Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HRAVEN 93 ‘* Of course, there’ll be an enquiry when we get back, but I don’t think there’ll be much trouble. In fact, I have the military prerogative to execute ‘any of this party that might harm the rest or the project. On this occasion it was delegated to you, Mike. He was under sentence of death, anyway. And then that. business of the electrolysis apparatus was enough to take the matter into our own hands,” “And he was after the generator again when I rushed him,’”’ you say. ‘“‘ Besides. I killed him in self-defence.” “I’m sure you did, Mike,’’ says Atah. ‘‘ We’re all sure you did, aren’t we?”’ The rest of them nod and grunt agreement, But you can tell that they don’t really mean it. At the back of their minds they think you killed Schnabel deliberately. And when yeu come to think of it, you probably did, At least you set out after him with that idea at the back of your mind. Just because he was struggling with you when it came off doesn’t really alter the case. For a moment you don’t know what to think of it. Then you realise that men like Atah and Clavier would not sanction murder, however much they disliked the victim. No, they know that this expedition was not safe while Schnabel was alive. Five lives might have perished for his one. It was ‘meet and right that you should kill him. You’re going to try and believe that. Then you look up from your tea cup and catch Reina’s eye. She is smiling at you, and there’s nothing behind her smile. Nothing, that is, which tells you she disapproves of what you’ve done. Quite the reverse in fact. And the things that ave behind her smile tell you that there’s no need to think about it any more. , “ There’s something else about Schnabel that you ought to know,”’ you tell Atah. ‘‘ He had these in his pocket.” You bring out the diamonds that Schnabel had flaunted before you, and throw them onto the mattress. They all crowd round to look at them. comicbooks.com