Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 46 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

SAVIOUR Any difference and they want to change it. And they do change. it. They’ve got the power to do what they like to anyone, today, now that the Government Panel is flooded with these psychos.” ' When she saw that he wasn’t going to continue she walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “‘Steve.”’ “Well ?”’ “Have you heard any other tales like—like that one about Harry Lake? About people going into psychosurgery and not coming out again?” “One or two. Rumours, perhaps. You can never tell.”’ He patted her hand absently. “It’s only recently, I suppose, that I’ve started thinking about it atall seriously. That posting back to the training camp gave me too much time to brood, I imagine.” . “If you really think there’s any danger of Pat...of...” “Of his being a deviant too dangerous to live,”’ he finished for her, brutally. She nodded. “If you think that might be the case, then of course we don’t want to suggest this psychosurgery business at all.” “I don’t know,” her hus- band replied. “I just don’t know. Maybe we won’t have 17 any choice in the matter anyway.” *“What do you mean?” “Well, if we don’t put him into the forces and get him to go into General Labour the security people will be bound to smell something funny. Son of a general going into General Labour? Unheard of. You know the sort of thing. They'll be quite likely to bundle him off to the Psycho- centre straight away. And if he goes into the forces he’ll have to take tests anyway, and the examiners will have com- plete reports of his previous record from the training college.” ‘But are the security people. likely to see them ?”’ “Security men watch every testing for the forces and technological careers.” “Then what are we going to do?” “If we put him in for General Labour he’d be safest, I should think.’’ He forced himself to smile. ““‘But we may be worrying about nothing, after all. If he’s analysed they may find its just one of those—what do they call them—traumatic disturbances. You know, something that happened when he was young that’s gone into his subcon- scious and started trouble. If comiclooks.corn