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

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

8 ASTOUNDING SCLENCE-FICTION “I’m a Mixed Man,” he explained. He described briefly how the cross between the Dellian and non-Dellian, so long impossible, had finally been brought about a hundred years before. The use of cold and pressure— “Just a moment,” said the psychologist. She disappeared. When she stepped again out of the wall transmitter, she was thought- ful. “He seems to be telling the truth,” she confessed, almost reluctantly. “What is this?” snapped the grand cap- tain. “Ever since we ran into that first citi- zen of the Fifty Suns, the psychology de- partment has qualified every statement it issues. I thought psychology was the only perfect science. Either he is telling the truth or he isn’t.” The older woman looked unhappy. She stared very hard at Maltby, seemed baffied by his cool gaze, and finally faced her superior, said: “It’s that double molecule structure of his brain. Except for that, I see no reason why you shouldn’t order full acceleration.” The grand captain smiled. “I shall have Captain Maltby to dinner tonight. I’m sure he will co-operate then with any further studies you may be prepared to make at that time. Meanwhile I think—” She spoke into a communicator: “Central engines, step up to half light year a minute on the following orbit—” Maltby listened, estimating with his Dellian mind. Half a light year a minute; it would take a while to attain that speed, but—in eight hours they’d strike the storm. In eight hours he’d be having dinner with the grand captain. Eight hours! The full flood of a contraterrene Nova impinging upon terrene gases already in- furiated by seetee gone insane—that was the new, greater storm. The exploding, giant sun added weight to the diffuse, maddened thing. And it added something far more deadly. Speed! From peak to peak of velocity the tumult of ultrafire leaped. The swifter crags of the storm danced and burned with an absolutely hellish fury. The sequence of action was rapid almost beyond the bearance of matter. First raced the light of the Nova, blazing its warning: at more than a hundred and eighty-six- thousand miles a second to all who knew that it flashed from the edge of an inter- stellar storm. _ But the advance glare of warning was nullified by the colossal speed of the storm. For weeks and months it drove through the vast night at a velocity that was only a bare measure short of that of light itself. See” Se The dinner dishes had been cicired! Set Maltby was thinking: In half an hour—half an hour! He was wondering shakily just what did happen to a battleship suddenly confronted by thousands of gravities of deceleration. Aloud he was saying: “My day? I spent it in the library. Mainly, I was interested in the recent history of Earth’s interstellar colonization. I’m curious as to what is done with groups like the Mixed Men. I mentioned to you that, after the war in which they were defeated largely because there was so few of them, the Mixed Men hid themselves from the Fifty Suns. I - was one of the captured children who—” There was an interruption, a cry from the wall communicator: “Noble lady, I’ve solved it!” | A moment fled before Maltby recognized the strained voice of the woman psycholo- gist. He had almost forgotten that she was supposed to be studying him. Her next words chilled him: “Two minds! I thought of it a little while ago and rigged up a twin watching device. Ask him, ask him the question about the storms. Meanwhile stop the ship. At once!” Maltby’s dark gaze clashed hard with the steely, narrowed eyes of the grand captain. Without hesitation he concentrated his two minds on her, forced her to say: “Don’t be silly, lieutenant. One person can’t have two brains. Explain yourself fur- ther.” His hope was delay. They had ten minutes in which they could save themselves, He must waste every second of that time, resist all their efforts, try to control the situation. If only his special three-dimensional hyp- notism worked through communicators— ‘It didn’t. Lines of light leaped at him from the wall and crisscrossed his body, held him in his chair like so many unbreak- able cables. Even as he was bound hand and foot by palpable energy, a second com- plex of forces built up before his face, barred his thought pressure from the grand captain, and finally coned over his head like a dunce cap. He was caught as neatly as if a dozen men had swarmed with their strength and comiclooks (©