Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

Peete i maa AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION sake of satisfying my idle curiosity. So, in fact,” I commented, “you, a single, solitary, artificially created personality, have set about reshaping the destinies of the races of the galaxy?” “Exactly,” he agreed, with- out modesty and without bombast. “T think I see a fault in your usually impeccable reas- oning,” I told him. “Do you consider that the small re- orientation you have brought about in this part of the galaxy can have any lasting and important effect? After all, you yourself have called us an insignificant race in an unimportant corner of space.” “What you say is true. But I am leaving your service now; I am going elsewhere across space, to apply my lever to another world, to move it also out of its cultural cycle.” “And wherever you go, you seek out some individual who will serve as a fulcrum to your lever ?”’ “That is my method,” he agreed. “It will take a long time,” I commented. “I have a great deal of time to spare” he pointed out. ““Now,”’ I asked him, “you have answered all questions, and given me every explana- tion—except the final and ultimate one. Why do you do this? Not out of affection for us, I suppose, nor from a sense of duty. Why do you doit?” 2. “I want to know where you will go from here when you begin to move again. I want to see what happens when the ball starts rolling again. That’s all. You see, I have one characteristic in common with other intel- ligences—curiosity !”’ conniclooolks.comn *