Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

THE CREEP there’s something wrong with that one. It goes up a point every day. The radiation couldn’t be that high. Could it?” Sam spread his hands in Gallic fashion. ““We try out a big one, they try a bigger. Then us again, then them. As I said on News vision, we can all be killed by peace.” Even the phlegmatic Harry was curious. He asked, ““Why did you do it, Sam? Heaven knows you have privileges and inside sources of informa- tion. Why did you have to foul up everything? You'll find every door closed now.” “The main one closed to- day—behind me. Want a beer puller, Harry? I should be good. I’ve watched you often enough. Not that there will be many more beers pulled in this world.” Sam twirled his glass till he had the dregs of his beer going in a nice whirlpool. He tipped the glass, swallowed and spoke to himself: “It had to be said. Somebody had to say it.” The girl appeared at his side in time to hear. She 125 added: “And it had to be Sam Garnet who said it.” Sam grimaced. ““Go away, little girl. Get out of my hair. Who do you think you are— my conscience? I doubt if you’ve done so much with your life to be proud of. Let me guess—you’re a model. You’re thin, but not so thin that you can’t get away with it. So you must be a model. You’d be good-looking even without the paint, but the attractiveness comes from the defects—the slight broadening of the nose, the thickish underlip. You’re from common stock, standard type like myself or Harry here; no blue blood in the family. ““That means the coat isn’t yours. Or else it’s yours on condition. That must be it— little girl gets coat on cer- tain conditions with other gifts in the offing. But there is no offing because I blew the gaff and daddy has flown to his underground palace, leaving the little girl forlorn and futureless.”’ She slapped him hard, once, twice—four times in all. His head rocked to the slaps, and took most of their sting comicloooks.comn