Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

= ae AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION : phrases Sam couldn’t trans- late. He passed his hand across Harry’s eyes. The barman did not blink or pause in his wild muttering. Sam picked a bottle of spirits off a precariously tilted shelf and ‘forced the neck between the clenched teeth and half- opened lips. It was impossible for Harry to speak while raw fire poured into his mouth. He gagged, spluttered, knocked the bottle aside and jumped to his feet, all in one quick movement that was accompanied by a mad tinkle of showering glass. He was like a man wakened suddenly from sleep. His eyes were back in focus and they roamed round the bar-room, finally settling on Sam. Then they narrowed in a quick, crafty look. “Garnet,” said Harry, and Sam did nothing with his face to show that he had noticed the omission of his first name. Harry smiled, nervously. “Hello, Sam. Thanks for the drink. That’s the first time you’ve served me with one. Was I out cold?” 132 *“Not too cold, Harry.” ~~ “What d’you mean, Sam?” ~ “Forget it. Come and help me get some of this stuff off Gibb. Hey, Max—you can put your bottle down now. I don’t want you too drunk to be any use. Remember to charge him for it, Harry. He can afford it.” It was the girl who inter- vened and posed the question Sam had been dreading. “What happened?” she asked. Nobody else wanted it, so Sam took it. “I don’t know,”’ he said, and began to move away. She snorted delicate scorn. “I thought you knew every- thing!”’ He was still moving. The branch of a tree blocked his way. It was Max Binder’s arm. ““What happened, Sam ?”’ The big man repeated the girl’s question. ““Gibb is hurt, maybe dead. First things first. Out of my way or [ll clip you—you’re not too big to take.” ~ The question was repeated a third time. “What hap- pened ?”’ Harry asked, and to comiclooks.conrn