Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HEAVEN 71 guess. After all, what you gave him might not have been enough, Although what he’s going to get probably will be. Then, as Reina prepares the meal and the others flop down on their bunks, removing their outer suits, the thought strikes you. This capital punishment business will break out all over again when this affair comes to a head on Earth. Some will say it’s a good thing. Others will point out that it didn’t make any apparent difference to Schnabel’s behaviour and that now the behaviour is over and done with, why waste a good technologist who’s had Moon experience? And the whole sordid thing will be related always to the first Moon trip. Something that should go down in the archives as a great and important conquest will be remem- bered as the affair which brought capital punishment into the news again. For that’s the way people’s minds work. Always have. And all because of Schnabel. You wonder if Atah Kark has thought of that angle yet. Maybe he has, maybe he hasn’t. Possibly it doesn’t make much difference either way. He’s had enough setbacks already. One more won’t affect him a great deal, Besides, he has got to the Moon. Reina doesn’t take long about the tea, and you are soon all sitting round as before, only this time Schnabel is still flat out on his bunk. Considering the situation, the conversa- tion is not too bad, not too stilted, not too forced, “What d’you think of the set-up?’’ Leeson asks Atah. “ D’you think we’re on schedule?” ““ We haven’t done so badly,”” Atah says. ‘: This dome was a big point—and its air supply, of course. The next chaps up here will have that laid on. The two main problems now are the air-lock and the return fuel. The first, I think we can handle in time. The second, I’m not so sure about. I’d. be much happier if we could find a reservoir.’’ “The electrolysis, it is not efficient?’’ Clavier asks. He sounds almost hurt. Atah tries to mollify him. ‘It’s wonderfully efficient, comicbooks.com