Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

THE SHARPIES asked one or two questions before they left here. And then we should have politely and firmly told them we have enough troubles, thank you, and we recommend that you try across the street.” “Are you nuts? If that’s really gold, we are going to run up quite a score. At these prices they can drive me out of my mind with curiosity.” “George, they scare me. They’re too big and strong. And they were so sure of us. How do they know we won’t go south with the gold? For that matter, we didn’t even say that we'd take the job. Let’s pin a note on the door telling them their bags are down in the janitor’s office and go hide somewhere for a few days.” George wasn’t listening. He was dialing a number on his private line. “Reilly can take some of this gold and I think I know a few other birds who can handle the rest of it. You go out and get the stuff tested. Find out how pure it is and make sure it’s gold all the way through—Hello, Reilly? This is Hanley, chum, and I think I have a little business for you. Now listen.” Hugh shrugged and turned away from his partner, now deep in an ani- mated conversation. George was prob- ably right, a gold brick in the hand was worth any number of fears lurk- ing around in the bush of conscience. He hefted the metal bar reflectively. It had a cold, slippery, fascinating feel. The next several days passed in a hectic round. The metal was gold all right, nearly chemically pure, and George was busy day and night ped- dling it off through his various chan- nels. Hugh was even busier, shopping around the city like a thousand house- wives on a spree. The Smiths visited them every morning, bringing more gold and more lists. Any questions or hints of questions were studiously ig- 109 nored. Hugh bought paintings, chemi- cal apparatus, a wide variety of books, a complete collection of antique firearms, and hundreds of other unre- lated things. Before the week was out, the small warehouse that he had rented was half full. : At length, the Smiths arrived one day empty handed. George’s face fell at the sight, but Hugh felt a happy stir in his heart. Perhaps the Smiths were finishing up. Conversation con- firmed his hope. *“We must leave the city very soon,” one of the Smiths said. Hugh and George had never since the first day been able to straighten out which was John and which was Jesse, and had compromised by addressing each as Mr. Smith. This had werked out well, as the Smiths never seemed to be in doubt as to which of them was being spoken to. “But we still haven’t been able to buy all the items on your lists,” George protested. “I don’t think that we will be able to in less than another week.” “That is of no matter. See that as many of the remaining items as pos- sible are delivered today. This evening we will all go together to the ware- house. We intend to move our purchases tonight.” *““Move them tonight! There must be twenty truckloads there. I don’t think I can hire enough trucks between now and then for you to be—”’ “We will handle the transport,” he was interrupted. George fought a valiant delaying action with no help from Hugh, but his clients .were calmly adamant. However, when the Smiths told him that money still due from the sale of the gold could be kept, he stopped objecting and began to wholeheartedly suggest plans for speeding them on their way. The Smiths insisted that a rendezvous be set for all of them to Conmielooolkks.c© im om