Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

WITHOUT LOVE now needed merely a flick of the finger to set it going. _ The Dianotrix brought a glass over to where J sat. “You know,’’ she said, “T’m beginning to like you quite a bit, friend Alcott.” “You aren’t so bad your- self.”’ “Thanks. From you that is a compliment, indeed.” The strange part about it all was that I really meant what I said. Oh, the Dianotrix was a New Woman all right, no mistake about that. How- ever, I had to admire her for the way she kept order among a bunch of wild, inexperienced youngsters, being a youngster herself. There were very few precedents she could go by, yet in her own level-headed way she had succeeded in keeping order. If she had been a little crude about it, well, that could be forgiven. It is no easy thing to take over the government of a world, especially if that government is only ten years old. Alisoun sat down so that her eyes were level with mine. 39 “IT know what you’re think- ing,’ she said. ““What you have been thinking. We’ve had spy-phones on you for quite a while now, and maybe you yourself have wondered why I’ve put up with you for such a long time.” “If I’m such a bother, why didn’t you get rid of me? You’ve never accepted me as an equal.” She flared up. “Why don’t you try and accept us as equals for a change!” Then she calmed down again. “I don’t mind telling you, you’ve been quite a trial. Sour, mulish, clinging desperately to old fashioned ways and perspectives. And if you think we’ve been condescending, you should have seen the sneer on your face at times. Only when you forget that you were once a Teamster and when you start to think, then you show amazing insight. So far I haven’t been able to make any use of your gifts because you never asserted yourself enough. Still, you have given me something that comiclbooks.conrn