Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 66 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE CREEP out any bugs which have drifted into his blood.” “Even bugs his cells have never met before?’’ queried Sam. “‘Even Earth-bugs ?”’ “I'd say he was a rather ‘indestructible character and leave it at that.” Lena congratulated him. *“Y ou’ve been wonderful, Doc- tor Sullevan. And I don’t think anyone else could have done the job so well.” Her gaze took in the dirty, unkept room. “Whatever has hap- pened since you stopped prac- tising, you must have been among the best at one time.” The old man was deeply touched. He reached across to the table for the morphine syringe. “Thank you, my dear,” he whispered, with tears making his eyes old and trheumy again. “You make me feel good and strong.” He swabbed his forearm with alcohol and added in a husky whisper: “But not strong enough.” “Please don’t——-” began Lena. Sam caught her eye and shook his head. They 143 made a great pretence of watching the alien and in a while they heard Sullevan leaving the room. Even when they heard the front door open and close, Sam restrained Lena from calling after the old man. In the silence that followed the fading of the old man’s foot- steps, Sam said: “I think he knew what he was doing.” While they waited for the alien to recover consciousness, Lena scrounged round the kitchen and found some milk. There was no food in the house, and several cups of cold, half-sour milk had to suffice as their first meal since the previous night. As so often happens, even with ordinary patients, the alien’s awakening was sur- prisingly soon in coming. Until he opened his eyes he had been deathly pale. When he rolled his head on the makeshift pillow and blinked twice before fixing his stare on Lena, life and colour flowed back into his cheeks, and it was Lena who was suddenly pale. comicloooks.conm