Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION since then he had returned to the scene of his meeting with the shepherd. Once he had felt a twinge, and the sun had seemed to tremble for a moment. Meanwhile, the Minister and Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Evans watched his comings and goings, and told others of the new madness that was spilling behind his eyes. Every morning when David went out, the curtains twitched; and every noon when he returned, the Minister would be coming towards him, ready to be spoken to; and Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Evans would be in the street, surrounded by the comfort of ordinary things, and watching the strangeness in him. It was ten days before the event recurred. This time it was easier, and David stood again before the Being, scarcely aware of the quick agony that had brought him there. He still could not re- press wholly the terror that possessed him, but a wild hope burned in him and transcended all his fears. He held firmly to the pursuit of understanding. First of all he stretched out a hand to touch the Being and assure himself that it was real. But somehow, 102 touch could not reach. David’s hand seemed to spread like an image out of focus, to dis- sipate itself, to flow around the stranger like a film of oil. Yet the Being responded by putting out his hand, and David felt the substance of contact. ““There is more between me and you than there is between you and me,” said David. The Being chuckled. His laugh was deeper, more human than his voice. David felt a certain comfort, and tried to sustain it by the sound of his own voice: ““There’s dark it is where you are.”’ “On the contrary,” the Being answered, “‘it is a very fine day, indeed. Look.”’ And he pointed to a dull red disc lowering in the sky behind him. “It is a fine day—but, of course, you had a younger sun than mine.”’ “Aye,” David answered with a ghastly parody of wit, “and a younger brother, too. But what is all this? I feel dark and wide, too. And your light, it is a crawling light.” The Being stretched his hand upwards and forwards until it disappeared over the sky, and appeared to turn something. David grew aware that he was becoming smaller, comiclooks.conm