Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

THIRD HAND “I’m glad too,” she said. “I didn’t like to say this before. I didn’t like to say anything in case you got mad at me. But I’m glad that he’s gone. So very, very glad. It was time that we were alone. The years of space travel are dead now. We know each other again. We’ve got used to each other. We've adapted our lives...” She laughed out loud. “*T said it—see... Adapted!” She laughed again. It was a carefree laugh, a contented laugh. “I said it!” Lessinger laughed too. They walked into the house together. Arm in arm. It was just like old times. Like the beginning all over again. Lessinger was nailing up the screen when they called. The wind had caught at it during the night, and had banged it about a bit. Lessinger had heard it and Molly had heard it too. It had awakened her and he’d had to get up and tie it back so she could get some rest. Now he was fixing it so it wouldn’t bang loose again. He saw the car drive in through the gates, and won- dered what they wanted. He knew it was a police car as soon as he sawit. You couldn’t mistake those new jet jobs. He thought that the police seemed to get the best of everything. Even cars! They came stumping over to the house. There were three of them. They were look- ing around them as they came. . They came right up onto the porch, The old one was fat. His chin overhung his collar by a good two inches. He eyed the house. He looked Lessinger over. He spat into the dust below the porch. ‘““You Lessinger ?”’ _ He nodded. “‘What can I do for you?’’ “People talk; you know how it is...’ The old man’s eyes were moving around as though he were looking for something. “Can't we go in off the porch ?” Lessinger felt rebellious. For some reason he just felt cussed. He was sick of being polite to the police. “T like it here!” “Just as you say...” “What are people talking about ?” 107 comicloooks.com