Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

8 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION gentle compassion. People came to look at him, the loud of mouth sud- denly still and the hard of face soften- ing. They looked up at him with their heads bared and spoke in quiet voice as though they stood before some- thing greater than they. Yet, Lincoln had been only a man— His musing was broken by the sound of a car in the street outside, stopping before the cantina. Its door slammed and a man stepped through the open doorway of the cantina; through it and then quickly to one side so that he would not be outlined against the light as he took his first look at the interior. He was, Knight noticed, wearing a white sports coat and his right hand was in the pocket of it. His identity registered on Knight’s mind almost simultaneously and he tensed as a cat might tense at the sight of a dog. It was Cullin. Then he relaxed, and waited. Once there had been a time when he might have killed Cullin, when the memory of the vain sacrifice of the Fourth might have brought the hate surging red and unreasoning to his mind. But four years had altered his emotions. The hatred had settled into something cold and deep and not to be satisfied with brief physical violence. It was cold and deep and patient, and there are better ways than physical violence of finding vengeance if one is patient. Cullin’s eyes flashed over Carlos, still polishing his ceraveza glasses, and up the length of the bar. He stiffened at the sight of Knight and there was a slight movement of his right hand inside his coat pocket. For perhaps ten seconds neither spoke nor moved; Knight sitting on the high stool, half turned away from the bar with his glass still in his hand and Cullin loom- ing white-coated just within the door- way, alert and waiting for Knight to make a hostile move. Knight broke the silence. Oe somewhere, Cullin?” Cullin walked toward him, warily. “So we meet again?’ He seated him- self on a stool near Knight, facing him with his hand never leaving his pocket. Carlos started toward them, looking questioningly g@ Cullin, and Cullin motioned him Back with a wave of his left hand and a curt, “Nada!” Carlos returned to his glass polish- ing and Cullin looked curiously at Knight. “It’s a small world, Knight— sometimes too small. What are you doing here, anyway?” “I could ask the same of you.” Cullin made no answer and Knight went on: “I see you're a Civilian again. The last time I saw you, you were flicking the dust off your handkerchief in anticipation of polishing a pair of gold oak leaves.” ““Peacetime armies and ambitious officers aren’t compatible,” Cullin said, his jaw tightening at the words. “This is especially true if you aren’t a Regular Army officer.” “T heard that you never did get those oak leaves; that you got a bawl- ing-out instead, and a demotion back to second lieutenant. It seems they had something to say to you about ‘stupid and unnecessary sacrifice of men.” ”” Cullin’s face flushed a dull red. “A bunch of sentimental old women. My strategy was sound; I took the hill.” “Yes, you did—didn’t we?” Knight agreed, smiling without humor. “As commanding officer, I would have been stupid to have done any- thing as vainglorious as to actively engage in the fighting. You should know that. Leaders are not dispen- sable, while the led are.” “Anyway, you’ve now forsaken the military career?” “T’ve found myself a new field EComichbooks.co ee