Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

WiTHOUT LOVE who reclined negligently in her chair. Tiger and I were on our feet, leaning tensely for- ward. Mattis stood, his arms hanging loose, his shoulders relaxed, but in his dark eyes flickered something wild, nearly irrational. Tiger, beside me, held his breath for a long time and then let it out slowly so that it whistled between his teeth. I put a hand on his forearm. “Don’t do anything fool- ish.” He shook me off with a grunt. The Dianotrix was saying: ““Well fought, my friend, well fought.’’ She looked at Mattis with candid eyes. “A victor over two hundred women.”’ The words trickled away in the soundproof box. The speakers from the Arena had been turned off, and the at- tendants who were still busy removing the wounded girls moved in submarine silence beyond the glass. Mattis said : “Iam honoured to have pleased Your Highness 29 by fighting well. Shall I be rewarded ?” *“What with?” “Freedom, asiscustomary.” The Dianotrix drew her lips back over her teeth. “‘Freedom to commit more crimes against the law?’ “If it please you, Highness,” I interrupted, “‘the law holds first generation New Men to be incompetent.” “That is the law,’’ echoed Tiger. “First generation New ' Men are morally not respon- sible.” She did not relax her smile. *““Are you trying to teach me the law?’’ “Oh no, Your Highness, we were just...” “Are you aware that this...’ she hesitated, “this man is a double murderer ?”’ Tiger stepped forward des- pite my warning hand. “Your Highness, one of the men he is supposed to have murdered attacked him first, and the other he killed in self defence.” “I also believe in_ self defence, preventative to be sure.” The Dianotrix mo- comiclooks.conn