Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION the office. Carpenter waved the other two to chairs; then, with a set, fixed smile sat down himself in his own chair. Whatever he had expected to happen had not occurred, and he had a flash of sardonic anger at himself. Sitting in his own Office chair giving him the screaming heebie-jeebies was a situation too nearly approaching insanity for his liking. He had to do a lot of fancy talking just now and he couldn’t be put off by other considerations. Merrick was tall and dark and beefy, with the faint stubble of a hasty shave still peppering his skin. He re- minded Carpenter of a hoary forest giant, against whose rough bark you could scrape tender skin until you were tired. There was an ominous glint in his pale eyes that Car- penter avoided. He shuffled ' papers on his desk and made a steeple of his hands, looked directly at Merrick. There was a silence. Car- penter hoped that this little hiatus would not be construed 16 by the two visiting committee men as a hesitation on his part. He coughed and held all his body rigid until the spasm had passed. | “Still troubled, Doctor?” Merrick asked, sympathetic- ally. “You ought to get treat- ment. Not too late yet.” ““Maybe I will when my work here is finished.” “Well, don’t leave it too long.”’ Merrick took a thick cigar with a gaudy band from his pocket and cut off the end with a silver knife. He looked up suddenly, and said: “Oh, sorry. You don’t know Sena- tor William Mackenzie. Doc- tor Carpenter, Senator Mackenzie.” Carpenter grunted an ac- knowledgment, waiting for this farce to finish and the real business to begin. He had a good idea what these two men wanted to say. It remained to find out just how they pro- posed going about it. Macken- zie pulled out a silver cigar- ette-case and proffered it to Carpenter. comicloooks.com