Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 67 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION said Leman. “It'll keep. That’s one argument guaranteed to last forever.” He smiled at Thorne as the astrogator left the room. “‘Don’t let Hem- ridge fool you when he says that he doesn’t know history. I’ve heard him argue two professors to a standstill, and he can draw you a cyclic chart to prove any point he wishes. We should have fun tomorrow.” But in the morning Hem- ridge was dead. He lay on his bunk, one arm outflung, his knees drawn up a little, and his face was peaceful as though he had died in his sleep. Stanley looked down at him. *“When ?” “Some time during the night.” Thorne’s voice was harsh with strain. “‘Leman shares this cabin with him. He called Hemridge this morning and found him like this. He notified me immediately.”” He sucked in his breath. “I don’t like it.” ““Why not?” Instinctively, Stanley moved away from the bunk. “Couldn’t it have been natural illness? Something organic?’ He was clutching at straws and he knew it. “‘We can’t be certain that he picked it up from outside.” “He didn’t die from any- thing we brought with us. No pain, remember, no symptoms at all.”’ Thorne frowned. “‘Last night! He was sick then and I didn’t know it. Remember how he looked?” ‘He said that he was tired,” reminded Stanley. “‘Natural enough when you remember how hard he’d been working. We all felt a little pooped. As for the pain, he could have discounted it, or forgotten it in the pressure of work. That’s happened before, too, you know.” He stared at the dead man. “‘Can you find out - what killed him?’’ *“T can try.”’ Thorne didn’t sound too eager. “It won’t be easy. My equipment is only intended for normal injuries, not for an intensive patho- logical investigation. [ll have to perform an autopsy, mount slides, take smears, breed cultures, all the rest of it. It will take time.”’ “Take all the time you need,’ said Stanley grimly. “One thing is certain—we comiclooks.cormn