Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HEAVEN 53 out different. Whatever it is, he announces that he has no need of a rest, that important things need doing, and that he intends to go up and make a start on the air-lock—if Atah doesn’t mind, of course! “‘ Not at all, Schnabel,’’ Atah says. ‘‘ I’m glad you can keep going. But don’t knock yourself up, will you. We'll be needing you quite a bit later on, you know.”’ Schnabel smiles, if you can call it that. ‘‘ I know. But I shall not knock myself up, as you say. I will be fitter than all of you at the end.”’ And he walks away towards his equipment. Reina, who came back from the compressor just in time to hear the last few remarks, hisses inside her helmet. ‘‘ Oh, the beast. The horrible, arrogant beast!’’ Then she turns away and makes for the dome’s air-lock. She can’t have realised what everybody else has realised— that Schnabel must have heard every word she said. But the technologist gives no sign of having heard. He collects up his gear and moves off towards the rocks. Atah follows him for a moment with his eyes, serious, troubled eyes. “* Well, let’s go inside,’’ he says. ‘‘ A bit of sleep will do us good.” Afterea while, you wake up. At first it’s the old stuff; you don’t know where you are, But that doesn’t last for long. You pretty soon realise that you’re up on the Moon, separated from the vacuum of space by a few millimetres of steel. You remember, too, that you are dependent for breath on that bubbling contraption over in one corner. If the current should fail. ... But it’s not as bad as that, really. You've all got spare oxygen bottles for the space suits, that would last long enough for the electrolysis apparatus to be repaired. You lie there thinking about things like that, And think- ing about Reina. You start to wonder why she really wanted comicbooks.com