Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 56 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION chamber and peered out. - Nobody there. But of course! The caller would not be admitted by the automats at this time of night. With a sigh he shut the door behind him. Better see who it was. Might be important. More likely, though, that someone had pressed the wrong stud, since he him- self hardly ever had any visitors. Certainly not late at night. He didn’t recognise the young man at first. This was partly. because the visitor’s shape was thrown up in silhouette against the stieet light on the other side of the lane and partly because the fibroglass doors gave his figure aslightly distorted appearance, He pressed the door control to “open” and said: ““Who is it? Are you sure you’ve got the right number ?’’ The figure moved nearer. “Well, well. You’ve put on a lot of weight since I saw you last,”’ He gaped. It couldn’tbe... But it was. He managed a grin. “Beef,” he said, re- membering the other’s nick- 38 name instantly. ““What on _ Terra are you doing here at this hour?’ The other’s words were swift and softly spoken; his eyes flicked up and down the street and there was a nervous- ~ ness, an excited tension, in his speech that communicated itself to the young student in a matter of seconds. “Listen. I need help. If you can’t give it then say so as soon as pessible and Pll go. Remem- ber ‘1.H.T.S.’ ?” The student swallowed. Strangely enough he did re- member I.H.T.S. Or was it strange, really? The basic thought behind those initial letters had been in his mind many times during the years since he had left the Academy. But it had always been simply a thought; a thing abstract and vague, and capable of being kept hidden and secret within himself. He had never had occasion to admit to it openly, before another. Never —until now. “What do you want? Why have you come here?” “1.H.T.S.,” said the visitor once more. comiclooks.conmn