Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

STAR HAVEN sunk into degenerate savages. For they were civilised to begin with. They have a language which, in itself, is one of the finest tools ever produced. They have intel- ligence and the keenly in- quisitive minds of the intelligent. At first, perhaps, they would have yielded to the lotus, but then, after the novelty had died, they would be itching to do things with their hands again. But this time they would do as they wished and not as they were ordered. Art, carving, the manipulative sciences. They had doctors and technicians; and men love to teach what they know. And there would be children, lots of children, and is there any greater en- joyment than watching your young grow?” “IT wouldn’t know, I’ve never had any.”’ Gerald stared at the surrounding trees. “‘So you’ve known all the time what must have happened.” “Not all the time, no, but now I am sure.”’ “‘What made you sure? I’ve 59 been with you all the time and I haven’t seen anything. In any case the whole thing is pure surmise. What about the records ?” , “Would any commander make such scanty notations? I think we'll find that the original records were des- troyed and the book we found deliberately left to misguide. After all, what does it tell us? Some men died. Merely that and nothing more. Not a word about the inability to grow crops. Nothing about the edibility of the native produce. Not even a hint as to why they went. If records were made they must have been far more comprehensive than that.” **A joke ?” Gerald looked his disgust. ““A hell of a way to have fun. Anyway, what made you so sure?” “You did.” “T did?’ The ecologist sat up and stared at the doctor. “What did I do?” *“You were sick,”’ said Her- mitage, seriously, then rose conmmicloooks.comn