Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Got a torkle somewhere ?”’ He understood what I was driving at. Reluctantly he slipped from the saddle and went around to the side of the cart, which he opened. Inside hung racks of spare tubes, condensers, coils, etc. Tiger seemed to be back in his old trade, as electronic expert. He made a few connections and soon a small torkle coil began to heat up and glow. Then I knew why he had been so bitter. Mattis was wanted by the Central police for slaying one man in hot anger and one in cold deter- mination. And Tiger was wanted too because .. . be- cause Mattis had been his son. So Tiger was hiding out here at Gayne, an out-of-the- way suburb, where his elec- tronic intuition enabled him to pass as a skilled mechanic. I had gone over to the enemy. I had, Tiger let me know via torkle, the moral stability of a:lap dog. What should I have done, I coun- tered—kill myself, start a revolt? He did not know the 22 answer and retracted a few of his insults. Yeah, there wasn’t much I could do. Then he grinned as dis- appointment flashed through my mind accompanying the thought that Mattis had been Tiger’s son. I had not known that up till now, never having seen the child after it had been born. Then events had swirled us apart and now... Tiger said aloud: “‘Quite a shock, isn’t it? You never did care for me very much.” I nodded glumly. ““Where’s Mattis now?’’ “Oh, they’ve got him.” “And?” He shrugged. “i’m glad Menilissa isn’t around.” “You're right. I came here to see the grave.” He looked steadily into my eyes and then made an adjust- ment on the torkle. With that the last barrier fell between us as our love for Menilissa flowed back and forth between us like a cleansing stream. Even in death she still managed to make peace be- tween her boys. comiclooks.com