Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Pm all right,” Carpenter grunted with more force than he intended. “Look at this doll, Louise. Could it have walked as Katrin said?” He pointed out the frayed ends and the conclusions he had reached. ‘“‘Telekinesis could explain it.” ““Yes—but———”’ Louise, he could see, was trying to under- stand why he should take such an outlandish position in this childish matter. “I see how the doljl was broken. I expect Katrin did that herself, walking her doll, and when the legs broke she fabricated the other story.” Louise sounded perfectly confident. “Does that add up with Katrin’s character ?” *“‘Well—no. But these chil- dren are different from any others.” He ached to tell Louise of all that had happened. But now, after her appraisal of this particular problem, he felt that she would rationalise them all. And if the one particular event on which he was pinning his faith could 40 be proved to be merely a childish deception—what about all the others? Hallu- cinations? He coughed and spluttered and found the whisky bottle. Was he mad? “I came in to tell you that the gentleman who was wait- ing for you is nowhere to be _found. I’ve had the guards searching.” “Okay, Louise. [ll leave that to you and Security.” His arm, putting the tumbler back, clumsily knocked a pen on the floor. He bent to retrieve it, and as his head went down on a level with the seat of his chair he caught the familiar odour of polish. He stayed down; sniffing. On the plastic floor under the legs of the chair, where he shifted it around, were in- numerable little scratches and contusions. At this angle, with the blood drumming in his ears, he could see four thin, wavering scratches leading away from the chair legs and disappearing under the wash- room door. He straightened up with a grunt and pulled his comiclooks.comn