Astounding Science Fiction (British edition) — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

CRAZY JOEY 99 I did at the end of the game,” Joey prompted. *“You were correct on five of them, Joey,” Martin said, noncommittally. “Is that pretty good?” Joey asked anxiously. “Average,” Martin said, and threw him a quick look. Wasn’t that eager- ness to please just a bit overdone? “Just average. Let’s try it again.” This time Joey did not make the mistake of waiting until the end of the deck before he called correct cards. The doctor had said every fifth card should be called correctly. Joey did not understand statistical language. Dutifully, he called every fifth card correctly. Four wrong, one right. And again, the rising excitement near the twentieth card. Again, what are the laws of chance that the boy would call four wrong, one right, again and again, in perfect order? Joey promptly called two of them right together. And felt Martin’s dis- appointment. The pattern had been broken again. And then a rise of ex- citement, carefully suppressed. “Let’s run them again,” Martin said. And he whispered strongly to himself. ‘“This time he must call every other one of them right, in order to pass as just an average boy.” Joey was bewildered. There seemed to be a double thought in Martin’s mind, a tenseness he could not under- stand. He wavered, and then doubt- fully, doubting he was doing the right thing, he began to call every other card correctly. Halfway through the deck Martin laid the cards down. Joey caught the flash of undisguised elation in his mind, and sank back into his own chair in despair. He had done it wrong. : “O.K., Joey,” Martin said quietly. There was a smile of tender bitterness around his lips. “I don’t know what the idea is. You’ve got your reasons, and they must be pretty terrible ones. Do you think you could talk to me? Tell me about it?” conniclooks. conn