Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION She dialed the post on the communiphone and asked to be put through to Colonel Cole, urgently. THE COLONEL was there in five minutes. “Never thought I’d set foot inside your place, Mary,” he said. ““What’s this all about ?” She told him; he went with her up the stairs. “Son,” he said through the door. “Is that you in there?” “Yes, sir.” The voice was calm. “Unbolt the door, Mary, please.” The lieutenant was standing by the open window. The windstorm had died down and dusk had come. He had retrieved the pistol. It was in his right hand, again in the handkerchief. “I’m waiting for an ex- planation, son,” his father said. Mary turned to leave, but the colonel motioned her to remain. She switched on the lights. The lieutenant broke a 128 long silence. He sat down on the window sill. “All right,”” he said, “I shot her. I had to, to keep her from disgracing me—and, through me, you. I did it for you as much as for any- one, sir.” “What are you talking about ?”’ the father demanded. The son told the whole story, haltingly at first, but then with growing confidence. His eyes were wild, but his voice was calm. ‘“‘That’s the way it had to be,” he said, “to protect our good name. And we can still protect it. They’ve got a good case against the girl—that Martian creature. She’s only a sub-human, any- way. She’s not important. And when they find this gun here they won’t have any choice but to convict. No one will know, except you and me—and her. And we can buy her off. How much do you want, Mary? How much to keep quiet and say nothing?” comicloooks.conn