Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

THE LEVER AND THE FULCRUM volved in one duel after another with the voung men of this court. It is only fortunate that he has failed to kill any of his opponents.” Tomos elaborated on this. He said the good relations which the royal marriage was intended to foster were being jeopardised by my _ swash- buckling. Then he brought their atten- tion to a more recent and more serious misdemeanour of mine. Everyone, myself included, was interested to see how my devious and oblique-minded brother would represent my escapade. He proceeded. Ac- cording to him, I had been having affairs with the young women of the palace. Not only had I been distressfully indiscreet, but Princess Nara had been mistakenly identi- fied as one of the women concerned. An audible sigh of admira- tion went up at this treatment of an exceedingly delicate topic. “However fantastic any such rumour might appear to ourselves,” my brother went on, looking around him (nods of assent from the listeners), *“‘such stories have their effect on the minds of the common people...” 39 And so he went on. It was excellently done. “T would, therefore, like to have your agreement,” he concluded, “‘that Prince Nik- las be sent back to Tauron at once.” Everyone intended finally to agree to this, but a number of people realised the neces- sity, for the King’s sake, of | going through the motions of objecting, making alternative suggestions, and then later withdrawing them. A number realised that I was unlikely ever to reach Tauron. [’m sure they felt sorry for me, but did not propose to do any- thing about it. Someone suggested I should be required to make a public statement declaring that the woman involved had not been the Princess Nara. This was objected to on the grounds that it would merely underline the rumour already current. A pleasant ten minutes was devoted to a consideration of this aspect of the case. There began to appear an atmos- phere of finality. Clearly a final decision was on the point of being taken. I seized on a pause in the conversation. “T think,” I said loudly, “that I myself have something useful to say concerning the Cconniclooolkks.comnny : os