Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION mixed bathing, but I talked him out of it. Shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t have a few weddings soon, and the sooner we get sorted out the better.” “Romance by numbers,” said Gerald, sarcastically. “Do you think our commander will approve of all his per- sonnel taking time off for honeymoons ?”’ “Williams isn’t so_ bad, really. It’s just that he’s never learned to relax.”’ “Williams,” said Gerald, dispassionately, “is a pain in the neck—and you can quote me as having said so.” “Williams,” corrected Her- mitage, quietly, “‘is a product of his environment and we shouldn’t blame him for some- thing he can’t help.”’ “Are you defending him now ?”’ : “No, but I can explain him, and perhaps if you knew him better you wouldn’t keep irritating him.’ He smiled at Gerald’s expression. “All right then, let’s say that 30 you wouldn’t let yourself be irritated by him.”’ “Td like to kill him and dance on his bones,”’ “Why ?” “Because I hate. his guts, that’s why. I don’t mind a row. Damn it, ’m human and we can all make mistakes, but Williams gets under my skin. He lives by the rule book, and he is always right. He’s a machine, a thing without emotion, a damn _ dictator who considers us all his slaves. To hell with him.” ‘““Have you ever thought that perhaps he’s already living in his own hell?’ Her- mitage flipped his stalk of grass into the river and stared at the ecologist. “He’s an orphan, you know, and he’s never known affection or the warm comfort of family life. As a boy he entered the Academy and lived beneath a spartan regime where dis- cipline was the be-all and end-all of existence. Do this! Do that! Do the other! Obey, and obey, and obey until it was so drilled into him that comiclooks.corn