Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HEAVEN 101 it'll keep for ages. It’ll always be here if anyone wants it. Let’s leave it that way.’’ And so it had been settled. Schnabel’s body was to remain on the Moon, where he had expected to get rich quick. You reckoned there were many parallels in history. And now you stand and wait for Reina to come and get snow with you. You guess she’s doing things to herself inside the dome, combing her hair and things like that. Throughout the whole business she’s managed to keep look- ing attractive, Not smart or glamorous, of course, but easy enough on the eye to make you resent the other men’s glances. The air-lock opens and she comes out. This must be the hundredth or two hundredth time you’ve both been down the crevice for snow. But you don’t mind: It’s about the only time, you get a chance to be alone together. The snow deposit is getting pretty low now. There was no time to search for a water reservoir. But there will probably be enough to keep things going until you blast off, which will probably. be tomorrow or the day after, depending on what Atah thinks about the chances and whether Leeson, who is now checking his instruments, says the ship is space- worthy. You take Reina’s harid as she comes up, not caring whether the others can see you. “They got pretty used to the idea that there’s something between you and Reina. When you get down in the crevice you- almost lose your courage. You'd intended to do something that has never been’ done before. But now it seems such a silly thing. You keep worrying about it all the while you and Reina fill the bags with snow. She is so intuitive about you now that she notices it. Maybe she found that your hand clasp was not so close as usual or something like that. Anyway, she touches your arm and looks up into your face, illuminated by the suit lamps. The expression in her eyes asks.you a question, and gives you an answer at the same time. comicbooks.com