Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 54 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SGIENGE FICTION Sweet made a noise like a neighing horse. His weak voice cracked on a note of indignation. “Stop trying to cross-examine me, little man. My affairs are my affairs. At the moment, your affairs are also my affairs. If you no longer feel capable of doing serious research work, then you’re wasting my time and apparatus. You'd better leave. I can find another protege.” “But where could I go? Someone has taken over my old job, and at my age ie “That,” said Sweet, “‘is one affair that is your affair.” A spark of anger suddenly blazed in Tyler. “You made me give up my job. You brought me here. You pro- mised that I could stay as long as I liked——” “Sure. But on condition that you prepare me proper reports of your experiments. Can I help it if your observa- tion begins to fail and your data and deductions must, therefore, always be suspect? We shail get nowhere like that.” “Okay,” said Tyler, de- cisively. “Ill see a_ brain specialist right away. If he 54 clears me, will you accept his verdict and let. me stay on?” “Of course. Always pro- vided you continue to make out reports that add up to sense. Goodbye, Mr. Tyler.” When Sweet had gone, Tyler looked up the number of Bleiker, the brain specialist. He dialed it on the *phone in the lab. He heard the buzz- buzz of Bleiker’s ’phone ring- ing, and then it stopped. *““Hello—Mr. Bleiker?’ he asked, tentatively. A tinny voice replied; *“Hello—Mr. Bleiker ?”’ He wondered briefly at the inflection of inquiry, then said: “I should like to make an appointment.” The tinny voice said: “TI should like to make an ap- pointment.”’ Tyler went tense, and his fear begat anger. “Get off the line!”’ “Get off the liné!’’ came back rudely. Tyler slammed the receiver back on the rest. It was still freezing in the lab but sweat started to prickle on his scalp. He hadn’t recognised the telephone voice as his own, comicloooks.com