Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

ERRAND OF MERCY “T promise.” He entered the ship and fastened the air lock door behind him. Purposefully, he made the preparations for take off. | Then all was ready. He pressed the firing button. The ship leaped from the ground. For the next few seconds, all went according to the manual. And then ... He was nearly a mile up when he noted that the minnow had gained insufficient speed to reach the orbit of the parent ship. The fuel tank indicator showed a dangerously low figure. Now he recalled the waste of fuel through the bad land- ing. It was even worse than Raikes had thought. He wasn’t going to make it. He might reach a height of a hundred miles, but inevitably the ship would crash back on Venus. There was one slim chance, and he tried it. He sent out a mental prayer. It was a very precise prayer, stating the exact impetus he needed. The prayer was answered by a deed, and at once. A power which did not reside in the fuel tank seized the minnow, gave it the necessary accelera- tion, and sped it on its errand of mercy up through the clouds. THE LEVER AND THE FULCRUM is the title of next month’s lead story by Alan Barclay. Kenneth Bulmer gives us First Down. Other stories are Vital and Urgent by F. Lindsley, Forever Today by Len.Shaw. We welcome back Frank Quattrocchi with a story called Addict. The usual features such as The March of Science, Fanzines, Reviews, etc., are also included. AUTHENTIC—A Monthiy Must? 91 conmicloooks. com