Astounding Science Fiction (British edition) — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

PIONEER 37 *Sure.’’ Don handed him the strato- plane’s radiotelephone. Dick dialed a New York number and waited. A voice at the other end answered, “Dodds and Carlson, at- torneys at law. Carlson speaking.” “Carlson, this is Dick Crowell.” “Oh, yes! Congratulations, man!” “Save it. PIL be in your office to- morrow with a check for fifty thou- sand. In the meantime, pay Mrs. Crowell what she wants, but get me the custody of my boy, do you under- stand?” “Uh, Mr. Crowell,’ Carlson’s voice came back worried, “I talked with Mrs. Crowell’s attorney a few hours ago. She is reluctant to part with her only child. Now, these custody cases usually take quite a bit of money to settle out of court, you know, since the court usually awards the child to the mother. Now, I talked the other party into a settlement, but they were unwilling to take your price. They wanted a hundred. I managed to talk them down to eighty-five, which is as low as I think they'll go—” Dick listened to this in stunned _ Silence, suddenly feeling very tired and discouraged. “Now, this is my advice . . . Hello, hello, Crowell! Are you still there?” "ei. 4 .-yean, Pm here... .- You think [ll have to meet that price, then?” “I don’t think she’ll settle for less. Now, my advice is to take that offer before your publicity doubles it. This flight of yours gave you notoriety which would complicate—”’ “O.K., O.K.—” Crowell mumbled, a Mt I i i a it then breathed deep. ‘‘Tell them O.K. Pll get it. See you in a few days—”’ He returned the handset to its cradle gently, then sat looking woodenly at his cast. ‘Bad news?” Don asked. Dick nodded slowly. “Got a drink aboard this crate?” “What will you have?” ‘A strong one.” He sat in silence, watching the Arizona desert slip be- neath the plane, until Don returned and handed him a glass. The pilot drained it, reached for another cigar- ette, and tapped it against his thumb- nail. “Dick, what’s it worth if I take up the next one?” “Change your mind?” “*Yeah.”’ Don studied the little five-foot pilot intently for a moment. He liked this miniature version of a man for differ- ent reasons than the rocket engineers. He was a man for all his small stature, regardless of what Ellen had ever thought. “Pll make it worth your while, chum; we need you. Why not come and talk this thing out with me when you feel better?” “Thanks,” Dick said simply. He thought, how long is this going to go on? How far am I going to get pushed? He remembered that Columbus made three trips and never did manage to get out of the hock. “Forget what I said earlier,” he went on. “Ill go along with the hoop- la campaign. Just let me take a few weekends at Baird Point. And that letter I gave you—”’ “IT never opened it. wouldn’t have to.” “Keep it. Some day you'll have to.” I knew I connicloooks.c© iin