Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 42 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION He shut the door of his office behind him and there was a sudden blissful silence. No more hum of machines, no bustle of workers. **Praise Father,”’ he sighed, and caught himself up short. He had said it. He had said it without thinking, like the rest of them. He wondered again—Why ? What was the use? There was no doubt about it. The wave equation had contained the unknown quan- tity. But Kermit himself had worked out the equation and that wasn’t wrong. Unless there was something that hadn’t met his eye. He’d nad to rely on the brain sur- geon’s data, of course, which had seemed reliable enough. His memory hadn’t been faulty; it never was. The crux of the thing was the wave itself. Kermit knew he had to come to grips with it. Just then the door opened. It was his Servant. “Yes?” Kermit said, trying hard not to appear irritable. The Servant was a small man, lean, with quick, black eyes that flashed about the 130 small room. ‘““You’ve been here long?” “About twenty minutes, I imagine,” Kermit said. “Yes.”? The Servant con- sulted a notebook. ““Then you came in here during the last chant.” “T had an inspiration on this problem, which is of great importance to Father and us.” ““Most important is unity, oneness.” The rebuke delivered and entry made in the notebook, Kermit’s Servant pursed his lips. “‘When you left the lab yesterday you forgot to turn off the light.” “I’m sorry. I did forget.” *““No excuse. You did the same five days ago.” Was there no end to this? The wave equation drew Ker- mit like a magnet. Something told him it was the most important problem of his life. Why must he be pestered with these picayune matters ? “I’m verv sorry. I’ve been 3° concentrating so hard on this problem—— “Ah? You assume that a problem vital to you at the moment is more important than wasted electricity, which is vital to all?” COMIC OOOKS.COlMz) at