Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

ENOUGH ROPE 17 of the column, the Ulugani Patrol chief was sounding off to his aide. “It’s no good,” he said. “These Ilwari are just too tough for us.” “They can’t stand up to us, sir,” said the aide. “Not in open battle.” “And they don’t try. What can you do with a people who’re willing to scorch their earth and evacuate their own dwellings before we get there? What’s the point of silly little actions like this one—going out, burning a city in reprisal, what does the enemy care? It’s just a chance for him to harass us some more.” *‘We’ll teach them manners, sir,” said the aide. “Oh, in time, of course. In time. When we get enough troops and sup- plies here. But curse it, I can’t get enough!” An explosion cracked before them. The chief saw three men fall screaming from the grenade. A heavy machine gun began to clatter. “‘Guerrillas!’’ he roared. He glimpsed the big green forms dashing in and out of the brush. They could gallop like the wind, those devils, and they could carry as much armament on their backs as a small truck. The war whoop sent a brief tingle of fear along his nerves. The tanks began to speak, throwing flame and thunder at the enemy. One of the machines was suddenly wrapped in red smoke—a fire bomb. The Ulu- gani infantry had thrown themselves to the ground and were shooting up at the trampling, yelling centauroids. “Drive ’em back!” screamed the chief. ““Drive ’em back!” The Patrol did, after a short interval of utter ferocity. But not before a bomb had struck the command car and incinerated its contents. The colonel looked out of the thick plastic port and shivered. Beyond it, the landscape was one vast gloom. Poisonous mists curled between him and the unseen horizon, like a wall. He thought he could see the sudden red spouting of a volcano, somewhere in the fog. A moment later, the floor uivered under his feet. “You fool!’ he raged. “You utter imbecile!” The base geologist stood his ground. “‘We did our best, sir,” he answered. *‘As far as we could tell, the terrain here was stable.” “One whole base has already been destroyed in a quake. Isn’t that enough for you?”’ 3 The wind slapped monstrously at the dome. They had never seen such gales as blew endlessly across Shang V. A blind whirl of sleet—solid ammonia —hid the outside view. “Sir,” said the geologist, ‘“‘this planet is utterly crazy. The probes gave readings that on any normal world would mean safe, solid ground.” *‘Nevertheless, one of our domes has just been cracked open. Every man within it died instantly. You and your team are due for court-martial.” The geologist nodded. “As the colonel says. But may I suggest that we find another site? This one is obviously dangerous after all.” *“And do you realize what it means, in terms of effort and materials, to break camp on this planet?” “T can’t help that, sir. I am offi- cially proposing that we move.” ““Headquarters will have my skin, too,”’ said the colonel gloomily. He looked out again at the sinister land. “How could we know? How could anyone have foretold it would be like this?” The Patrol knew! laughed his mind. They knew! Now all I can do is submit a recommendation that we evac- uate. The other commanders here will back me up. But that’s an invitation to the enemy to return. The floor trembled. He heard a Comichooksnco im