Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION King’s intention to send me back.”’ They all sat up, quite startled. They had almost forgotten that I was present. “You may say what you wish,’ Tomos told me regally. “But be brief. Enough time has already been spent on ou.” *‘T have an alternative plan,” I told them. “We will hear your plan,” my brother said tolerantly. “But be brief.” “I shall be as brief as possible,”’ I assured him. “‘But you must give me a moment to let the plan unfold. Now watch! You will begin to see the plan. Captain Karan!” Karan gave a signal to his men. They were as tough a bunch of scalliwags as ever manned a space ship. They stepped away from me, spread- ing out round the room, backs to the walls, levelling their weapons at the seated Councillors. I stepped forward to the end of the table. “Brother Tomos,” I told him gently, “‘you have in- spired at least three attempts on my life already, and as for this present affair, I know quite as well as you do what is planned for me once you have got me out in space. I know 40 I should not live to reach Tauron, so I do not intend to go. Rather than go, I shall, if necessary, order these friends of mine to kill you.” “You can gain nothing by this,’ Tomos told me ner- vously. “‘Your belief that we mean you any harm is pure imagination; and as for these. men who are mistaken in their loyalty as to take your part—Captain Karan, if you will order your men to lay aside their weapons, I assure you this incident will be over- looked. I have never forgot- ten how your father served mine faithfully... .” Tomos was rather good at this sort of thing. I thought it would be a mistake to let him continue too long. “I must interrupt you, brother,” I told him. ““Let me develop my plan a little fur- ther.’’ I took a whistle from my pocket and blew. No man could have opened the door, for it was closed with an electric lock, and no man could have burst it open without considerable delay, but James smashed through it in an instant, and stalked up to the further end of the table. He held a _ heavy, military type blast gun in each hand. *“Gentlemen,”’ I announced, COMIC DOOKS.COM