Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION spat a stream of dark tobacco juice out into the bare yard. The nearby patches of lichen on the ground shot out tendrils to bury roots into the moisture before it evaporated in.the thin, dry air. He walked back again, still in no hurry, behind the counter, and down to a partition. He went through a door in the parti- tion, and stood behind a wicker window marked: Slag Hills Transit System. “Can I help you, stranger ?”’ he said through the window, as though he hadn’t seen me before. *“Yes,”’ I answered. “‘I said I want a government pass ticket back to Marsport.”’ ‘““You mean you want a free pass without paying for it?” He peered at me through watery yellow eyes, and ran his fingers through his rusty, grey hair. “You'll get your money,” I answered, a little shortly. ‘““The government redeems the tickets. You must know that. I’m not the first inspector who’s ever been through here.” “Sure I know it,” he an- swered. “I know I got to wait weeks, maybe months for the money. Meantime, you get the service today. Like every- thing else about the govern- ment,” he was grumbling half to himself now. ““A man is expected to jump when the government snaps its fingers, but he can wait for his own rights.”’ He handed me a ticket which looked as if someone had worn it in his shoe as a bunion pad. Under the dirt it said: “‘Free Pass—Govern- ment”? on it. Even the print- ing seemed contemptuous. ‘‘When is the next shuttle due ?”’ I questioned. It seemed a normal thing to ask, but old Sam took exception to it. ‘Appears you want a lot of service on a free pass,’ he commented. ‘‘Always the way. Them that has to pay, takes what they gets and puts up with it. Them that gets it for nothingaremighty particular.” ‘‘There’s nothing particular about wanting to know when L.can get out of ‘here; t began hotly. Then I checked myself. ““Careful boy,” I said to myself. *““Government men are unpopular enough as it is, comiclooks.conrn Oe eS eee ee