Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

TABARNI DOCUMENT open surrender negotiations. I had expected at least an offer to parley.” The marshal laughed. ‘‘ Silence is the oldest weapon in the armoury of psycho- logical warfare,” he = said. “Silence and noise. Thinking beings feel uncomfortable in these extremes. No, the Venusian silence is not to be feared. They have nothing else to offer but their silence, the sullen silence of a child which has misbehaved and can challenge its parents in no other way. This was an ill-considered rebellion, rashly undertaken and imperfectly planned. The trouble with most rebels is that they forget it is not enough to have one strong card in their pack.” He bent to the charts on the table and began to issue directions for the attack. Every section commander checked his minichrono- meter. When his subordinates had gone, the marshal was left sitting in the narrow bucket- 45 seat in the Plus spheroid of his binary. He commanded a view of the circular corridor which connected the Plus to the Minus spheroid. Only the clicking of the plano-indicator above his head reflected the dip and sway of the craft. Food was placed before him, but the emergency rations were unappetising and he pushed them away. A medical robot recorded his pulse, respiration and temperature, and asked him if he felt well. It withdrew after he had snapped a reply. He looked up as a colonel struggled up the corridor against the gyro-field. “ All sections report themselves ready, sir,” he said. “Very well. The operation will begin as arranged when I give the signal.” There was silence in the control room of the Plus spheroid. Both men’s eyes were fixed on the succession of jagged blips which passed across the screen of the tele- chronometer. comicloooks.com