Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION Together they strained at the wheel. “It’s moving!” grunted George. “Try again.”’ His face mottled and veins rose on his forehead and neck. Metal grated, grated again, and abruptly the wheel spun free. Jeff reached for a portable Geiger counter, flicked the switch of a small pump, and waited, sweat glistening on his face as he listened to the chatter of the instrument. **How is it?” “Wait!” Jeff licked his lips as he stared at the dial of the Geiger, and its mechanical click rose to a soft purr. *““Can we breath it?’ Lorna thrust forward, her lips parted, as she gasped the thick air. “It’s stifling in here. We’ve got to be able to breath it, Jeff. I can’t stand it down here much longer.” ‘““You'll stand it as long as you have to,” snapped Jeff, curtly. “It isn’t too bad, and anyway, we have no choice.” He twisted a handle, threw more switches, and pumps whined as they sucked air from the surface and expelled the stale oxygen. “Will we be all right ?” 82 “Yes, Lorna,’ said Jeff, with forced cheerfulness. “It’s radioactive, but that was to be expected, and it won’t harm us.” ‘Then we can go out now?” “Not yet. It would be silly to take chances now, and we may as well wait for the rescue parties.” “Wait? She frowned and looked down at her soiled clothes. ‘““Why must we wait? I want to get some things from the house, clothes, and there’s all my jewels and make-up. Why can’t we get them, Jeff?” - “The house will have collapsed, Lorna,” said George, quietly. “‘ We'll have to wait until they dig us out.” “‘There’s another door at the end of the shelter—why can’t we use that?” “Is there another door, Jeff?” “Yes. I guessed that the house might go and had an escape tunnel built. We could get out that way if we wanted to, but we’d better leave it for a while.” Sut “‘T said that we’d leave it for a while, Lorna!’ Jeff glared at comiclbooks.cormn