Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition, December 1955 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

82 .ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION ‘Just a minute, Doc,” said Lewis. He turned to Czernak. “John, I have one more favor,” he said. “‘Could you get one of those tanks of embalming fluid to a welding shop and have it cut open with a burner. I want to know how it’s made inside.” “No you don’t,” said Czernak. “I’m not leavin’ here without some kind of an explanation.” “And I don’t have an explanation,” said Lewis. “All the pieces aren’t together yet. I’m tied to this bed when I should be out working on this thing. I’ve ten thousand questions I want answered and no way of answering them.” “Don’t excite yourself,” said Bellarmine. “Yeah, Weilby, take it easy,’ said Czernak. “It’s just that I’m about ready to pop with frustration. Nothing makes sense here. This guy tries to kill you for no apparent reason and then commits suicide. It seems to be because you wanted to look inside them tanks, but they’re just embalming fluid. I don’t get it.” “Would you have those tanks cut open for me?’’ asked Lewis. “O.K., O.K.’’ Czernak hoisted himself to his feet. Welch also arose. ‘Come on, Joe,”’ said the sheriff. ““We’re nothin’ but a couple of leg men for Sherlock here. Let’s take them—”’ “John, I’m sorry,” said Lewis. “It’s just that I can’t—” “TI know you can’t do it yourself now,” said Czernak. “That’s why I’m doing it. You’re the best man I got, Welby; so I’m countin’ on you to put this together. Me, I gave up when I saw that machinery.” He left the room muttering, followed by Welch, who stopped at the door, winked at Lewis. 9 Bellarmine waited until the door closed, sat down on the foot of the bed. ““How’d you get onto them?” he asked. Lewis ignored the question. ““What’d you find in that autopsy?” he asked. The surgeon frowned. “I thought you were nuts when the sheriff told me what you wanted,” he said. “Any fool could see Johnson died of a gunshot wound in the head. But I guessed you had a reason; so I did my cutting carefully and it was a lucky thing I did.” “Why?” “Well, this is the kind of case an autopsy surgeon sloughs off sometimes. Visible wound. Obvious cause. I could’ve missed it. The guy looked to be normal.” “Missed what?” “His heart for one thing. It had an extra layer of muscles in the cardiac sheath. I experimented with them and near dropped my knife. They work like that automatic sealing device they put in airplane fuel tanks. Puncture the heart and this muscle layer seals the hole until the heart’s healed.” “Damn!” said Lewis. “This guy was like that all over,” said Bellarmine. “For a long time doctors have looked at the human body with the wish they could redesign certain things to better specifications. Johnson looked like our wish had come true. Fewer vertebrae with better articulation. Pigment veins into the upil of the eye which could only be some kind of filter to—’’ aed : y cComicbooksscom