Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION faces, ebony and ivory; there were Martian faces, smooth in texture, faces that might have been fashioned from fine ceramics; and there were faces like Takato’s own, faces typical of nothing but their owners’ mixed ancestry. The Constructors bore Takato on their shoulders as he reached the bottom of the escalator. He felt his body lifted like a feather. ing he had been mistaken for some returning hero, he tried to say: “I’m Takato. Takato from Mars.” But the Con- structors took no notice. They were obviously merry, despite their complete absence of noise. The group arrived at a warm cupola where dancers, jugglers and musicians sported themselves in front of a largely heedless audience. Here there was sound again. In abundance. Takato was set down from his shoulder perch. He was almost buried in the jostling group of Con- structors as they blundered about looking for rest plat- Think- - 18 forms and shouting greetings to their friends. He found himself wedged between a red-bearded ebony giant and a dapper little Ter- rist with twinkling grey eyes. Both men removed _ their breathing globes and signalled to Takato to do likewise. “What were you trying to say outside?” asked the Ter- rist. “T said my name _ was Takato. I thought you might have mistaken me for some- one else.” “Can’t hear a thing out there,” said the Terrist. ‘‘ Not unless we were all on the same audio-circuit. Now in here you can make a jolly good row and have the satisfaction of hearing it. Tends to get a bit stuffy in here when the boys and girls let themselves go, but at least we do have air. My name,” he added in- consequentially, “is Soren- sen.” The red-bearded giant said in a thick, rumbling voice: “T’m Cha Tabarni, and I’m comiclooks.conn