Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

80 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION circle back to the clearing, and if it did, if he found the warm safe place where the sun reached, he promised himself he would stay there forever— Ghan disconnected. A moment ago he had been of the opinion that the Office of Perimeter Research had been precipitate in its judgment. It had been difficult to accept a Phase Nine culture as being anything more than theoretical. It was difficult no longer. Grimly, he sought another subject. But for some reason he had trouble concentrating. A discordant thought kept intruding, disturbing his focus. It was.a strange wondering thought and it emanated from a source that was distant. and yet close by. An- noyed, he decreased the intensity of his field to minimum. The thought came through clearly then: Who are ou? A small female of the species was standing just outside the entrance of his headquarters. Ghan became aware of two enormous blue eyes. For some time he was aware of nothing else. Eyes in Sosterich society were usually taken for granted; they were efficient organs that performed their intended function and that was all they were. They were of various colors, of course : often they were green, sometimes they were yellow, and once in a while they were brown. But they were never blue. Presently he saw that these eyes were part of a round white face framed with pale yellow hair. The thought came again and this time he saw the movement of the lips and heard the sound that accompanied it. *“Who are you?” I am Ghan, he ’pathed. ““Ghan? What a funny name! But what are you doing in my mother’s summerhouse?” It was an unanticipated question arising from an unanticipated situa- tion. Ghan was angry with himself. He prided himself on his efficiency almost as much as he did on his objectivity, but for once he had forgotten something. But “‘overlooked’’ would have been a kinder word. After all, he was investigating a Phase Nine culture, and the idea of a Ptsor Shield mal- functioning in a Phase Nine culture was on first thought fantastic. But not on second thought. The Shield broadcast a constant series of negative waves; an endless repetition of the idea of not being. All that it needed in order to function was a geocentric culture, the individuals of which wanted to believe precisely what the Shield repeatedly told them: that the alien life form registered upon their retinas was not real. Geocentricism was an integral part. of a Phase Nine culture. However, geocentricism is a mature immaturity, and even in a Phase Nine culture there exist certain individuals who have not yet acquired that facility in the manipulation of transcendental logic that enables them to regard unpleasant phenomena and either replace them with pleasanter things or reject them altogether. “You can’t stay here, you know,” the little girl standing at the entrance said. Do you think your mother would mind? “T think she might. I don’t think she’d like you, anyway. Your clothes are so funny. And your hair! It’s so long! And what makes it grow on the side of your head instead of on top?” Ghan considered for a moment. While the small creature standing before him did not present a very serious obstacle to his investigation, she did create a problem just the same. If he wanted to carry on his conniclboooks.c© inn