Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

56 the chance, but for a different reason —now.” He glanced sidewise at Allenby. “‘Will the Inductor work?” he asked. “That’s what we’re going to find out. But it ought to . . . it ought to,” Allenby said, opening a door in the wall of the corridor. Cody followed the psychologist into one of the caverns which had been made into an experimental laboratory. There was a great deal going on in the cave, but Cody was not distracted by external sense-impressions; he turned immediately toward where Lucy was standing, the baby in her arms. He went toward her quickly. He reached out to her mind and then checked himself. There was, perhaps, too much he did not want to know, now or ever, he decided. Cody ‘said. “These bandages don’t mean anything. I feel fine.” “They told me,” Lucy said. “It was one time I was glad of telepathy. I knew they could really tell if you were all right—even if you were unconscious.” He put his arm around her, looking down at the sleeping baby. Lucy said, “I couldn’t tell a thing by watching you. You might haye been—dead. But it was so good to have Allenby and the others able to look into your mind and make sure you were all right. I wanted to do something to help, but there wasn’t anything I could do. Except . . . this. Allenby told me he needed volunteers for the Inductor experiment. So I volunteered. It’s one way I can help —and I want to.” So Lucy knew about the Inductor now. Well, the time and need for secrecy was past. It no longer mattered how much or how little the prisoners in the Caves knew. It no longer mattered, now that the pogrom had begun. ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION “It’s a total pogrom this time, isn’t it?” she asked, and he had an irrational second of amazement (telepathy?) before he realized that Lucy was merely reacting to cues learned through long familiarity with his behavior. All married couples have flashes of this kind of pseudo-telepathy, if there is real sympathy between them. And in spite of everything, that sympathy had existed. It was strange to know this now, to be sure of it and to feel elation, when so little time might remain. The pogrom could still destroy everything, in spite of the Inductor. “Lucy,” he said. “If we fail... we’ll make sure you get safely out of the Caves, back home—”’ She looked down at the baby, and then turned away from Cody. He suddenly realized, as men have always done, that even with telepathic power to aid him, he would never really understand a woman’s reactions—not even Lucy’s. ‘‘Aren’t you ready yet?’ she asked Allenby. “T think so,” he said. ““Let somebody hold the baby, Lucy.” She turned back to Cody, smiled at him, and put the baby in his arms. Then she followed Allenby toward an insulated chair, jury-rigged with a tangle of wires which led to a com- plicated instrument panel. The mind of the baby had a little flame in it like the flames Cody remem- bered in the goldfish in the pool back at American Gun. But there was a very great difference. He did not know exactly what it was, but he had not felt pity and fear as he watched the glimmering minds of the fish. The mind of his child, his and Lucy’s, held a small flame that burned with ridiculous confidence for so small and helpless a creature, and yet each slight stimulus, the rocking movement of his arms, the slight hunger-contractions conniicloooks.c© nl