Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 71 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

a yA Pie AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION ~ leave. Two miles up, the nised the eye of the player launch would be prepared for him to be an enemy, and when the shell of the carrier slid back he would be met by a ring of guns held by men _ in masks ready to flood the ship with gas. Two miles farther up the launch would be drawn into the hold of the Belligerent with the care and caution which would meet a captured enemy who might still be dangerous. Winter watched curiously. A man he knew, Captain Stone, crossed to him. “‘Lieu- tenant Winter?” he asked formally, though for a year he had commanded a ship in which Winter was a mid- shipman. Winter saluted and the captain acknowledged, but immediately dropped the formality and remarked: “Salutes are out, here, Winter. There’s too few of us and we’re too top-heavy in rank. But remember it lasts only six months . . . Oh, this is Major Gresham.” Major Gresham’s one in- terest in Winter appeared to be first whether he played bridge, and then if he was any good at it. Winter recog- 12 who played for 5-1 adverse distributions, and sighed in- wardly. Winter played cards well for a man who had no interest in the pastime, and realised that he had merely escaped the poker of the wardroom in the Belligerent to fall into the hands of Major Gresham with his bridge on Barker IV. Thecarrier had disappeared, ~ and the six who remained walked slowly to the block- house four hundred yards away. With the third member of the group he spoke to, Winter had heard all about the station. “You'll see him at once,” Lieutenant Morley told him. ‘““He doesn’t keep himself to himself or anything like that. In fact, this is the softest job in the system, for we're here to guard a man who couldn’t escape even if we all helped him, and there’s nothing else to do but read, see films, eat and sleep.”’ “And play bridge,” added Winter involuntarily. Morley grinned. “You should have known better. The major will take the pants conmiclsooks.conn