Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 67 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN BETWEEN of, no windage, no deviation, and with those sights, all I had to do was to point it and press the trigger. I put it to one side and gave my brain some exercise. Things had happened too fast for my liking. I’d always been a lone wolf, and ever since I’d scraped up the fare from Earth, I’d kept clear of unions, companies, gangs and other groups and mutual-aid societies. With the Inner Worlds tied down by the big companies, the Belt offered the only place where a man could operate on his own with the chance to make his pile. If Harry was right, it was only a matter of time before the Belt went the same way as Mars and Venus. And I knew that Harry was right. : But he hadn’t told me everything. It wasn’t as simple as he’d tried to make out. Consolidated wanted me to start something so that they could move in and finish it. Once I’d set the ball rolling they could take over. It 27 wouldn’t be hard for them to usé me as an excuse to demand that Earth grant them extensive powers to protect their investment in the Belt. They would coat it with a layer of philanthropy, but the facts would remain the same. Company police, company Officials, company ships and supplies. Once they started they wouldn’t stop until they literally owned the seventh decant. Against that was the threat of the criminals taking over. In a war with Consolidated they would win because des- truction is easier than con- struction. They could hold the company to ransom, bribe officials with the money so obtained, and extend their power over every man in the decant. To stay alive in space you’ve got to have air and fuel, food and water. Someone’s got to import those things, and once they gain control of them they hold a pistol at your head. Let either side gain full control and it would be im- comichooks.com