Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

DUET FOR TWO he sang the mathematical precision of his electronic brain fought against the false emotions which were rising up to engulf him. He came to the final verse, to the climax. Yet now he found that the words were no longer mean- ingless; they were poignant, sincere, and he sang them with the loneliness of his love taking the bitter hatred away. As he reached the climax he threw back his head and let the full thunder of his voice roll out, but it was clear and vibrant instead of a high sonic vibration. Sadly he sang, thinking of the girl and building futile dreams with the man-made words of the song. When he returned to the dressing room he found that Valerie had left. Mark was talking urgently with a tall, grey-haired man. When he entered the pair rose to their feet and regarded him silently. “IT couldn’t do it,” he said slowly. ““Not because of you or the others, but because of her. She had no right to be mixed up in it; you’re the ones who are to blame!” 91 “You were right,’ Mark said to Robert Henshaw, mopping the sweat from his face and trying to smile at Valdesco. ““He couldn’t do it after all!” The man went over to him, his face tired and seeming very old in the yellow lights of the room. Taking the robot by the arm, he said, quietly: ““Come with me.”’ Valerie McKinnon sat in the circle at the “‘Corinthium.” Below, a tall fair-haired man was singing a duet with a slim dark-haired girl. Her eyes grew dim as she listened to him, saw the way he sang to the girl with the wide brown eyes and small red mouth. Together they sang and their love was a perfect thing. She blinked her eyes as they finished and bowed to the roar of applause, and her smile was a little tight as she wondered if he really knew. Valdesco and Valerie were big business, and no one could say they weren’t happy. What a pity they couldn’t find ‘“‘me”’ a real one, she thought bitterly, and then everyone would be happy! comiclbooks.corn