Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 41 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

THE PHOENIX NEST Professor Knaut uttered a feeble cry and stumbled to- ward the bed, his right arm and leg barely responding to his will. Strothmeyer watched him go, without feeling. Then heremembered Churchill Two, who stood confused but defiant. “Who are you?” Stroth- meyer demanded of him. ““And why did you do that?’ He pointed to the dead Churchill. Churchill Two regarded him in hostile appraisal, and then, as though he were well used to such manceuvres, took the of- fensive. ““What do you mean, whoamI? You stole my cells. You kept them. You made them grow. You brought me to life again, to live as your prisoner. You must have known who I was before you altered me to look like Church- ili—just as you altered that poor unfortunate, whoever he is.’ He pointed to the dead body. “‘Who are you to ques- tion me? It is I who question you! What is this perverted, decadent craze for making everyone look like Churchill? Why couldn’t you leave me as I was? If you wanted to make sport of me, I would have been 33 much more fun for you in my original form. How can your schoolchildren—if you still have schools—laugh at me when they think I am their false god, Churchill?” Churchill Two laughed bit- terly. “Your clever joke has turned against you, my stupid Herr Doktor!” Strothmeyer glanced from the raging Churchill Two, who resembled nothing so much as a vengeful prosecuting attor- ney in an unfair trial, to the noble, quiescent features of the dead Churchill. He wanted to weep, that the wrong one had been killed. Then an odd idea began to take form in his mind. He tried to soothe Churchill Two, to gain time to think. “‘Perhaps,” he said, “if you can tell me who you are, I may be able to alter your appear- ance to one that will be more acceptable to you.”’ This was a bold lie, but Strothmeyer was desperate. If all he had to show for his years of labour was Churchill Two, it would be worse than no Churchill at all. He-elaborated, hoping that the duplicate would swal- low a big lie more easily comicloooks.comn