Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION We can’t pay if they win and you know what happens to welchers, don’t you?” I didn’t. “They lynched the last one who tried that,” explained Slim. “‘The time before they tied the bookie to a rocket and took off so hard his head came off. That was after they had warned everyone the time they dumped three welchers in the desert without any airsuits.”” He looked at me. at wrong? You look “‘The police.” I managed to moisten my lips sufficient to makeintelligible sounds. “You don’t mean to tell me that you can get away with murder like that?” *“A welcher’s an outlaw,” said Slim. He looked at me and turned white. “Dusty! You haven’t..?” I forced myself to grin but he wasn’t convinced. “You have,” he groaned. ““Dusty, they’ll flay us for sure. Mars law isn’t Earth law. We don’t stand for anything like that, and there’s nothing the police can do about it. They don’t even try. If you’re caught welching they'll roast you in a rocket blast.” “Us,” I corrected. ““We’re partners, remember?” 18 ““Not any more we’re not.” He backed away from me as though I were diseased. ““You took the bets and you can take the penalty. I want nothing to do with it.” “Wait.” I grabbed him before he could get away. “Listen. Are you sure that Samuals will win?’ “¥ eb"? “Then we’ve got nothing to worry about. I'll take all the money I can on him, as he’s favourite, and I’ll offer high odds—that should be simple. Then, when he doesn’t win, we'll be safe.” *““Why not back him to win yourself?” *“With the odds at three to one on?’ I shook my head. ‘““No. My way is the best. Come to think of it, it would be a better idea for neither of the three favourites to win at all. If an outsider comes in we’ve nothing to worry about.” ““You’ve got nothing to worry about,” reminded Slim. “Me, I’m finished. I’m dis- solving our partnership as from now.” He held out his hand. “Pay me what you owe me and we'll call the whole thing off.” We argued for a while, but he was stubborn and it took all my time to persuade him to take the De-Fumers instead comlclooolkks.conn .