Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 46 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION what’s wrong with my think- ing that. It’s only natural.” The General took out a cigarette case, looked at it and returned it to his pocket. ‘““But—but psychosurgery,”’ he muttered. “I know they’re using it more and more now on ordinary people to adjust them to certain forms of work and help them over neuroses aha started i in their childhood, ut “But what t: “You know what it’s main use is, don’t you?” “Weeding out cuits mutations, you mean?” He nodded. “After the physical and mental freaks that were born of parents who got hit in the original surface radiation days, they’ve had to be very careful. Some- times mental deviants don’t show any noticeable differ- ences until they’re out of childhood.” “But psychosurgery at the right time can remove the deviation in some way, can’t it?’ Her voice was hard. “Apparently. Sometimes. I don’t know a great deal about it.”’” He looked at her. “‘Are you trying to tell me you think Pat’s a mutation?” “Tt think he’s particularly unfit for this form of society. 12 With total war and every able- bodied man needed in some field or other, to help in the general cause, there’s no place for idlers who won’t put their brains and their ability to any use whatever. His radical ideas about ‘not seeing why he should have to take part in a war he didn’t start’ and ‘why should he have any part in the killing of men he didn’t even know, much less hate,’ are enough to make me feel that psychosurgery is probably the only thing that will get him to fit into life. Isn’t it better, for his own sake, that he should stop trying to fight things that are too big for him ?” He looked at his wife and shook his head slowly, almost wonderingly. ““You’re strong, Laura,” he said, not without a certain admiration. “I sup- pose that’s one of the reasons I married you.”’ Her shoulders moved in the slightest of shrugs. “I’m just trying to think what’s best all round,” she told him. “Pat has the ability to learn—his early training tests prove that. Also he’s got a good mind. It’s simply that he’s developed wrong ideas, probably as a result of spending too much time on his own and brooding on problems that have beaten comiclbooks.conn