Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 50 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

IT TAKES TWO of his coverall, already stiff with dried blood. “My screen will keep up as long as is necessary.” “When was your last pep- tablet?” Garfon glanced at his wrist-watch. “One hour ago. It should have lasted me for three hours, but already I feel the need for another.” “We know that the Sok- kath picked up our lifeboat almost as soon as we'd left the ship. There is a ninety- nine per cent. chance that we avoided them up until the time of the crash on this planet. Approximately fifty per cent. certain that they’ve picked us up again. We've ten miles to the settlement— there’s a ninety per cent. cer- tainty it’s a settlement and not a city—and at normal regulation speed I can reach it in two and a half hours.” Jarril looked down at Garfon, slumped. in the sand with his damaged leg bared and the swelling lump and_blood- stains disfiguring -his knee. He said: “I find it a hun- dred per cent. resolution that you will not reach the settle- ment, Garfon.”’ Garfon rolled over and sat up. “Just walk off and leave me, Jarril—no, sorry, that’s out. You’d have to make sure I did die.” Jarril said nothing. Garfon pulled his weapon from its dark leather holster, checked the load and care- fully brushed away a few grains of red sand. Moving with deceptive ease, Jarril took the gun away from his companion and thrust it into his belt. “Not that way, Garfon,” he said, and there was almost re- proach in his voice. That tickling memory came back with the action, and a vague regret that Garfon could obviously not have received a hundred per cent. gradua- tion passout. “That would be a waste of a charge. In the situation confronting us, with the Sokkath in pursuit know- ing that we know the location of their most powerful battle fleet, we must exercise every fragment of strength we pos- sess. Even a single charge of a hand gun.” “You’re right, of course.” Garfon put a trembling hand to his head and pushed the comicloooks.com