Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION touch with Hacking. Give me a bellow if he sights anything out of the ordinary.” Lewes flipped a sketchy salute, which was easier than speaking. He went back to the ship and settled himself by the radio. It was tuned to the long waves now, and if the skipper were still trying to talk to them, he had no audience but his radio op. Hacking’s comments came through at intervals. “Twenty miles off, and still much cf a muchness. River and forest, forest and river.” A snatch of song: “Old Father Thames keeps rolling along...” *“Can’t see any black beasties in these parts. The other side of the river looks like this side of the river...” “Seventy miles, I trow, and not a living creature have I seen. Life on the Mississippi —ha, ha! Come to peaceful Venus for the perfect holi- day...” “This is just a long streak of boredom... .” 76 “A hundred miles, and now I can’t see the other bank.” Raikes came in, grunting, and raised an interrogative eyebrow. “Still in touch, but no news,’ Lewes told him. “‘Seems to be a pretty lifeless sort of planet.” Raikes grunted again. ““Maybe. Our _piscatorial friends yonder seem to do little but go round in circles. But the circles are widening. Each time round they come a little nearer. Maybe I’m crazy, but I get the feeling they know we’re here, they’re inter- ested in us, but don’t want to show it—yet.”’ “Do you think they might... be dangerous ?”’ Raikes snorted. “Fish? Big as they are, what can they do? They can’t come out of the water. They’ve got fins, but not wings. And if they’re like the one lying over there, they haven’t got any legs, either. A pair of fins, a pair of beady eyes, a tail, and a lot of blubber. Nothing more.” Hacking carolled from the comiclbooks.cormn