Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION minute you weren’t at the hospital. And I think that, of all the people in the colony, you’re the one most likely to be the next killer!’’ “Me! I hardly have time to speak to anybody, let alone think of murdering them. And if you believe I’m a potential killer, it’s hardly fair to Janie to release her into my custody.” ‘The timing of her release,”’ said Ferguson, “‘was deliber- ate. Apart from the falling murder rate and my opinion that the conditions fostering the attacks are changing— apart from the point that it is safe for others to release your wife, I decided she must be with you now. She is part of your therapy. Use your holiday to take her out. Go to the recreation roomis.’ It’s a long time since you went there. Visit some of the other colonists; consult the rota sheets and find out who else is on relief. Most im- portant of all—meet people.” Ferguson dismissed Drew with an injunction to call again after his week of rest. Janie was delighted that he had been granted leave. After initial disquiet on pondering the reason for the holiday, Drew’s spirits soon rose to her bubbling level and the week began to fly by. He was that sort of charac- ter; adversity and misfortune never touched him deeply. He was single-minded in his devotion to Janie and his work. Nothing that went on in the world around him diverted him for long. Which made him the good scientist he was—and also the butt of his few friends who forever derided him for not being au fait with the latest news or the current gossip. He made up for a lot of his omissions now that he had the time. With Janie, he played games in the daytime and in the evenings caught up with a batch of movies or went to parties in the cells of their acquaintances. Wherever he went, one topic inevitably cropped up— the Martians. In his typical way, Drew listened to most of the gossip but heard little of it. It was Janie who made him realise finally that there was something substantial in the rumours flying everywhere. 118 commiclookks.com 4