Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

STAR HAVEN it in some way quite different to a normal bird, and the rest of them will kill it. The herd complex.”’ “Exactly, and that is just how men live today. Fit in, and you’re safe. Be dif- ferent and you're scorned, jeered at, despised, and in some cases, actually murdered. With thousands of years of that tradition behind us, how can you expect a man to be different from what he is?” “I don’t know.’ Gerald rose to his feet and, walking up the bank, pulled several lush fruits from a_ bush. Returning, he handed one to the doctor and immediately bit into one of the others. Juice trickled down his chin and dripped onto his bare chest. He looked at the un- tasted fruit in the doctor’s hand. “Go on and eat it; it won’t hurt you.” “Perhaps not, but you know the orders.” “Orders?” Gerald almost choked as he doubled with laughter. “And you’re the 33 one who has been preaching to me about thinking for your- self. Williams says, ‘mustn’t touch’ and you, like a good boy, obey the nice com- mander.” “There’s a good reason for that order.” “Sure there is. While he controls the rations he con- trols the people. I’ve been eating native produce for a month now and it hasn’t harmed me a bit. More than that, I wouldn’t eat other food now if I had the choice of any dish on Earth.” He finished the fruit, licked his fingers, and reached for an- other. “Anyway, you'll have to get used to it soon.” “Why? In this climate our own crops should grow pretty fast and we have plenty of stores.”’ “You mean we found plenty of stores when we arrived,” corrected Gerald, evenly. ““‘The more I think of it the crazier it was to land here as we did. Williams must either have been a supreme comiclooks.conn