Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 66 — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION Sam—it’s going to be all right.” “Sure,” said Sam, dolefully. “‘And too late. We might just as well have left him to die in the bar. Do you realise it’s nearly noon? The slaughter will be well under way. Pack it up, Lena. It will take too long to educate Joseph.” *“*Let me at least try.” “‘What for? So that he can say ‘Excuse please’ in English while he cuts your throat?” “Sam! Don’t be so gloomy. Look at him—he’s nice.” “I can name a dozen murderers from the last few years who have been present- able. Most of them killed only one person; Joseph and his buddies are after the lot.” Lena tightened her lips. “When I’ve taught him our language and he speaks, that will be soon enough for me to judge him. As for saying it’s too late, that’s nonsense. Some will die today. A lot will die. But by..their dying, those who are, not so fool- hardy and who remain under- 146 ground will learn to stay where they are until they get further signs that the Creep is waning.” Sam was equally deter- mined. ““Much as my good sense tells me to slip a scalpel into his double heart, I’ll stay my hand until you untie the semantic knot. But only so that he’ll understand me when I tell him to order his brethren to blot up the Creep and then scram.” “If he should refuse?” “*He’s a dead alien.” For ten minutes, rattled cups, glasses, and said: ‘“Clang! Ting! Clash!” She sloshed water into the sink and said: “‘Water, wasser, whish!’? She sniffed and said: “‘Sniff!’’ She gurgled and said: “‘Gurgle!”’ She whis- pered, whimpered, murmured, chuckled, and ran through all the other imitative words she could think of. And all through the ten minutes, the alien watched and listened with his head cocked to one side and a slight smile on his face. He made no response. Lena trays, comiclooks.conn