Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

IT TAKES TWO kaths, have been here, and one look at the desert con- vinced them they didn’t ought to stay. We have a regular ship trading into one of Terra’s outer frontier planets for food and equip- ment and such. But that must be obvious from our supplies that you have already seen.” “I'd gathered that. I had an idea that you might be trading with the Sokkaths.” Jarril felt stronger, and the singing in his head was only background now, like the hoarse rumble of ultra-light. “We do,” Ben said surpris- ingly. He held up one brown hand and went on speaking. “We adopt the same attitude to the Sokkaths as we do to Terrans. Live and let live. Now to get back to the original settlers who came here: they decided to live a way of life that was com- pletely free of all petty bicker- ing and quarrels and to open up their minds to the better things of life. They cast aside all restraints and inhibitions. Of course, that took time; but once the second generation was coming along, the pro- 41 gress increased out of all pro- portion.” “That explains your queer dress and Foster’s camel.” “That’s it. You’re getting the idea. Do just what you want to do and let the next fellow do what he wants.” “How about farming? And work? And keeping the wheels turning?” “We held on to a Social Conscience, son. Don’t think we're a bunch of anarchists. If a nasty job has to be done, then someone will always be around to say: ‘I feel like doing that.’ It works out if you keep your Social Con- science in perspective.” “How about your con- science when it comes to the cowardly attack on Earth by the Sokkaths?” “T’ve already said that these early settlers believed all wars to spring from some maladjustment in the human brain. The same holds true of Sokkaths. If we could only free our minds of all the petty worries and fears and prejudices—no more wars.” So 7 “We found that the Sok- kaths attacked Terrans by comicloooks.conn