Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

46 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION one else, fellow, so-—-”’ He _ hesitated, shrugged, and went on. “Don’t mind if I jump to conclusions; I won't talk out of turn. But best of luck—and good-by, Danny!” : : He was gone, almost instantly, leaving Danny’s heart stuck in his throat. A few words, a facial expression, probably’ some childhood memories, and he might as well have revealed his most cherished secret hopes in shouted words! How many others knew of his interest in the old ship in the Museum and his careful plot to escape this Kindly, charity-filled Gehenna? He crushed a cigarette under his heel, trying to forget the thought. Jack had played with him as a child, and the others hadn't. He’d have to base his hopes on that and be even more careful never to think of the idea around others. In the mean- time, he’d stay away from the ship! Per- haps in that way the subtle warning of Thorpe’s words might work in his favor— provided the man had meant his promise of silence. 7 Danny forced his doubts away, grimly conscious that he dared not lose hope in this last desperate scheme for independence and self-repect; the other way lay despair and listless hopelessness, the same empty death from an acute inferiority complex that had claimed the diminishing numbers of his own kind and left him as the last, lonely specimen. Somehow, he’d succeed. And in the meantime, he would go to the Library and leave the Museum severely alone. There was a throng of people leaving the Library as Danny came up the escala- tor, but either they did not recognize him with his hat pulled low or sensed his desire and pretended not to. He slipped into one of the less used hallways and made his way toward the Historic Documents section, where Miss Larsen was putting away the reading tapes and preparing to leave. But she tossed them aside quickly as he came in and smiled up at him, the rich, warm smile of her people. “Hello, Danny! Did your friend find you all right?” “Mm-m-m. He said you had something for me.” ‘“* I have.” There was pleasure in her face as she turned back toward the desk behind her, to come up with a small wrapped parcel. For the thousandth time, he caught himself wishing she were of his race and - quenching the feeling as he realized what her attitude must really be. To her, the small talk from his race’s past was a subject of historic interest, no more. “Guess what?’’ But in spite of himself, his face lighted, both at the game and the package. “The magazines! The lost issues of Space Trails? There had been only the first in- stallment of a story extant, and yet that single part had set his pulses throbbing as few of the other ancient stories of his ancestors’ conquest of space had done. Now, with the missing sections, life would be filleds with zest for a few more hours as he followed the fictional exploits of a conqueror who had known no fear of keener minds. “Not quite, Danny, but almost. We couldn’t locate even a trace of them, but I gave the first installment to Bryant Ken- ning last week, and he finished it for you.” Her voice was apologetic. “Of course the words won't be quite identical, but Kenning swears that the story is undoubtedly exactly the same in structure as it would have been, and the style is duplicated almost perfectly!” Like that! Kenning had taken the first pages of a novel that had meant weeks and months of thought to some ancient writer and had found in them the whole plot, clearly revealed, instantly his! A _ night’s labor had been needed to duplicate it, probably, a disagreeable and boring piece of work, but not a difficult one! Danny did not question the accuracy of the dupli- cation, since Kenning was their greatest historical novelist. But the pleasure went out of it. } He took the package, noting that some illustrator had even copied the old artist’s style, and that it was set up to match the original format. “Thank you, Miss Larsen. I’m sorry to put all of you to so much trouble. And it was nice of Mr. Kenning!” Her face had fallen with his, but she pretended not to notice. “He wanted to do it—volunteered when he heard we were searching for the missing copies. And if there are any others with pieces missing, Danny, he wants you to let him know. You two are about the only ones who use this division now; why don’t you drop by and see him? If you'd like to go tonight—” “Thanks. But Ill read this tonight, instead. Tell him I’m very grateful, though, will you? But he paused, wondering again whether he dared ask for tapes on the history of the asteroids; no, there would be too much risk of her guessing, either now or later. He dared not trust any of them with a hint of his plan. Ccomiclbooks.c©