Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 71 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

THE LITTLE CORPORAL off you, at five cents the hundred. Occasionally he makes the rest of us poor men at poker or gin rummy, but his heart isn’t in it. There’s only one thing that keeps the balance.” Winter looked at him in- quiringly. Morley nodded to the blockhouse. “Him. He wins from the major and gives it back to us.”’ Winter smiled uncertainly. “You can see how he was dangerous,’ Morley went on. “We're all his slaves. He gives the major little hints on how to play bridge. He quotes poetry to Cap Stone. He sings and plays the guitar, and between times keeps the rest of us solvent. He writes letters for us when we land in difficulties, and takes charge of any job to be done when no one else thinks he can handle it.” Winter caught the tone of amused, incredulous admira- tion. He couldn’t very well miss it. “He seems to get plenty of rope,” he remarked. “He does as he likes, as he always did. Colonel Martin is nearly finished here, and I can 13 tell you what will happen when he goes. The new colonel will be shocked at the conditions here, and he’ll take steps to see that Tom’s reminded he’s a_ prisoner. Tom will take it all with a grin and in three weeks he’ll be doing as he likes again.” “Tom?” “Sure, why not? Tom Barker. What do you want to call him? The Tyrant? The Ex-Master? The Last Dic- tator?”’ Winter smiled. ‘““He doesn’t sound like another Napoleon at that.” “TI never read history. I don’t know how Napoleon got on on Elba and St. Helena. It couldn’t have been any- thing like Tom. He wasn’t the man Tom 1s.”’ He saw Winter’s uneasy glance at the other four, only a few yards from them, and laughed so that they all turned and looked at.him. “You can say what you like, Winter—what’s your first . name ?’’ “Jim 33 “Well, there’s no secret police here, nor anywhere else.” oO = Comilcbooksscom ~