Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE CREEP know.”” He ducked as the girl flung a bottle at his throbbing head and went on. ‘“‘Those ear-rings had better come off, too, Lena. That’s right, Max, take off your watch. Any other metals on you? What about money?” The shedding of metals started slowly. Max’s wrist watch made a big base to a pyramid which grew as rings and coins, sleeve-bands and suspenders were laid on top of it. The pyramid was finally topped by a pair of wet dentures. There was some- thing so horrible about the pile that there was no humour left in the situation for Sam to laugh at. He felt sorry for the others, genuinely sorry. They were only human. And that was a good enough excuse for all their follies, their selfish- ness and their dog-eat-dog desire to survive. But, remem- bering Gibb, his compassion was lessened and he did nothing to stop the rot which was eating at the souls of Max and Harry, and the girl. He had had enough of being God. He took his drink to one of the unshattered tables 143 and sat down. From now on he intended to be a mere spectator, with no hand in the game. He wasn’t too surprised when his intentions were voided and Lena took a seat at the same table. She looked a mess with her tattered mink, her soiled dress and her smudged make-up. For a long time she didn’t speak and Sam left her to sort out her emotions. Finally, in a small voice, she said: “‘It was all over before I could stop te Sam looked over her head. “Honestly,” she persisted. *T had nothing to do with it.” The way she said it, she might have been showing her creden- tials to St. Peter. Seeing Sam’s indifference, a little of her fire returned. “‘What makes you so different from the rest of us? You’ve seen us crumble and break. Don’t you have a breaking point?” Sam ranged his mind back over the years, over the things he had done at the altar of money. When had he passed his own breaking point? Or had he always been a broken comiclooks.corn