Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

THE RELUCTANT DEATH long time his transter, the command transter, had been the only remaining, and his forces had not dared to move into the open. But already enemy machines were swarming about the fourth breach, and in the menacing motion of the new gun, Vielra saw a fifth, and a Srxth 4525". He turned to his second-in- command. “‘We have seven- teen bomb cannisters left to us, I believe.”’ ““Yes, sir.” “Bring aboard ... ten. We will raid the Mhalro gun.” The vessel rose like a worn butterfly above the smoking rampart, and im- mediately a dozen muzzles raced in a dozen arcs. Vielra felt. anew the utter revulsion for all things mechanical, all the artificial, unnatural moving things the vile Mhalro used in such abundance. Surely, it was the power of the forsaken devils they borrowed. Missiles began to spit about them. Vielra gave a command; the pilot made a motion at 43 the unmoving control panel. There was a subtle change in the magnetic conditions of the transter, and the vessel slid through the air with increased speed, rocking with the ag- gressive violence of the enemy below them. Vielra caught a glimpse of spinning rotors; the Mhalro were attempting to get one of their clumsy flying machines into the air. He smiled. The crewmen drew a bomb out of its insulated container. It was held poised in gloved hands—and then thrown downwards, to strike a series of shields flanking the Mhalro gun. There was a blue flash, and a searing crackle at the release of stupendous electric potential. The screams of scorched Mhalro were lost in the synthetic thunderflash. Vielra smiled again, half blinded, and ordered the transter lower. Hands worked rapidly, gingerly. One... two three galvanic eruptions followed one another without pause. Two pilots struggled to control the vehicle against the batter- ings of Mhalro missiles and the magnetic tension created ene comiclooks.corn