Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION were a member of her own race. “Only you'll have to forgive the chaotic nature of my thoughts, I’m afraid. But— please, won’t you explain what this is all about? And when will my husband be released from the hypnosis? He is hypnotised, isn’t he ?”’ He was silent. She felt once more the odd echoing within her mind, and knew he was in communication with others. “T am not forbidden to in- form you,” he said, abruptly. “It is, perhaps, a little difficult to tell you so you will under- stand; your language is too simple. But we are, I think, what you would mean by a guerrilla force.”’ “A guerrilla force!’ Her heart sank within her. ““There is, then, a war?’ “There is war,’ he said, gravely. “War such as you can neither grasp nor, pos- sibly, believe. But we are cut off from our main forces in the primary spatio-temporal field, and are acting to the best of our ability within the confines of the secondary channel,’’ He broke off as he realised that she had not the faintest idea what he was 18 trying to tell her. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter. But two of our best operatives, Reyell and Mayina—they were brother and sister—tried to obtain information about the dis- position of the enemy’s strength along the tertiary band, which cuts across both primary main and secondary channels. If there is a weak spot somewhere along that line it would probably pay us better to try to break through rather than risk losing our- selves in an attempt to out- flank them along the quater- nary line, which is largely unexplored territory.” He broke off suddenly, leaving Susan with a feeling that he had said more than he should. Whether it was so or not, it gave her a sensation of greater confidence to imagine that he was capable of some of the weaknesses of the men of her own time. “But my husband ?”’ “We'll awaken him as soon as possible after reaching our destination, but it will need care.” Susan felt more satisfied as regards her husband, but she wondered how long they would commicloooks.conn