Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

272 THE MOON IS HEAVEN Clavier. You did a magnificent job there. We’ve got good air unlimited and the carbon dioxide concentration is suitably low. But the hydrogen output is low too. Not your fault. You can’t get more out of the snow than is in there. At this rate it will take thirty weeks to make enough to get back. I don’t want to stay that long. I don’t think we could stand it, temperamentally.”’ ““T guess you’re not so far wrong there, Atah,’’ Leeson puts in. He glances across at Schnabel. ‘‘ Things could get a lot worse than they are in thirty weeks. We’ve only been here a day or so and look at the situation!’ “‘ Don’t let’s dramatise it,’’ you say. ‘‘ I’d say things are pretty well under control now. I don’t see how they could get much worse, Not that they’re all that bad now.’’ You glance quickly at Reina. , She looks away, but not quickly enough. ‘* You're right,” Atah agrees. ‘‘ We don’t want to drama- tise it. But we must-be prepared. In any case, I’d like to get away from here in a week or two at the most. The next trip can be for longer. There’s a lot of work to be done on the data we’ve collected. as “You mean we’ve done our job?’’ Leeson asks in a sur- prised tone. “No, no,’’ Atah puts in quickly. ‘‘ But we will have done in-a week or two. It shouldn’t take longer than that. After all, the main thing was to get here, True a little selenoscience would be a good thing to take back with us. But only a little. We mustn’t try to do the job of half a dozen expeditions.” “ That’s just because you'll probably be on them_all,’’ Leeson counters.with a grin. ‘‘ This may be the only trip for us. There are plenty more wanting to take our places.’’ ‘* That’s as it should be. We don’t want only a handful of men with Moon experience. The more the better. In fact, I doubt if I’ll come on the next one. There are plenty to take my place, too, you know.” ~ Personally, you doubt it. Oh, there are plenty who’d ke comicbooks.com