Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

.TO SHAKE THE STARS “IT don’t know, sir.” “Try, Brown. Tell me. What do the other boys call you?’ “IT can’t.” He traced the pattern on the carpet with his toe, pointed like a _ ballet dancer’s, following that jump and burrowing of the black threads. The Head rustled his papers and swallowed. “Isn’t it—Orfie?’’ he asked, gently. : ees, Git. “Well. That isn’t so bad, is it? I remember when you first came here, Brown. You were not much smaller then than you are now. You haven’t grown much, have you, in eightyears ? Well, never mind.”’ Never mind. He’d told himself that ever since the others began to grow away ‘from him. He’d told it to himself night after night, - gleepless and miserable in the silent indifference of the moonlit dorm. “Your record shows that you want to be a rocket pilot.” The Head put his palms to- gether as though he were all alone in a great cathedral. “You want to see the wonders of space. Being smal! might be 71 an advantage there, Brown.” “IT hope so, sir.” *“Y ou’re not the only orphan here, boy. Why don’t the boys call those other orphans ‘Orta 7" “T don’t know, sir.” “Well, think about it, Brown.’ The Head took a cigar from a humidor and lit it with relish. The cigar was like the ships that plied the Deneb run, Long, sleek and fast in the interstellar emptiness. “You’ve been doing very well here, Brown. Very well indeed. I had high hopes that you would prove to be our star pupil.” ‘Thank you, sir.” “Ah, but, Brown.” The Head waved the cigar and his wrinkled, kindly face creased around the eyes. ““You’ve been backsliding these last couple of months. Quite unlike you. What’s been the trouble?’ The question came out sharp and bright, and unanswerable, like an executioner’s sword. He shuffled his feet, seeing his shoes dusty, with small brown rips in them where they played football with stones. His hands were wet. He licked his lips. ecommiclooolks.conn