Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 56 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

PERSONAL CALL in the men who’ve been work- ing on the scrubber.” J) HERE were three of them. Masterman studied them. Already he was sure which one he would have to choose. He said: “‘We’ve got to get this thing fixed. I don’t have to tell you why.” ““We’ve done our best, sir.” “I’m sure you have. Given the final details, you’d be able to fix it. You—Maxwell —you did communications training, didn’t you?” Maxwell was a tall, rangy, insolent-looking man who tackled everyihing he did with a sort of contemptuous offhandedness, as though he never needed to exert himself. Now he said lazily: “I did, sir. But not this sort of thing. Never handled this equip- ment.” “But given the general prin- ciples, you’d be able to work out what was wrong?” *“Maybe. But all we’ve got is the circuit chart and tech- nical regs. They don’t make sense to us. We’re not getting anywhere.” Masterman took a deep 87 breath. This decision had to be his, and he was still not sure of its ethical rightness. He said: ““The only thing to do, the way I see it, is for one of you to visit Wilson’s widow.” There was a moment of stunned silence. One of the other men was the first to speak. “That wouldn’t be right, sir, Besides”). .°.” “Well?” “Well, sir, you can’t be sure she knows anything about the working of the scrubber. Wilson wouldn’t have shared his thoughts about that when he was calling home.” ““Not consciously, perhaps,” said Masterman. “But I am sure that his thought patterns must have imposed themselves on his wife’s mind. I do know” —he smiled ruefully—‘“‘that my wife understands a lot more about the running of a spaceship than I would ever have thought when these per- sonal mental contacts started. I think it most probable that if one of you visits Mrs. Wil- son—with her permission, of conmmicloooks.com