Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

CLEANSING FIRES before the Khuru I managed to convince him that I was an emissary from the mysterious lands of the north. I told him that I had been instructed to deliver into his keeping the mighty thunder weapon of the Northern Gods and handed over the blaster. The gamble paid off—instead of killing me on the spot he was so delighted with the weapon that he in- stalled me as an honoured member of his court.” Ro- dell’s eyes narrowed. “Hell! Why should I bother to justify my actions to you?” He turned abruptly and walked through into the next room. Munson lay back on the comfortable divan. Despite the undoubted survival value of Rodell’s actions, it seemed to him that the veteran agent had failed in his mission. An agent’s first consideration should be for the work of ESRA, not his own comfort. But the man had a savage streak which enabled him to rationalise the wrong course of action and there was noth- ing to be gained by arguing with him. The Psyche depart- ment of ESRA appiied more stringent tests to prospective agents now than it had in those far off pioneer days, and Munson doubted whether Rodell would have even been 79 considered for the Manyhian mission at the present time. He wondered why H.Q. had not given him a more detailed account of the situa- tion—unless Rodell had been deliberately withholding in- formation in his reports... A few minutes’ conversation on the sub-etheric communica- tor would suffice to check on this, but Rodelil would retain control of the instrument until he officially handed over the Manyhian Agency. Until that time any message that Munson wished to send to H.Q. must pass through Rodell’s hands. The com- municators supplied to ESRA agents were specially designed to ensure that they would be useless in the hands of any other person, attuned as they were to the cortical energy pattern of the agent himself. Munson would only be able to use the com- municator when Rodell had operated the cancelling circuit and his own pattern had been recorded, As he dropped off to sleep it occurred to Munson that, should he not survive the six months probationary period, Rodell would remain in charge on Manyh in- definitely ... comicloooks.com