Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

") , ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION only way to ask a question was—well—to ask it. Maltby said: “Oh, three, four months. Nothing ua- usual. Each space meteorologist takes about that length of time to check the bounds of the particular storm in his area, and then he reports, and we adjust our maps. “Fortunately’—he pushed his_ second mind to the fore as he coolly spoke the great basic lie—‘“there are no major storms between the Kaidor and Cassidor suns.’ He went on, sliding over the untruth like an eel breasting wet rock: “However, several suns prevent a straight line movement. So if you would show me some of your orbits for twenty-five hundred light years, [ll make a selection of the best ones.” He wasn’t, he realized instantly, going to slip over his main point as easily as that. “No intervening storms?” the old man said. He pursed his lips. The fine lines in his long face seemed to deepen. He looked genuinely nonplused; and there was no doubt at all that he hadn’t expected such a straightforward statement. “Hm-m-m, no storms. That does make it simple, doesn’t it?” He broke off. “You know, the important thing about two”—he hesitated over the word, then went on—“two people, who have been brought up in different cultures, under different scientific standards, is that they make sure they are discussing a subject from a common viewpoint. “Space is so big. Even this comparatively small system of stars, the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, is so vast that it defies our reason. We on the battleship Star Cluster have spent ten years surveying it, and now we are able to say glibly that it comprises two hundred sixty billion cubic light years, and contains fifty millions of suns. “We located the magnetic center of the Cloud, fixed our zero line from center to the great brightest star, S Doradus; and now, I suppose, there are people who would be fools enough to think we’ve got the system stowed away in our brainpans.” Maltby was silent because he himself was just such a fool. This was warning. He was being told in no uncertain terms that they were in a position to check any orbit he gave them with respect to all intervening suns. It meant much more. It showed that Earth was on the verge of extending her tremend- ous sway to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud. he—tilted—his second mind awake, Destroying this ship now would provide the Fifty Suns with precious years during which they would have to decide what they in- tended to do. } But that would be all. Other ships would come; the inexorable pressure of the stupendous populations of the main galaxy would burst out even farther into space. Always under careful control, shepherded by mighty hosts of invincible battleships, the great transports would sweep into the Cloud, and every planet everywhere, robot or non- robot, would acknowledge Earth suzerainty. Imperial Earth recognized no_ separate nations of any description anywhere. The robots, Dellian, non-Dellian and Mixed, would need every extra day, every hour; and it was lucky for them all that he was not basing his hope of destroying this ship on an orbit that would end inside a sun. Their survey had magnetically placed all the suns for them. But they couldn’t know about the storms. Not in ten years or in a hundred was it possible for one ship to locate possible storms in an area that involved twenty-five hundred light years of length. Unless their psychologists could uncover; the special qualities of his double brain, he had them. He grew aware that Lieutenant Cannons was manipulating the controls of the orbit table. The lines of light on the surface flickered and shifted. Then settled like the balls in a game of chance. Maltby selected six that ran deep into the great storm. Ten minutes after that he felt the faint jar as the ship began to move. He stood up, frowning. Odd that they should act without some verifica- tion of his— “This way,” said the old man. Maltby thought sharply: This couldn’t be all. Any minute now they’d start on him and— His thought ended. He was in space. Far, far below was the receding planet of Kaider III. To one side gleamed the vast dark hull of the battleship; and on every other side, and up, and down were stars and the distances of dark space. In spite of all his will, the shock was in- expressibly violent. His active mind jerked. He staggered physically; and he would have fallen like a blindfolded creature except that, in the movement of trying to keep on his feet, he recognized that he was still on his feet. His whole being steadied. Instinctively, and oO ComicboookksS.c©