Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION To Jarril, that was about all that he could take. He pushed Jikko’s nephew to one side, drew his hand- gun and blasted the metal door down in one fiery gout of energy. He was kicking the remaining shards away whilst they were still hot. He went into the store and began to paw over the lined shelves. The short man put his head through the opening and said: ‘Well, mister. I warned you. .I sure feel sorry for you when Jikko gets back.” Then Jarril heard his rapid foot- steps as he walked off. To hell with them, Jarril cursed, and went back to throwing things from the shelves into the centre of the store. He found a cupboard full of valve cartons and rapidly selected the type he needed. Going out, he methodically left a Terran Space Navy requisition voucher alongside the cash register, filled up with the figure stamped on the outside of the carton. The sun was hotter still as he went back towards the radio. Going through the central plaza, he noticed that now the 30 people stared at him as though he had staggered into town carrying the Black Plague. He cursed them again and tilted his water- bottle. It was empty. The motor still whined atop the well, and Jarril turned towards it, pushed his way through the women standing around. They made way for him readily enough, and he tried to ignore the scantiness of their clothing. At that, it was hot. A water-can had just reached the top of the shaft and a woman reached for- ward and unhooked it, swung it dextrously around without waste of effort, and clipped it onto the yoke on the back of another woman. “Can you spare me a bottle full of that water, ma’am?” Jarril asked respectfully. The woman looked — at Jarril with steady eyes that made him uncomfortably aware of his youth. “Surely,” she said quietly. “Help your- self.” | When his bottle was filled, Jarril said: “Thank you, ma’am.” He left the central plaza hurriedly, not quite cer- comicloooks.conm