Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION morrow. Once the urge is there, <<” His voice tailed away, and he’d turned away from her. She could hear him calling to Mike as he went. She was glad that Mike was going. She was glad that her husband had finally got space worked out of his system, and that he no longer needed Mike around. Lately Mike had beenrather... well... Molly thought it was high time that he did go. She didn’t feel safe when he was around. It wasn’t that he’d tried to do anything ... not yet. It was just that he looked, and you always had the idea that he was on the verge of doing something. You always had to be on your guard. And he was so damned adaptable. You got sick of it. You tried to pick a quarrel with him—tried to show him that you didn’t want him. It was no good. He was so clinging. He fitted so. well that you could never fight him. It was like trying to pick an argument with smoke. You just got sick of him. She got up from the bed, went over to the window. She watched the truck drive out. 106 Her husband waved to her. Mike waved too. She waved back. Feeling the sun heavy on her. Feeling that she was glad that Mike was going. Hoping that it would be soon. A couple of hours after she heard the explosion her hus- band came home, alone. She saw that he was alone when the truck turned in at the gate, and when she saw his face she thought that something had gone wrong at the blast- ing. You could tell that some- thing had happened. He looked strained. She ran out to meet him, careless of the sun. ““Where’s Mike?” “He left, like I said he might.” “Is there anything wrong? You look worried.” “No, nothing.’ He screwed up a grin. He said: “It’s just a relief. You know. To be on our own.”’ He said: “I’m glad he’s gone. Boy! Am I glad!” She was happy then. She linked her arm in his. She . walked back to the house with him, matching her stride with his own. comiclooks.cormn