Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

12 THE MOON IS HEAVEN .- ‘ Are you telling them it’s only three weeks?’’ “Yep.” ‘And Atah’s okayed it, I guess. Well, things’ll start getting crowded around here. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”’ “So will I,”7 you say. ‘‘ When we’ve been up there, stayed a bit and come back—that’s when I’ll be glad.”’. Reina wrinkles her nose at you. ‘‘ Coward!”’ she laughs. And the way she says it, the ways she laughs, tells you you’re not a coward in a way that nothing else could. But then, you happen to be very fond of Reina. That may have something to do with it. © “So, I’m a coward,’’ you smile back. ‘‘ Okay. But I’m going. I’m going right up there where you want to go. I’ll bring you back a bit of moon-rock, or send you a post-card or something. Do you accept things like that from cowards?”’ . She settles back in her chair and doesn’t look all that tired any more. She’s enjoying herself, all right. “A post-card, eh?’’ she says. “‘ Or a stick of moon- rock?’’ There’s something behind all this, you reckon. You know Reina. ‘‘ Guess you haven't heard yet,”’ she goes on. “But you will.” ‘‘ Heard what? Has something happened? Don’t tell me the trip has been cancelled !”’ _ That’s the only way to get anywhere with Reina, you've discovered. Joke about everything. Play the fool and she- might play it, too. Then you might get something serious out of her. But this time she isn’t going to play. ‘‘ Oh, you'll hear about it soon enough, Mike. Don’t let it bother you.”’ She finishes her coffee and gets up. You walk with her to the door. Outside in the blinding sun, Reina puts on a straw sombrero. “ See you at dinner, Mike,’’ she says, and walks off to- wards the rocket. : Her boyish figure in the untidy slacks gets smaller and smaller. You stand there watching her, watching the sway comicbooks.com