Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

IT TAKES TWO eyes were shining and _ his breathing had quickened. He could see it all. Ships of the Navy, crewed by integrated groups of Space Guardsmen, working together as one com- bined whole, their minds attuned and _ razor-sharp, capable of incredibly rapid manceuvre and_ synchronisa- tion, carrying the war into the Sokkath’s backyard. “What are you talking about, boy?” Old _ Ben’s rumble underlined the abrupt hissing of indrawn breath from Foster and the strained, incredulous expressions of the others in the dome. “Just that here you have developed the perfect weapon to win the war for Earth!” “You don’t know what you're talking about. The commind cannot be ordered about, it cannot be simply brought into existence at the flick of a finger; you have to adapt your own way of life———” “Don’t try to preach to me now. Not with this tremen- dous possibility dropped right into my lap!” Jarril casually unlimbered his hand gun and moved away from the door, 47 putting everyone else in the room in front of the cold gun muzzle. This was action that he understood. Here were none of the hazy imponder- ables and metaphysical con- cepts that had been so freely bandied about lately. Here was a job that he was supremely fitted to perform. “Right. Just keep your hands away from your bodies and start walking. You five will do asa start. If we can’t pry the secret of the com- mind from you, then we'll come back here and scrape up a few more of you mis- fits.’ He gestured with the gun and the others rose, obediently, unhurriedly, their faces on a sudden clearing and losing the dragging lines of strain. They did not speak. In silence they all left the dome, began to walk slowly across the red-packed sand towards the _ rocket perched stumpily out in the desert beyond the ring of cultivation. Jarril had no reason to sum up the situation as being too easily solved. He was used to enforcing his will, if neces- sary with a gun in hand. comicloooks.conn