Authentic Science Fiction, No. 23 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

92 THE SINGING SPHERES disapproval of more sober-minded counsellors. Hartnell yawned. “How long’s this going on, Pop?” I didn’t know. “Anyway, when it’s over we definitely try to get back to the ship. Fuzzy-bubble says trouble’s on the Way.” Despite the concentration of keeping his cameras fixed on that fantastic scene, Tubby clicked his tongue disgustedly. “Td like to know what we’ve been having up to now—” Suddenly Hartnell opened his eyes widely. “What about little | Pinky? We can’t leave him to Makkub’s tender mercies.” “Fuzzy-bubble’s promised to look after him—but he can’t look after us as well.” I swallowed my pride and came out with the truth. “You’ve got to admit we’re pretty helpless against these things and their force-beams—” He mulled over this unpleasant fact. “He won’t like los- ing his Uncle Hartnell—” ~ You can send him a picture-book, with nursery rhymes,” said Tubby. The remark was rather heartless, I thought. Clinching the matter, I said “We might do more harm than good by hanging round where we’re not wanted—and if some of ’em get the idea we’re siding with Pinky they might back up Makkub out of sheer contrariness.” Hartnell sighed. “I suppose you’re right, Pop. Pity, though. I’ve never had a nephew before—” Someone must have told Pinky that the ceremony was over, for he suddenly came bouncing across again, freed from offi- cial duties, and danced round us, eventually hovering fascin- ated near Hartnell’s control-belt. _No one save myself had the slightest inkling of what was in Makkub’s mind. He gave no audible or visible warning about his intentions. Only because I held the Mattus rod, with the switch on, could I detect the surge of unreasoning malevolence that flooded into his mind. Startled, I glanced first at the big sphere still perched on his absurd, pointed throne—red, evil and scowling; then at the unwitting cause of his discomfiture, little Pinky—pale Tose, innocent and laughing. THE SINGING SP HERES 93 In that dreadful moment J knew Makkub had decided to extinguish this one frail rival. For how could he suffer? Kardoon must have a ruler. Whatever the penalty for mur- der, he remained immune—secure from punishment or de- position—so long as no successor existed. Processes of thought are so instantaneous that these re- flections passed in the same moment that I threw the gravity- reactor switch to “Maximum,” yelled a warning and hurled myself desperately across the line of fire. In saner moments I’d never have dreamed of so foolhardy an action. Yet what else could I do? No sooner was I face to face with Hartnell when passing in a gigantic sideways dive powered by the gravity-reactor than Makkub loosed a vicious force-beam. Except for my presence it would have smashed Pinky directly into the row of control buttons on Hartnell’s belt. Instead, the invisible bolt spent itself almost entirely against the gravity pack, although sufficient energy remained to swing me round bodily, nullify the remaining impetus of the leap and drop me to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Facing Makkub in mid-flight, I had a clear view and understanding of the surprising consequences. He was in the same position as the man pushing against a closed door. To this end, he balanced himself with an attractor beam anchored to the stone floor. Once equilibrium became un- expectedly disrupted by my gravity-reactor, this attractor beam took charge—pulling him violently downwards before he could recover. He impaled himself on the rod-like throne—and vanished. One great gasp of horror ascended from the crowded spheres. Nor was it a manifestation of unanimous approval, and by the time I rose painfully to my feet hostile emana- tions poured in through the Mattus, with inter-com shrieks so loud and piercing we thought madness had come upon us. Fuzzy-bubble, having seen young Hartnell’s ingenious trick in the Place of Execution, realised what had happened. The general populace, however, fully believed they had witnessed the deliberate assassination of their ruling sovereign. “You must leave!” said Fuzzy-bubble, urgently. “Come— GEComilichbooks.com