Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 53 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION don’t get the chance to do anything but work and obey orders. For over a thousand years it’s been like that. My people are thorough. If any one of their own showed signs of weakness, of senti- ment, he was killed at once. I only survived by being able to disguise my true feelings.” He laughed. “I was trained as one of the elite—one of the invading army. For years I _ studied books from this world —films—records of radio pro- grammes. Then, when I was properly trained, they sent me through the barrier. And I deserted. It was as simple as that.” She said: “But if there are others—if there’s an invasion going on as you say—surely you must let people know over here. The President— someone. Otherwise .. .” “Otherwise I'll find myself caught when they take over? But I know the schedule. There’s at least twenty years before that happens—in «this part of your world, anyway. And if I tried to tell anyone of 38 this, what would I be doing? Only pinpointing myself for my own people to pick up. Not one of your people would believe me. I wouldn’t be doing them any good, and for myself I might as well commit suicide. I would be committing suicide.” “So there’s nothing to do but hide—hide all the time?”’’ “Don’t despise a life of hiding,”’ he said, gently. “On my world, Jenny, there’s no- where to hide. To be able to hide means freedom.” She said, as though ir- relevantly: “What’s wrong with buses ?”’ *“You’re smart, Jenny. The vibrator. It needs a power source. The ones you have here are primitive, but they will serve. A bus could always be a trap.” “Even when it’s full of people ?”’ *““As long as I’m free, ’ma danger to their plans. That’s the way they see it. To elimi- nate me they would take a dozen bus loads of people through the barrier if neces- comicloooks.com