Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

SOME OTHER TIME ing stuff and struggled to prevent the wracking coughs that shook his body like an old tree groaning in the wind. When the spasm passed he spat into a paper towel. His life blood lay in a red thread across the paper. He grunted and pushed the paper towel down the dispenser. Time! Everything was a scampering rush against a deadline. The final justification of all his work lay a month away, when his experiments would be complete. He had to last out. The two spots of red that fired his cheeks, offsetting the pallor of his face, told of the disease. He just had to ignore it. “Doctor Carpenter! you feeling all right?” “Of course, Louise.”’ The reply was automatic, jerked from him without thought. He had not heard the outer door open, and now his secretary stood just inside, a worried, anxiously sympathetic expres- sion doing nothing to hide the beauty of her face. Her im- maculate white business suit, Are ~~! flawless complexion and per- fectly arranged dark hair were foils for the human warmth that lurked in her grey eyes. “Of course I’m all right,” Carpenter said again. “‘Just a cough.” ““‘Well——””_ Louise said, reluctantly. She opened her notebook. “You have the two committee men to see at eleven; that’s only an hour off. A call came in from Earth. Senator Charrington wants last month’s reports amplified ; not satisfied, he said. Oh, yes. Katrin’s not well.” “Katrin? What’s the matter ?” “I’m worried, Doctor. She just cries whenever anyone asks her. Something about a toy that was broken.” “It’s not physical ? She’s not regenerating ? No, shecouldn’t now, not at this stage. Has Armstrong seen her?” “Yes. Doctor Armstrong spent a half hour talking to her this morning before you ar- rived.”’ Louise’s pencil tapped her notebook and her mouth was prim. ““He came out of the comicloooks.conm