pickup. Here’s a still of that scene.” He stepped aside, revealing a viewscreen behind him; when he pressed a button, the screen lighted; on it was a stationary picture of Kostran Galth as Salgath Trod, his right hand raised in front of him. “Now watch this. ’m going to step up the magnification, slowly, so that you can be sure there’s no substitution. Camera a little closer, Trath!”’ The screen in the background seemed to advance, until it filled the entire screen. Yandar Yadd was still talking, out of the picture; a metal-tipped pointer came into the picture, touching the right thumb, which grew larger and larger until it was the only thing visible. “Now here,” Yandar Yadd’s voice continued. “Any of you who are familiar with the ancient science of dactyloscopy will recognize this thumb as having the ridge-pattern known as a ‘twin loop.’ Even with the high degree of magnification possible with the microgrid screen, we can’t bring out the individual ridges, but the pattern is unmistakable. I ask you to memorize that image, while I show you another right thumb print, this time a certified photocopy of the thumb print of the real Salgath Trod.” The magnification was reduced a little, a card was moved into the picture, and commiebooks.con