Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION There was no such €asy solution here; to begin with, Servo had not been Henry Smith’s own idea. Unfortun- ately, Mr. Smith was an essential cog in his country’s security. It had not been thought advisable that a human servant should be in such close, familiar contact with the repository of such vast, secret knowledge. Human servants might con- ceivably be bribed or terror- ised. Also it was imperative that the Great Brain should not be distracted by perform- ing small, menial duties him- self. Hence, Servo. Mr. Smith thought of the divine imperfections of the dour, tyrannical Alfred whom Ser- vo had replaced, and sighed regretfully. He began to struggle against his benevolent tyrant. Occasionally by humming a careless strophe and exercis- ing a careful mind-block he would succeed in diving headlong into the. bathroom and taking his own bath, while Servo tapped gently at the locked door. For there never was any violence in Servo’s reactions. Everything was done quietly, gently and perfectly. When Henry, after one of these successful sorties, | would emerge, Servo would be standing there, smiling his eager smile, waiting for the next wish. Mr. Smith found himself yielding to the state of mind that impels one to kick a cringing dog. And there was no escaping him except at work. Every morning a magnificent, official car arrived at Mr. Smith’s door and whirled him to the very entrance of the little cubicle which had come to seem to the harassed little man a haven of refuge from the comfortable apartment with its ubiquitous attending genius. Here Henry Smith was in his true element. As the beautiful, exact equations unrolled in their unwearied perfection, he 108 comiclooks.conrn hummed ,