Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

THE LEVER AND THE FULCRUM “No, sir,’’ said the robot. Of course not. Why should I expect a robot to be capable of affection? Yet this one seemed to have purpose—and if I mistook not, purpose implied wishes, desires, per- haps even hopes. I put these speculations out of my mind. “Get out the land car and take the young lady home,” I told him instead. “And after you have done so, dis- pose of this corpse. Dump it in the river, or in one of the furnaces.” Do you know, for a moment I wondered whether he would obey me? But of course he did. Next morning I dressed and ate earlier than usual. [ strapped on my sword and walked over to the palace. I went by a path leading to a side entrance, and thus was able to enter the main hall without being observed. I paused in the shadow under an archway for a moment, watching. My brother was there as usual, surrounded by his friends and advisers. I saw Condar talking to a friend. I walked over quietly and was among them without being noticed. Condar had no more than time to glimpse me before I was upon him. 17 I struck him across the face, then seized a jug of water from the table and flung its contents over him so that it drenched his head and the front of his scarlet tunic. There were murmurs and cries from the onlookers. I heard my brother exclaim: “What is this, Niklas?”’ But now our swords were out, and I was much too occupied to explain. Condar knew what I was about all right. He knew I had come to kill him. I for my part knew I must do the job quickly, before some- one tripped me or jerked my arm. It was a nasty, sweating, vicious business for a few minutes, then I stabbed him in the neck, and he fell,. spouting blood, at my brother’s feet. “He,” I pointed to the body, ‘“‘sent two men last night to murder me,” I let them contemplate that bare statement. “You are too hasty, brother,’’ Tomos protested, licking his lips and looking uneasily at my dripping sword. “Might you not have asked me for justice—should the man not have been tried ?”’ “I would not trouble you with so small a matter,” I told him. I saw that the men comicloooks.conn