Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 46 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

SAVIOUR “The pipe,’’ murmured the General’s wife, her eyes on her son. She pulled herself to- gether. “I must look at the pipe.” She went out into the hall and up the stairs. The General regarded his son steelily, yet with a certain sorrow also. ““How long were you listening?” Patrick Vane scowled and rubbed his leg. “Long enough.”’ *““Not very nice, boy, to spy on your parents like that.” “Then why couldn’t you say all that when I’m there to hear it? Why do you all have to keep plotting and planning behind my back ?” His father sighed. ‘““We weren’t plotting and planning, boy. You’re our son and we love you. Also you’re our responsibility until you're three years older than you are now. Besides, considering the things I was telling your mother just now it’s only natural that we shouldn’t want you to hear us. We’re not sadists. I didn’t want you to know about Harry Lake be- cause . . . well, for obvious reasons.” Patrick looked at the floor near his father’s feet. ““Poor Harry,” he said, softly. “‘Just because he was different from the mob, they decided to get 19 rid of him. They decided!’’ The words screamed out harshly in the little kitchen. “‘Who the hell are they to say whether someone should live or whether they should die? What damned right have they got to poke and pry into people’s lives?” “You must have heard me say that I just chanced to pick up this tale,’ the General said, quickly. “Likely as not it’s a pack of lies. No sense in believing everything you hear.” “But you believed it,” his son told him with conviction in his voice. ““Or you believed ~ it quite possible, anyway. If you hadn’t you’d never have told mother about it. Don’t forget I heard you talking ‘about what the psychos were doing to peopleand howthey’d got more and more powerful.” The General tried out a laugh that never came off. “I was just rambling,” he said. ‘As I told your mother, this desk job I’ve had recently must have left me too much time to brood.” His son took a pace forward angrily. ““Too much time! That’s a good one. Can’t you see that you’ve got things round the wrong way? Can’t you see that it’s because no- body has enough time to brood comiclooks.conn