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

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

THE WAY | AM “Lucky I happened along, captain.” I looked him up and down. He didn’t belong there on Fourth. He looked too clean, inside and out, to exist in such surroundings; the kind of man you see on the government recruiting posters, with a half smile on his strong face and blue eyes focused on the horizons of man’s empire. And he knew my name. Surely the Fedpol would never use so obvious a plant? And even so, what more did they want from me after the mental agony and deprivation I had already undergone? “1’m Grant, Jack Grant.” He offered a hand. I ignored it, and asked: ““What do you want with me?” People didn’t walk around on Fourth doing favours for total strangers without good reason. “To buy you a drink.” He picked up the glasses Fred had just placed on the counter and handed one to me. ““Here’s to success.’ He drank, and I followed his example. 1 was in no state to be proud about the source of my drinks. 71 **And to offer you a job,” he added. I put my glass back on the counter with a bang and looked at him closer. “T’ll drink your whisky, but I don’t like your jokes.”’ But he wasn’t laughing at me. There was just that wide-open, friendly grin, as if his big body had grown, but there behind it, grinning out, was a young, uncomplicated boy full of faith in, and goodwill for, his fellow man. I lowered my voice. “I’m a pilot, son. There’s nothing else I can do, or want to do. You know my name—you must know the rest.”’ His face sobered, but it was still friendly. I know ap- pearances can be lies, but I, for one, would stake a lot of credits on a face like that. ‘Forget about all that,’’ he said. “I know you are a good pilot, whatever the Board of Inquiry said. That’s why I’m offering you this job.” I didn’t thank him for the kind words. I was still in the dark, but as we went on drinking and talking I began to get my bearings. He had only been on Fourth a couple comicloooks.conn