Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 42 — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION what are you doing in the city ?” The shorter of the two strangers, bearing a fair-sized paunch in front of him, said easily: “So you’re a prince, are you? My name’s Mc- Ilwain—Joseph Mcllwain— and this is Peter Sheppard. What are we doing in the city? Looking for books. That’s all. Just looking for books.” Prince John said, flatly: ““You’re crazy. I claim you as slaves by right of conquest. It wasn’t very Null-A of you to sit alongside an open fire in the middle of a square like this, was it? Ready to start moving ?” ““Wasn’t it?’ Joseph Mc- Ilwain said. ‘“‘We’re not en- tirely unprotected. And then, of course, we don’t recognise Null-A.”’ The words did not make sense. It was as though a man said: “I do not recognise the sun.” It was a_ syntactical error; clearly the meaning was that they had not had Null-A training. They were slaves, then, escaped from some near- by palace. He said: slaves!”’ Peter Sheppard’s long figure “So you are 90 leaned forward, as though t® look behind him at something in the shadows at his back. His cold, clear voice said: “You will have to hit him, Mark. I think he’s an ob- stinate youngster.” He moved his machine-gun to point more directly at them, contemptuous of this amateur- ish attempt to distract his attention. “I’m not fooled that way,” he said. “Stay where you are.” The shock of astonishment was greater, in a way, than the shock of the blow that landed just behind his ear, propelling him forward, on buckling knees, into the circle of fire- light. And the vague, accom- panying words from the lips of Joseph MclIlwain: “‘No, we’re not slaves. We are Aris- totelians.” It was like being in a mov- ing tank, but strangely differ- ent. There was the heavy roar of engines—a heavier, more sonorous roar—and occa- sional jerks and drops, but the whole thing was too smooth, and the more he listened to the sounds the more clearly he realised that this was no tank. It was too large for one thing. Rubbing his sore head he comicloooks.comn