Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION caught Dr. Morton’s eye and he picked up his extension. He-— said, “‘Helles=-> Oh; — Dr, Smithers, yes. . . . Um-m-m.... Yes. . Concerning whom? . . . Well, in point of fact, he’s with me right now. ... YES... .. Yes, immediately.” He cradled the phone and looked at Roger thoughtiully. “The dean wants to see both of us.” “What about, sir?” “He didn’t say.” He got up and stepped to the door. “Are you coming, Toomey?” “Yes, sir.” Roger rose slowly to his feet, cramming the toe of one foot carefully under Dr. Morton’s desk as he did so. Dean Smithers was a lean man with a long, ascetic face. He had a mouthful of false teeth that fitted just badly enough to give his sibilants a peculiar half-whistle. “Close the door, Miss Bryce,” he said, ‘and Til take no phone calls tor a while. Sit down, gentlemen.” He stared at them portentously and added, “I think I had better get right to the point. I don’t know exactly what Dr. Toomey is doing, but he must stop.” Dr. Morton turned upon Roger in amazement. “What have you been doing?” Roger shrugged dispiritedly. ““Noth- ing that I can help.”’ He had under- estimated student tongue - wagging after all. “Oh, come, come.’ The dean regis- tered impatience. “I’m sure I don’t know how much of the story to dis- count, but it seems you must have been engaging in parlor tricks; silly parlor tricks quite -unsuited to the spirit and dignity of this institution.” Dr. Morton said, “This is all beyond me.” The dean frowned. “It seems you haven’t heard, then. It is amazing to me how the faculty can remain in complete ignorance of matters that fairly saturate the student body. I had never realized it before. I myself heard of it by accident; by a very fortunate accident, in fact, since I was able to intercept a newspaper reporter who arrived this morning looking for someone he called ‘Dr. Toomey, the flying professor.’ ” “What?” cried Dr. Morton. Roger listened haggardly. “That’s what the reporter said. I quote him. It seems one of our students had called the paper. I ordered the newspaperman out and had the student sent to my office. According to him, Dr. Toomey flew— I use the word, ‘flew,’ because that’s what the student insisted on calling it—down a flight of stairs and then back up again. He claimed there were a dozen witnesses.” “IT went down the stairs only,” muttered Roger. Dean Smithers was tramping up and down along his carpet now. He had worked himself up into a feverish eloquence. ““No mind you, Toomey, I have nothing against amateur thea- tricals. In my stay in office I have consistently fought against stuffiness and false dignity. I have encouraged friendliness between ranks in the faculty and have not even objected to reasonable fraternization with students. So I have no objection to your putting on a show for the students in your own home. “Surely you see what could happen to the College once an irresponsible press is done with us. Shall we have a flying professor craze succeed the flying saucer craze? If the reporters get in touch with you, Dr. Toomey, I will expect you to deny all such reports categorically.” “I understand, Dean Smithers.” “I trust that we shall escape this incident without lasting damage. I EComichooksco im