Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

98: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION probably speculating about spherical force fields and other such improbabil- ities, looking wildly for an explanation that would fit, They would become more worried looking for an answer, because they would not find one. It was not a weapon, merely a pinpoint ooze of hydrogen into an ionizer. The fleet advanced toward him rapidly, their slice beams already focused in the direction they expected to first see him in their own screens. Nervously he put on a_ spacesuit, fumbling with haste, although there was no need for haste yet. There was little chance of a beam striking any craft out of sighting range, and with his spacesuit, if the craft were sliced into by a beam, there would still be no danger to him unless the beam nicked his spacesuit. The theramin followed his motions with disconcerted jerky flute notes, and he forced himself to relax and move more slowly as he sat. He flicked on the antenna circuits where they led into the color player and then swung back to watch the nine monstrous cruisers accelerating to- wards him. | They assumed it was an attempt to sneak past the defenses and inflict vengeance on one of their planets for what had been done to New Boston. They were rushing forward to defend their home population and crush the menace quickly before it could. come within range of their cities. Except for a penknife in his inner shirt pocket, Calland and his speedster were unarmed and defenseless. He judged that they were close enough to be'seen-on ordinary radar, and swerved the craft slightly as if he had just seen them, then smiling, reached to a: special switch and turned on the display. Four colors of neon and fluorescent tubing flashed on and showed them- selves wrapped in a gigantic and bril- liant helix. At the spectacular sight the great speeding cruisers scattered like a covey of quail at the sight of a hunter and fled back toward the planets and the protection of its satellite based beams. The commanders had been faced with the same choice as the human commander of the week before. What if the helix could.destroy ships? Would it be worth losing the entire fleet to defend one planet? Furry thinking was neyer very rapid, but it came to logical conclu- sions. Halfway back to their sheltering planetary bases, one of the eight ships swerved off and turned to face the mysterious helix, a suicide volunteer to test the efficacy of its weapons and give the others some warning of what to expect from the incredible thing which rushed. at them. Here I come with my secret weapon, thought Calland, stepping on the jet pedal. Here I come to be questioned, all wrapped up like a Christmas package. You wanted to question me, and now you.are gaing to do it. Behind him the color player had begun to play colors in response to the shifting magnetic lines of the planetary fields they were approach- ing, with faster rhythms that were minor ripples of current on the hull and the leakage of current from the surface of the neon tubing, a sequence of ripples and polka dot flashes over the slow.color changes of the magnetic ' lines. He gave it a quick glance now and then, admiring its mechanical attempt to organize.a symphonic com- position out of something random. The theramin let out a mooing horn note in response to each turn of his head. He waved a free hand from the controls up and down in.a.rapid sweep and was rewarded by a fire engine’s wail. Under the other sounds an alarm connicloooks.€c© im