Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON ts HEAVEN - $3 swings back to the mirror showing his instrument readings. ‘ Not too bad. Still a good bit of fuel in hand, and velocity’s dropping nicely. I don’t think there’ll be any trouble.” There is silence for a few moment. Then Clavier chips in. “‘ Atah, I am not scared, you understand, it is just that I am but a chemist and do not know these things. What about meteors? I seem to remember that the Moon is showered wiz these things. Maybe one will hit us?” Schnabel grins superiorly. Atah just smiles in his friendly fashion. ‘‘ Maybe it will. But it’s not likely. We have a one in ten thousand chance of being hit.’’ But:Clavier wasn’t finished yet. ‘‘ And when we land? Is it the same then?’’ ““No. The chances are even greater that we won’t be hit by a meteor. Remember that the Moon has an atmosphere. It’s only ten to the minus four as dense as Earth’s at sea level, but it stretches up much higher and stops all but the largest meteors. And the very large ones are so few that we can ignore them.”’ A happy sigh comes from Clavier. ‘“‘ Good,’’ he says. ‘‘ That is fine. Now Iwill sleep!” You twist your head round towards Reina—and find she’s looking at you. She turns away immediately. -You lie there looking at her, at the flowing red of her hair. There is a sudden high-pitched shriek that seems to come from nowhere and everywhere. You try to sit up but the clasps hold you firmly down. “Don’t worry!’ Atah Kark’s voice says. ‘‘ We’ve allowed for this.’’ You can see him getting out of his mattress and making his way up the wall, pulling heavily on the straps, fighting against the deceleration thrust. A moment or two later, Schnabel: follows him. You can see the two of them up there, doing things to the wall. It’s difficult, you can tell that. It must be like trying to mend a telephone wire at the top of a pole in a tornado. But finally they are through. The whine stops quite sud- comicbooks.com