Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION in a mood to defend their liberties against the threat of invasion by the “hideous and mishapen dwarfs’ of Irries! I kept the news reports on Tauron as objective as pos- sible, but nevertheless, seeing how events were shaping, the military class began to look alert and expectant, and began preparing situation reports, and appreciations, and studies, in anticipation of the mancu- vre which they were certain I had in mind. “So it seems,’’ I remarked to James, “‘that we will have a war. Father-in-law is set on it. His young men are ripe for a little blood-letting; a con- siderable section of our own people are growing bored with the arts of peace, and the only persons who might not wish to fight, those of Irries, may be tempted to strike at us first in self-defence. How does this fit in with your private purposes ?”’ “It does not fit.” “What do we do?” “We can do no more at present. Try to convince Irries that we do not intend a war. Try to persuade your father-in-law that you will never join with him in making war.” “That is not easy, since even my own people smile 50 when I make them such as- surances. Why should pa-in- law or Irries believe me? No, they are sure that Niklas the Swordsman, Niklas the sup- planter of his brother, Niklas the pursuer of women, has some subtle and ingenious plan—and if I did try to withhold from a war, I think my good friends of the navy would remove me.”’ “All this is true,’ James agreed. “I have a plan to propose to you, if the moment should come.” The moment came, about six months after this conversa- tion; the moment came when it seemed that nothing at all could prevent Irries from attacking Argol—or us. “This is my plan,” said James. “You must go to Irries. You must go alone, all the way, in a scout-craft. You must leave without telling the public here what you intend.” ““Now you've got your circuits crossed,’ I told him. “T can think of easier ways of committing suicide... Why! They’ll hang me five minutes after I’ve landed.” ~ “They may,” James con- ceded. “But alternatively, they may listen to you.” conmiclooks.conn