Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

STAR HAVEN merely uncovered the skulls and reburied them im- mediately after examination. The graves were old and no flesh remained on the bones.” ““Marks of fire?’ Gerald leaned forward, his eyes serious. “‘Had the bodies been burned ?”’ “Ves.” “What? Williams stared his horror and instinctively moved away from the doctor. Hermitage grunted his contempt. “No need to get scared. The burning was obviously a pre- cautionary measure and, any- way, they couldn’t have died of plague, certainly not an alien infection.” “Why not?’ Gerald nar-, rowed his eyes in thought. “You're not going to tell us that old one about alien bacteria not being able to live in a human organism.” “That truism,” said Her- mitage stiffly, “‘still applies. Divergent species cannot in- fect each other with their own peculiar afflictions. Have you 15 ever heard of a man suffering from tobacco mosaic? Or a rattlesnake with mumps? Or a man suffering from hard pad or distemper? Those illnesses are all native to Earth and yet they remain confined to special groups. What chance then has an alien bacteria to infect a man and find within his body con- ditions suitable to their growth?” He gestured im- patiently as the ecologist started to speak. “Oh, I know all about what happened on Alpha Four, and I’m not saying that it couldn’t happen again, but that was a freak, and we’re not likely to run into it again.” “Once was enough,” said Williams grimly. ““That’s why the transports refuse to land. If it happened on Alpha Four, why couldn’t it happen here also ?”’ “It didn’t,” snapped Her- mitage; then, as he saw their expressions: “Damn it all can’t you see it yet? Fifty-two men died out of five hundred men and women. All right. comicloooks.com