Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

THE GIVE-AWAY WORLDS on board my ship and every- thing they need for testing for harmful bacteria. In any case, the first exploration ship gave the planet a clean bill of health. Bacteria isn’t the answer.” He looked up as the waiter returned with covered dishes, and Mark shelved the subject. Murbash had the answer, or part of the answer, as to why every colony so far founded had broken down or was in the process of breaking down. Jelks, with his customary bull-headedness, had probably not even read the captain’s reports. What he didn’t think worth passing on was left to rot in some forgotten file. Mark, now that his own interest had become strictly personal, wanted to find out as much as he could as fast as he could. Murbash could tell him more than any reports. If Murbash wanted to. The hover police caught him just as dusk was stealing across the city. Frank swore as the flying platform came swooping towards him, its signal lights flashing the com- mand to halt-and-hover. He 23 ignored them, his eyes search- ing the web-work of lights and darkness below. He hadn’t really expected to get away with it, but as time passed he had begun to hope. He’d flown fast and far in his lift, feeling some of the irritation and frustration die as he wheeled and soared high above the city. He’d even ventured out of the coleopter flying lanes, travelled far to the north, where he’d landed, eaten a meal, refuelled and spent a little time wandering the streets. Now he was back, and the police, obviously, had been on the watch for him. Violence, while tolerated to a certain extent when confined to the low-income groups, was severely dealt with when it affected the elite. The hover police came closer, their loud-hailer blast- ing the air with sound. “You on the red lift! Halt-and-hover!”’ “Go to hell!” Frank doubted if they heard him, but the defiance was his own personal kick against authority. He threw his weight against the guide-rail and the little machine slipped sideways comiclooks.cormn