Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 66 — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION For Post was not only still sane—he was enjoying himself. And then, at last, it was over, and the remote control apparatus was still untouched. They heard the jubilant voice of Dolman from half around the world describing the sight as the spaceship, its glider wings heated almost to in- candescence by air friction, settled in a cloud of steam on the surface of the sea and rode, gently rocking, towards the tender awaiting it. The flight lieutenant wiped his forehead and shut off the remaining telemeter switches. “God, I was scared some- thing else would go wrong!”’ he said with naked honesty. “But it didn’t,” said the wing commander slowly. *“No,”’ Taunton agreed. ““No thanks to whoever it was who tried to wreck the ship. I’m going to file a report and have a board of inquiry as- sembled at once.” Foley brought out his pipe and filled it, a great calm pervading him. “‘Is it all that necessary, general?” he in- quired mildly. “The damage wasn’t serious, you know.” ‘““Not serious?’ Taunton echoed. “It only came within an ace of losing us the ship!” The wing commander inter- rupted him. “I beg your par- don, sir. There wasn’t the slightest risk of it endangering the ship.” “But if the propellant had got into the remote control circuits ——” | “It couldn’t have, sir. If you care to consult the mass manifest, you'll find that there’s a new entry made for this flight—seventeen pounds of plastic oil and water- resistant insulation to seal the remote controls.” Heavy sarcasm coloured Taunton’s words as he an- swered. ““That was very for- tunate, wasn’t it? I suppose you knew someone was going to sabotage the ship in ad- vance ?”’ “Of course he did,” said Foley, getting to his feet. “I told him about it.” For a moment he feared that Taunton might be going to have apoplexy. The general’s face purpled, and he struggled to speak, but he soon re- covered. Before he could utter > a word, Foley pressed on. “General, you know the way the three earlier pilots— Marlow, Reeves and Sander- son—described their experi- ence. They said it was like being rushed headlong into nowhere by something they couldn’t control. Compare it to being in a car, say, whose comiclooks.corn