Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 66 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

ASTEROIDS as to have later evidence if he should ever complain. **T realise that,’ he said, and so help me if he didn’t blush. “TI should explain that I want to strike it rich pretty soon because I want to get married. You can see how it is.” Could I? Mentally, I licked my lips for the killing of my career. Couple the old bio- logical urge to the natural one of getting-rich-quick, and I had a hand-made sucker. I hauled out the files, the half- dozen genuine claims mixed with about fifty others, which looked good, but were there just for the padding. I riffled them and set myself to find out just what he was worth. It wasn’t hard. I mentioned a high price and he looked uncomfortable. I mentioned a low one and he looked re- lieved. I adjusted the margins until I could tell, to within ten credits, just what he was prepared to spend. Then I settled down to take it from him. ““Here is a nice rock,” I said. I walked over to the map and rested my finger on a coloured pin. I didn’t worry about which colour. ““Number 254/675/89,” I said. ““A poten- tial source of great wealth for an enterprising man.” I wasn’t lying, either. It could 73 have been solid platinum for all I knew. No one had ever been there to find out. **[s it expensive ?”’ “Ten thousand credits will cover it.’’ I sounded as casual as I could, but I had guessed right and he nodded. “It sounds nice. Have you any samples?” I looked at him sharply, because anyone who talked about samples knew what he was doing. I sighed and shook my head. “No. But if you want samples I have a specimen from a claim which [ think you will agree shows great promise.” I hunted through my lower drawer and found some old pieces of rock. Skelton had left them and, up until now, I hadn’t given them a thought. I dragged one out and held it before the geiger. It would have chattered anyway, but maybe it was because I held the sample in my left hand, and had a radium-painted dial on my wrist watch, it sounded like a battery of machine-guns letting off at the same time. I dropped the sample back into the drawer and switched of the geiger. My prospective customer looked suitably impressed. comiclooks.comn