Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION The old man looked un- happy. He fixed his eyes over on the gate. He said: ““They reckon that your hired help left too quick. Specially as no one saw him go, and no one’s seen him since.” **So Y Ss “So we just thought that we'd take a run out, and see what you’d got to say...” Molly came out onto the porch then. The old man smiled at her, a wary smile. ““We’re just visit- ing, ma’am.” “Just snooping, you mean Lessinger said. He turned to Molly. “They’re saying that there’s something strange in the way Mike left. It was too quick they say. The cops like notice these days before a man makes up his mind!” Molly looked surprised. She said: ““But he’d been talking about going for some time. You don’t think... you don’t mean...” She stopped. The old man’s 3° ! face got red. He said: “We have to investigate ma’am. You know the law. We don’t like to think of one of these Adaptants getting hurt.” “But why should we hurt him? He was my husband’s friend.” The old one squirmed a little, and his face got redder. “You know what people are. They get to saying all kinds of things.” “What kind of things? Oh —I see... you mean that he was my lover ?”’ “Well, yes, in a manner of speaking...” “That my husband killed him in a fit of jealousy?” py fai And Molly laughed. She laughed out loud. She said: “Does it look like it to you? Does my husband look like a man who’s got a killing on his conscience? Do you think I'd live with him if it was true? Do I look like a woman who’d sell out her husband, and then sell out her lover?” “MO. “But you’ve got to investi- gate. Is that it? Weil, bring on your bloodhounds. Turn the place upside down. You won’t find anything. There isn’t anything to find.” “It isn’t that we take the people seriously, ma’am. It’s just that there was so much talk. And him going off with- 108 comiclooks.conm