Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 42 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

ARISTOTLE still burned. King Patrick Reilly switched the searchlight of his own tank on. Into its glare three figures advanced, dazed and uncertain. John, recognising them as ordinary soldiers, knew what had hap- pened. King Louie and his sons, abandoning their tanks, had got away on foot over the hills. King Patrick disposed of his captives decisively, but his de- cisiveness, his youngest son realised, contemptuously, was the decisiveness of horrible, crawling fear. He looked at the silent, watchful figure of Patrick, his brother, and smiled with the thought that the change would not now be long delayed. King Patrick said: “You palookas protected him while he got away. That wasn’t very clever of you. It wasn’t Null-A. He threatened you, did he? But I’m the one who carries threats out. Hank! Joe! Tie them across my tank. There’s a whipping party.” Prince John watched with only slight interest while the prisoners were flogged to death. He was thinking of more serious things. The new King Patrick. He, too, might see the wisdom of protecting himselfagainst usurpers. There 87 was danger there that would need circumventing. He thought, with careful Null-A logic. But the idea that event- ually captured his mind with its brilliance came like a dazzling gift. He planned events, as the screams died away into choked silence. They would not miss him now in the dark. When they started back for home he could slip away, cut through the valleys between this and the Hawkins’ palace... There . was a chance of catching them; remote, perhaps, but real enough. And if he did... The combination forced from the captured Louie; the palace taken and he, at sixteen, King John, an undisputed monarch. His speculations began to drift into reveries and he checked them sharply. En- gines were revving up for the luckless homeward trek. Thought now became action, to be realised, to be integrated. He started his own engine and the troop began to roll down the valley, towards the plain. He got away easily enough, and heard the noise of the others pass away into the night. Then he switched his headlights on again and began his hunt. He hunted with a fierce and comiclooks.comnm