Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Here I am, Mother,” said the boy as he entered the room. He held out his arms to his mother. She smiled, held him close and kissed him. Gently he disengaged him- self. “T have a lot of luggage,” said the boy. tapped an amber panel and a robot appeared. She ordered it to remove the boy’s belong- ings. “ And prepare his bed,” she added. She studied the small lithe body of her son as he settled on one of the rest platforms which floated a metre above the floor of the Martian room. He returned her gaze in- scrutably. “Well, how does it feel to return to Mars in disgrace?” she asked teasingly. “It feels good to return from the Sterile Belt in any manner,” he replied. “Oh, how those dreary old teachers talked and talked! Big words all the time. Big words and small minds.” She laughed. “I see you have not lost your humility. 14 His mother — Have you nourished yourself yet?” “Yes. I dined “in - the orbital rocket. Where’s father ?” A shadow crossed _ the woman’s face and she twisted the viewing box in her hands. “Son,” she said, “‘ promise me that you will be careful what you say to your father. I’m surprised that he took your escapade as he did, but he is a strange man. He may have brought you home only to punish you in some other way.” A robot appeared between two stalky entrance columns. ‘“* Marshal Takato is here,”’ it said. Mother and son rose as the small killer in his ugly grey uniform entered the bril- liantly-lt, | peacock-coloured room. He bowed quickly, as did they, kissed his wife’s hand and said: “ Food.” “Yes, my lord,” said Madame Takato. She tapped a green panel and a robot appeared bearing a tray. It comiclooks.conrn