Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION minds, stored with appropriate memories, and fed from time to time with such information as their owners thought they ought to possess, coped neatly and efficiently with any ques- tion that was put to them. From a basis of known facts and routine data they could extrapolate in a way that even Walter Desmond had to admire—their conversation was much smoother and far less grudging than his own tended to be. Indeed, there were times when he found himself looking with some affection at Babs. Babs was always more affable and less argumentative than Barbara. He could talk to Babs—in fact, he had once or twice caught himself talking the most utter nonsense to Babs, and receiving neatly phrased, unembarrassed replies, that eventually brought him to his senses. They were a useful pair. No one would have suspected their essential unreality—no one, that is, who didn’t know of their existence—and there were very few people who did, and they could all be trusted to keep the secret. It was a pity, thought Walter again, that his wife had guessed that she had been fobbed off with the sub- stitute for an evening. Next time he must try to ensure that she couldn’t get at the switch—it made him wince when he looked at the shat- tered horror of that beautiful cupboard door. Next time... As it happened, the next occasion on which he planned to go out with the boys for a pleasant evening gave him the chance of an interesting experiment. “You haven’t forgotten that Simon is coming in tonight, have you, darling?’ said Barbara. In point of fact he had completely forgotten, but he said: ““No, of course not.” Then he thought about it for a moment, and added: “Though I don’t see why he keeps hanging around.” 100 comicloooks.conn