Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION little. Sociable. Excellent work done in_ Instruments Division.” There was no image of the Thought Guardian’s face. Takato shrugged, and gave the box a final click. What he saw made him draw in his breath swiftly. It was the image of a scrap of paper no larger than an apple slice with a brown rind. Three faintly-scrawled sen- tences appeared on it: “ Takato will make his son powerful. But every man must hand on life, not death. Therefore Takato’s son will destroy his father’s works of death.” © That was all. He sat look- ing at the image for some minutes, his lips parted in excitement. He did not know where this scrap of paper had come from, but he understood its significance. This was the sign for which he had been waiting. TABARNI LOOKED around as Takato entered his room. 26 ‘Wait a moment and [ll be with you. Did you have a good trip?” he asked. He plugged in the last of his sen- sory terminals and _ joined Takato on a rest platform. “Yes, a fairly good trip,” said Takato. ‘“ But those Ter- rists got in my hair a bit with their everlasting records. And the gravity! It beats me how they manage to move at all.” “The answer is that they don’t if they can help it,” re- marked the Venusian. “ How. did you find the food ?” ‘““T wonder someone hasn’t taught them how to cook! But look, I didn’t come here just to talk about Earth. I was wondering if you would lend me your casuality nomo- graphs, Cha.” He indicated an untidy pile of papers. “Of course. Something new that Sarvit’s cooking up [shea ‘““ No, it’s a little scheme of my own. Have you ever lived in the Sterile Belt, Cha?” The Venusian _ stretched luxuriously. “Thank you, comiclooks.com