Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

102 Furry planets, and he felt increasingly guilty. At the end of the sezond day, under his directions they finished reassem- bling the speedster, interior and exterior, and were still unable to understand its function as a weapon. They began to argue and discuss among themselves, and some came over and shouted vehemently in their own tongue that it could not work— it could not possibly work! There must be something wrong about the way it was assembled. After a long discussion, after parts were taken apart and put together as before over and over, after parts were energized separately and watched in operation they wired the whole thing together again dubiously and sug- gested to Calland that he prove it was a weapon by turning it on. He resisted, holding up his role, pointing out that it was dangerous. They did not believe but they arranged to be away from the danger area. Confronted with a threat Cal- land shrugged, walked over to the speedster, climbed in and switched everything on. It went on and flashed, coruscated and buzzed and shone with colors outwardly and inwardly as The World : of tomorrow... WAITS FOR YOU IN THE COMING ISSUES OF | ASTOUNDING | SCIENCE FICTION | — Subscribe Now — | SIMPLY TAKE THE ATTACHED COUPON TO | YOUR NEWSAGENT OR MAIL IT DIRECT TO THE PUBLISHERS AND YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR COPY THROUGH THE POST EACH MONTH ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION before, although the blue spheres could not be made without a vacuum. After twenty minutes he turned it off and climbed out again. Then the most important scientists came back from the distant ships where they had taken refuge and examined the films. of what had happened and the graphs. of radiations emitted, and declared that the thing was not a weapon, that all the flashing and glowing and cybernetic interplay produced nothing. Calland shrugged and ceased to answer questions. When they found he would not speak it was suggested that they try beating him again, but this group was not of the same atti- tude as the first one and many were against it. After an arguing uproar they compromised and decided on bright light and no food or sleep, to wear his nerves down. The night was not comfortable, but Calland found it easy to endure, for he was not inclined to sleep anyhow, knowing what was coming. In the morning crew members be- gan to die. All the officers were found dead first, and then the others began to drop. Calland walked out of the questioning room in the confusion of fh per ae NR ELT Caray 0 Pore ORO R SS ORE SS ENS (your newsagent), or ; ATLAS PUBLISHING & DISTRIBUTING CO. LTD. 18 Bride Lane, London, E.C.4 Enclosed is my subscription for 6 issues (10/—) Enclosed is my subscription for 12 issues (20/—) { (Strike out whichever is inapplicabie) to ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION POCO AESR KOO EE EOE HOSE OSES ESE HEHEHE TEREES ICORHREDSOCOSETOE DESH BS a Ree EEE Renee ES EeeEsenoaes Pryy TOC rrr rrr ier eer commencing with the BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE conniclooolks.<© Soe e RSET FERRET EERE TORENT ESE SES TES ESE THEO ee im