Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

THE LEVER AND THE FULCRUM the arrival of our party from Tauron with joyous anti- cipation. But I had turned my eyes— or perhaps James had caused them to turn—in the direction of Princess Nara. What I hoped for, I have no idea. I was pretty certain that my brother would have me in prison when we returned to Tauron on one charge or another; in fact, I thought my race was nearly run, and [ proposed to amuse myself a little before the end came. I could make my brother sulk, and cause heads to wag. The Princess was a woman of her race and age, sophisti- cated, eager to be amused, feminine; we danced together; we walked on the terrace out- side the palace—and all the time we fenced together with words, laughingly and lightly. I saw my brother’s dark looks and heard whispers behind my back. It was deliciously exciting and amus- ing—and dangerous as hell. We progressed at a gallop, at breakneck speed, at a rate that would find me any day in the cells of one of our own ships. **Y our brother, my husband- to-be, is not over-pleased that you attend on me so closely,” she remarked one day. “Can 33 he do you.any hurt, out of spite?” “Not a thing,” I assured her, laughing. “And [ fail to see why he should object. You are not his queen for some weeks yet. When you are, I shall be respectful, and never approach you nearer than ten yards.” I was a good deal closer to her than that at the moment. “‘And you, I am sure, will not permit it...” I looked at her sideways, a little questioningly. “I suppose ?”’ “When I am Queen, my dear Niklas,” she told me, “‘I shall be so in good style. I shall be no second-rate Queen, no cause for gossip, or whisp- ering behind hands.” *“You are very wise,” I said regretfully. “In all my life I have never longed to be in my brother’s place till now. Do you find my brother attractive ?”’ “He is not at all bad,” she conceded. ‘‘He is cleaner and tidier than some of these local Counts who might have had me. I think he is un- likely to turn his eyes on other women, which is a thing I would not hope for if you were to become my husband, dear brother-in-law. And then, he has one notable ecommiclbooks.comn