Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

SOME OTHER TIME had been a spaceman. His small, wiry body and long, dextrous arms, completely suited for life aboard space- ships, slumped now despond- ently in his chair of office. He waved away the caricature of a man standing deferen- tially before him. **As soon as the ore is here, we'll ship it. Your job is to ensure that the ore arrives here. Understand? Now, get out!” The miner saluted clumsily and left. His body was broad- shouldered and long-armed, with tremendous muscle devel- opment over the back. His body was dwarf-like and his legs were barely long enough for him to bend his knees. Rollins grunted and flicked up a toggle. ““How’s development of the new field coming along?” The voice that came from the speaker was desperate, with an awed fear riding it that sent shivers up Rollins’ spine, “Tt’s just the same, Com- mander. The Molinarians sim- 57 ply refuse to leave their homes. Or, at least, what were their homes.”’ “I told you to have men remove them.” “T did—whilst we were destroying their houses to make room for the landing strips. But they kept on com- ing back and sitting down in long lines where their homes had been.” 7 ‘“‘Well, it’s no use them sit- ting there now, is it? I mean, there’s only a concrete landing site now.” “T know.” The voice over the speaker was jittery. “But they still sit there, silent, waiting. Every time we move them off they come back again. I’ve got three ships waiting to come in for planetfall.”’ ‘Three! We’ll have a bottle- neck soon. You’d better do something about it.” ‘‘What can I do? That is, I move the Molinarians off and then, when the ships get set to land, the aliens just come back and sit on the strip.” Rollins breathed deeply, comiclooks.conn