Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 51 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

THE ENVIED home with such force, was a terrifying, unnatural one. He licked his lips and thrust his hands down into the warm sand as though to push himself up and escape. He said : “Things are different. I mean ... well, life goes on, you know. If I’d realised... But there’s nothing to be done now, is there?” There was a pause. She did not reply. “Is there?” he said again. Judith moved towards him. The machine was ungraceful, but in some way horribly pur- poseful. The metallic voice said: “T’m lonely, Warren. You can’t understand the meaning of this loneliness. If I can’t have you as a human being, as Deborah is having you— talking and laughing with her, touching her arm, making love to her—if I can’t have that, at least I have a claim to your mind.” “Of course you have. We always got on well together. We always had plenty to say a8 to one another,” said Warren desperately, wildly. “T think you should join me.” “TI don’t know what you mean.” ‘* Perhaps this world will be less lonely if you’re in it with me.” Warren tried to cry out, but the flexible, strong fingers were at his throat. He lashed out, and bruised his fists against the unyielding body. They went down in the sand together, and with remorse- less fingers tightening in a grip that could not be broken. The blue of the sea and sky was shot through with vicious colours before Warren’s eyes. Vainly he hammered against the metal, feeling himself growing weaker, with a pounding in his head that threatened to split it open. “Come with me,” said Judith. “ You must come.” Then the pressure relaxed. There was another figure there—a Grey who prised Judith’s fingers open and pulled her back. comiclbooks.com