Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HEAVEN 29 sticks itself against the metal bulkhead. A little shove carries you across to it. _Wedging yourself between the mattress and the wall, you unwrap the parcel, everyone else looking on with puzzled expressions. As soon as you take the paper away, a pack of cards becomes visible. You let out a whoop of joy. Leeson laughs. ‘“‘ Thought that’d please you. They’re sheet steel that’s been magnetised. If you play with them on the floor they won’t get away from you.” He’s right, too. When you let them go they drift slowly down to the floor and stay there, disarranging themselves only slightly as they strike it. ‘“ Come on then,” you say. ‘“‘ Is it okay for us to play?” ““ Yep. You won’t be needed for a while. Do what you like. And there’s no law up here, remember. You can gamble if you want to!’’ “Okay then. How about it, Clavier? Schnabel? Reina? What shall it be?’’ ““ Poker,’’ says Clavier, climbing off his mattress and pronouncing it ‘‘ Powcare.’’ ‘‘ I have zee poker face!’ That’s the last thing he’s got, but still. Schnabel looks at the cards, purses his lips and then shrugs. ‘‘ For a little while I will play. Then, I wish to read.’’ He scrambles down, too. Reina has floated across to a cabinet. She knows what’s in them all because she loaded them. Now she turns round with a packet of sandwiches. The sight of them makes you feel hungry suddenly. Reina gives herself a little push, glides over to the control panel and deposits a small pile of sandwiches in the air beside Atah and the pilot. Then she gives a quick swirl and shoots down to the three of you on the floor. You start thinking that she dees it very gracefully. That free-fall is her element. She floats so well, so charmingly— even if she is depositing nothing ‘but a prosaic pile of sand- wiches. You settle down to the game. ‘he hours drift by. It’s quite pleasant. You can eat and play and cast occasional comicbooks.com