Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION quency, and tried calling per- sistently, with both mike and key. The silence, as they waited for a response, was broken only by their breathing. - Presently, Hacking said: “You win,’ and tossed a cigarette to Raikes, who lit it and switched off the small set. *‘Never mind,”’ said Hack- ing. “Itll keep. At least they can see we’re not in the drink.” “We were, as near as dammit,” said Raikes, puffing smoke. He ignored the skip- per’s plaintive voice from the other set, and went to look at Venus for the first time from ground level. Despite the lowering clouds, it was quite bright outside, for they were twenty-six million miles nearer to the sun. The river was so wide that it looked like the sea—the opposite bank was over the horizon. But the waves were running trans- versely, and were whipped into white caps by the wind. The bare, earthy plateau stretched away on the other 72 side. Behind the ship the mountains climbed into the clouds. Below, an unbroken forest crowded the river along its tumultuous, downhill course—perhaps all the way to its immensely distant mouth. Raikes couldn’t see the forest clearly enough through the small port holes. So he sent the telescopic TV camera on its tripod, up through the flap near the ship’s nose, and took a look at the screen. Hacking joined him, as Lewes stood up rather dizzily and said he felt all right now—he didn’t look it. It wasn’t a forest of trees, but of great fronded plants over two hundred feet tall. Venus was consistent in its liking for size. Raikes swung the camera riverwards. ‘“‘What the devil’s that?’ asked Hacking. A_ whale- sized thing was leaping and twisting about in the river like a dolphin. Raikes said: “I don’t know, but it seems to be full of joie de vivre.” comcoooks.con