Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION he saw. There, centred in the circle of illumination, stark and unmistakable in the soft black dirt, rested the freshly _ made imprint of a naked human foot. The foot of a child. WILLIAMS SAT AT HIS USUAL desk, a thick volume open before him and a stylo in his hand. He nodded as they entered, completed his entry in the official record, and closed the book with a grim finality. He seemed tired, his youthful figure had lost of its vitality, and his eyes re- flected the inner turmoil of a man who finds himself up against an unsolvable prob- lem. He smiled as Mary Brenson came from the inner room, a pot of steaming coffee in her hand, then looked at the others. “Coffee, gentlemen?” “Thank you, commander,” said Hermitage quickly, before Gerald could refuse. “Two cups, please, Mary. It’s about time we got this heathen used to civilised habits again.’ He 42 smiled as he noticed the direction of the commander’s gaze. ““Commander!”’ “Yes?” Williams almost blushed as he looked towards the doctor. ““As you can see, Mary here has been invited to the conference. While waiting for you she thought it would be a good idea to brew some coffee.”’ “Naturally.” Hermitage frowned at the expression on Gerald’s face. Personally, he thought it a good thing that the commander should find the agronomist pleasant to look upon. There was nothing like marriage for softening up the most stringent martinet, and he was psychologist enough to know that once Williams had enjoyed the warmth of human relation- ships he would lose most of his official coldness and pro- tective insistence on inap- propriate ritual. ““‘We found something of interest on our way here,” he said, casually. “An imprint of a naked human foot beside the seed store.” comcloooks.com