Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 66 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Why didn’t you show me that before?” I couldn’t answer that honestly because the reason . would have sent him out of the office and screaming for the police. Instead I shrugged. “I’m afraid the price on that particular claim is very high. Twenty thousand credits and I won’t take a credit less.”’ He blinked, and I could see him performing mental arith- metic. While he was thinking about it, my eye fell on the framed claim Skelton had left, and I lifted it from the wall. Why the old man had kept it I didn’t know. Naturally, I discounted his wild talk of it being valuable; if it had been he would have cashed in on it long ago, and I guessed that he’d bought it from some drunk for the price of a bed. Looking at it gave me an idea. The claim was genuine and, as far as I knew, must be worthless. If I could give the impression that the sample I had shown the customer belonged to the claim in my hand I might be good for double what I had thought. A quick look at the youngster showed me that he had finished his calculations and had reached some kind of a decision. “Twenty thousand will just 74 about clean me out,” he said dubiously. “But if the claim is as good as you say itis...” *‘I make no claims,”’ I said quickly. “‘All I can do is to show you the registration and a sample.” I smiled at him, man to man, and spoke the simple truth. “I have never seen this particular claim and I refuse to make any state- ments outside of my personal knowledge. It could be barren rock.”” My smile grew wider. “On the other hand it could be worth billions. Common logic will tell you that there must be an element of risk because, if I were sure as to its value, then I wouldn’t be offering it for sale.” Ridiculous? No. I knew that he wouldn’t believe me and, in a case like that, it’s far easier and a lot more honest to speak the un- varnished truth. Not that I ever do anything else, you understand, but there are ways of speaking the truth, and there are more ways of leaving the important parts unsaid. I have a great con- tempt for liars; they betray a pathetic lack of imagination, also, they are the more easily caught. He bought the claim. I sighed with relief as I fingered the heap of credit comicloooks.cormn