Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

AGAIN were now alone in the ship with the good robots of their creating, and that soon Farak himself would die. He had seen himself agree to go into the sleep that Farak had prepared for him, to be re- made into the best possible kind of man for a planet of which Farak had a little knowledge and great hopes. He had no fear. He had helped before with the “‘grow- ing on”’ process of flesh from flesh which first Farak, and now his robots, could perform. He saw, and marvelled, and knew that it was all true. Then a break. He rose and stretched. Farak-Ay said gravely: “It is well, so far.” Why, wondered the man, were the robot voices so flat and solemn? *“‘When did he die?” “Two thousand units be- fore we landed here. We put out his body near the system of the very greatest of all the great stars, the one where the orbit is so impossibly big. It was his wish. When we have carried out the last things he ordered, we, the Faraki, will return to that planet where now no human lives.” 99 “T will not ask what these things are—I know that when you leave I shall be complete.” “Doctor Farak said that those words would come from you. You are, indeed, a new man, Doctor Chalmers.”’ ‘“‘What did you call me?” *“No—I am sorry. It was a mistake.” “Yes,” said the man. “‘For a moment it seemed to hurt a little.” “It will pass,’ Farak-Ay assured him, ‘‘for our con- fidence in the plan is very great. When we laid your sleeping remade-self in the little hut from which you came this morning, we worked on your surroundings as we were ordered, while you lay and grew well and whole again. All you passed through this morning was the design of Farak.”’ Vea.” “*He believed in other things which were strange, and could not be measured by physical science. I remember that once he said the gripping sickness was a judgment.” ‘I do not understand that,”’ said the man. comiclooks.cormn