Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

THE CREEP tection of money to do any- thing about it. But that was before today. Today I turned my back on my past and gave the people a break. A man can only live with himself so long.” He shifted his eyes from the girl to Harry. “Put down the gun,” he said firmly, as to a recalcitrant child. “Put it down and help me with Gibb. After that we can see if there’s a way out of this shambles. Maybe it isn’t too late yet for me to speak in front of a television camera. This time I would address the whole world, not just my own half of it. This time I would tell the little people on the other side how their affairs, like ours, have been manipu- lated to stimulate war by a small bunch of egocentric maniacs.” Harry’s fat face opened long enough to say: “‘Don’t move.” His gunhand was rock steady. Sam kept on talking as he moved in on the barman. “Didn’t I tell you the gun won’t prolong your life by as much as a second? I 135 should have added that every second longer you hold it is shortening your life.” The enigmatic phraseology stirred Harry’s curiosity. *“How?”’ he asked. “The radiation, Harry. The radiation. It concentrates in metals, like the lines of force round a magnetic pole. That gun is slowly burning your hand off, Harry.”’ “Youre lying. It’s fancy and sounds authentic, but you’re lying.” “Am [?’ Sam was within - reach of the barman. “‘Was it an ordinary high-explosive bomb that blasted the bar, or was it an atomic bomb? Have you looked at _ the Creepmeter since the blast?’’ Fear is a great prompter. Harry was sure Sam _ was lying, yet he couldn’t stop himself throwing a swift side- long glance at the Creepmeter. He just had time to see that the instrument was hanging askew from its hook when there was a hand round his wrist. His forearm was smashed down on the edge of the counter and pain gushed like fire to his shoulder. comiclooks.com