Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

CAT UP A TREE I'll do an exceptional and un- conventional thing. I'll let you into one of the colony’s directorial secrets; this has happened before.” “Before! Who?” *“‘No names. Sometimes, as with you, the wife has attacked the husband. Some- times it has been the other way around. And sometimes there have been attacks at random. People have tried to kill each other suddenly, without premeditation.” Ferguson’s expression was a mirror to his memories. “You were exceptional because you came and told me. The others didn’t. In some cases it was too late, of course. One person was a corpse and the other a deranged invalid. From discovered evidence, it appears that quite often the intended victims were able to prevent their own murders, as you did. But instead of coming to me for help, they tried to handle the problem on their own, and eventually the end was the same. Death. Nobody can be vigilant all the time.” Drew listened politely but impatiently. “What about 115 Janie? What can we do about her?” “In the other cases,’’ said Ferguson, “‘the corpses were quietly buried and the killers were shipped home for psy- chiatric treatment. The whole affair was covered under the heading of Transfer.” The papers on Ferguson’s desk were as neat as a pack of cards, but he squared them thoughtfully with his palms. “Janie will go into dock,” he said. “She'll be kept under survey and helped back to health by the medical staff— don’t worry, only the chief M.O. will know what she did. And, meantime—mean- time, we’re going to lick the problem of why a rising percentage of the colonists are going berserk.” Drew had difficulty getting everything orientated. His main concern was for Janie. He wanted to know if she was curable, how long it would be before he could have her back, and what he could do to help. “You can help, sure enough,”’ Ferguson said, con- fidently. “I wouldn’t have told you so much if I hadn’t comiclooks.conrn