Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

TABARNI DOCUMENT He calmed himself, then went om: “You know you have forfeited your life. You know that in the normal course of events I should have no hesitation in killing you here and now and consigning your. cadaver to radio- activity. But arrogant, con- temptuous, despicable heretic that you are, you realise you are not here in the normal course of events. You know very well that your father and I were friends at college. And you count on your father’s fame and my friendship to save you from the fate you so thoroughly deserve.” A vein throbbed beside the silver thatch of his hair. The _monkey-like figure of the boy did not stir, “"Takato,” cried the Head harshly, “ you will find that you cannot trifle with the beliefs of the system in this way. You will find that there is nothing so terrible as the anger of the system when you challenge its basic concept of ageression. You may attempt, coward and rebel that you are, to hide behind that illus- trious man who must own you as his son. But you will find that dishonourable death and eternal obscurity will be your fate. You will be for- gotten, blotted out, erased. There will be nothing to show posterity that such a creature as you ever existed.” The Head had stopped. The vaulted walls of the room enclosed the little group as the shell of a nut enfolds its kernel. Only the soft whisper of the air-conditioning unit broke the silence. Takato’s voice was cour- teous and calm. “And what exactly do you propose to do, sir?” he asked. MADAME TAKATO turned as the robot servant spoke in its metallic voice: “ Madame, Son Takato has arrived.” “Show him in,” said the Martian woman, laying down the pretty viewing box: in which she had been watching the Martian translation of a classic Terrist story. 13° connicloooks.comn