Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

18 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION “Connie will get well—you just give her time and you'll see. Now cheer up, little worry-wart, and let’s be on our way.” “In my car?” she asked, the devil- ment back in her eyes. “No, not in your car. We'll take mine—I want to get there in able- bodied condition.” “We'll take mine,”’ she corrected. “You can’t get yours out of the drive- way until I let you.” “Get your junkpile off to one side and I can.” ‘**Oh, come on—don’t be a coward!”’ she begged. “Let me drive you down.” He sighed with resignation. “All right, then—let’s go.” June drove the eight blocks to the Computer area gate with an excess of reckless abandon and a roaring of the mufflerless engine that made con- versation impossible. “One of these days,” Knight said as the coupé bucked and shivered to a stop before the gate, “You're going to go hell-for-leather around a corner like that and take the front end off a patrol car. And then what are you going to say to them? Tell me that— what can you say?” ““The wrench is on the floor.” “What?” “I said, ‘The wrench is on the floor!’ If you want to get out, you have to open the door. The door handle is broken off so you have to turn that little stem with that wrench.” He sighed again and felt for the wrench. “‘Nature blundered hideously “with you; you should have been born a boy.” : Another car stopped at the gate as Knight, with the aid of the wrench, opened the door. It was an Air Corps car, with four stars on the license plate. Dr. Clarke climbed out, to be followed by a tall man with neat grey “mustache and four smaller duplicates of the license plate stars on each shoulder. Knight walked to meet them, June beside him. They were greeted by Dr. Clarke, a small, gray man with quick, nervous movements. “Glad Miss Martin was able to reach you before you left for the day, and I’m sorry this had to come up.”’ He made quick introduc- tions. ““General Gordon, this is Mr. Knight and this is Miss Martin, his assistant.”’ The general acknowledged the in- troductions with a brief handshake with Knight and a slight bow to June. “Very interesting, the work you're doing here,”’ he remarked politely. “I was here once before—saw the Master Computer that’s making such a big change in the lives of all of us. I would like to see the progress you’re making with the ship this time. I can’t stay long as much as I would like to take a look at some of the marvelous things the papers say the ‘Big Brain’ has thought up for us.” Knight gave Clarke an amused side glance. The general caught it but said nothing until they were through the guarded gate and in one of the sedans used for personnel transporta- tion within the Computer and lab- oratory area. The general and Clarke got into the back seat and June slid under the wheel without invitation. Knight seated himself beside her, gave her a warning and significant look which she returned with one of bland innocence, and she set the sedan into motion. General Gordon spoke then. “My remark seemed to amuse you, Mr. Knight. Would you tell me why?” “Of course.’ Knight turned in the seat to face the general. ““The news- papers have a habit of dramatizing anything new or unusual. They credit the Master Computer with a great deal of intelligence, which it has, and with a great deal of originality, which it does not have. Acutally, it couldn’t EComichooksco im