Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

* - ’ a 3 ; : PS ee Pi =. - - ° _- aS =” AY 4, OF - r AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION with them now. He’d grown up. He’d left behind him the need of symbols to share his misery. He kicked the rich earth, watched the grass slowly bend back, and the straight dark line of the bruise on each stem flung a challenge at him. His eyes were full of the glory of the sunset, and the sweet, heady smell of new-cut grass floated levelly across the green into his nostrils. Came results day. The Great Hall was lined with the expectant boys, on tiptoe, buzzing, eager, shining- faced, waiting. The body of the hall was filled with the chairs of the parents. They sat there, self-conscious, proud, pulling theiy clothes around them, straightening their ties, glancing quickly at the flower- banked<masses of boys’ faces and away again. In the front of the rows of chairs sat a group of white- haired, dessicated, intently watching men. Marshal knew it all. ““There’s Carmody—he’s the greatest neural surgeon in the system. And Linton— 76 radiologist. And that’s’— : pointing with the brashly out- flung finger of youth— “O’Keefe—micro-biologist. What are they doing here?” ““Come to see you take your prize, Marshal.” “Want a volunteer te dissect.” “Go on, Marshal, you volunteer.” The boys were bold now, bold with the knowledge that their parents were in the hall, and that this was the last day of term. The last day of school. Tomorrow—the world. Orfie sat hunched up, with- drawn, apart, not of their world of warmth and friend- liness and family life. Tomorrow was the world. And he had wanted the stars. The Head cleared his throat with the sound of a gravel truck changing gear. He ad- justed his pince-nez. Orfie did not hear the intro- ductory speeches, or hear the bursts of applause. He was watching blindly an ant crawl across the smeared trail of the Milky Way. The Head began to call out the names of those who had comicloooks.conn |