Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NOVELETTES
SJAMBAK by Jack Vance 4
BRINK OF MADNESS by Walt Sheldon 44
SHORT STORIES
IRRESISTIBLE WEAPON by H. B. Fyfe 26
A BOTTLE OF OLD WINE by Richard O. Lewis 32
CELEBRITY by James McKimmey, Jr. 41
ONE MARTIAN AFTERNOON by Tom Leahy 75
WEAK ON SQUARE ROOTS by Russell Burton 82
THE LONELY ONES by Edward W. Ludwig 91
PROGRESS REPORT by Mark Clifton and Alex
Apostolides 102
THE GUINEA PIGS by S. A. Lombino 115
FEATURES
A CHAT WITH THE EDITOR 2
PERSONALITIES IN SCIENCE 80
SCIENCE BRIEFS 89
THE POSTMAN COMETH 119
SJAMBAK
By Jack Vance
IIlustraterJ by VIRGIL FINLAY
- - - - T H E END - - - -
There's no such thing as a weapon too horrible
to use; weapons will continue to become bigger.
and deadlier. Like other things that can't be
stopped . ..
IRRESISTIBLE WEAPON
By H. B. Fyfe
Illustrated by ED EMSH
A BOTTLE OF
Old Wine
By Richard O. Lewis
Illustrated by KELLY FREAS
HERBERT HYREL settled him-· ment would ruin all the previous
self more comfortably in his emotional build-up.
easy chair, extended his short legs There had been a time when he
further toward the fireplace, and let hated her for those long and silent
his eyes travel cautiously in the gen- evenings, lonely hours during
era I direction of his wife. which he was completely ignored.
She was in her chair as usual, her It was different now, however, for
long legs curled up beneath her, those hours furnished him with
the upper half of her face hidden time for an escape of his own.
in the bulk of her personalized, His lips curled into a tight smile
three-dimensional telovis. The te1o- and his right hand fondled the un-
vis, of a stereoscopic nature, seem- obtrusive switch beneath his trou-
ingly brought the performers with ser leg. He did not press the switch.
all their tinsel and color directly He would wait ,a few minutes
into the room of the watcher. longer. But it was comforting to
Hyrel had no way of seeing into know that it was there, exhilara-
the plastic affair she wore, but he ting to know that he could escape
guessed from the expression on the for a few hours by a mere flick of
lower half of her face that she was his finger.
watching one of the newer black- He let his eyes stray to the dim
market sex-operas. In any event, light of the artificial flames in the
there would be no sound, move- fireplace. His hate for her was not
ment, or sign of life from her for bounded merely by those lonely
the next three hours. To break the hours she had forced upon him.
thread of the play for even a mo- No, it was far more encompassing.
33
34 RICHARD O. LEWIS
He hated her with a deep, burn- rare old wine on a shelf where it
ing savagery that was deadly in its could be viewed daily. It was like
passion. He hated her for her being able to pause again and
money, the money she kept securely again before the bottle, hold it up
from him. He hated her for the to the light, and say to it, "Some
paltry allowance she doled out to day, when my desire for you has
him, as if he were an irresponsible reached the ultimate, I shall un-
child. It was as if she were con- stopper you quietly and sip you
stantly reminding him in every slowly to the last soul-satisfying
glance and gesture, "I made a bad drop." As long as the bottle re-
bargain when I married you. You mained there upon the shelf it was
wanted me, my money, everything, symbolic of that pleasurable mo-
and had nothing to give in return ment....
except your own doltish self. You He snapped Ol~t of his reverie
set a trap for me, baited with lies and realized he had been wasting
and a false front. Now you are precious moments. There would be
caught in your own trap and will time enough tomorrow for gloat-
remain there like a mouse to eat ing. Tonight, there were other
from my hand whatever crumbs I things to do. Pleasurable things.
stoop to give you." He remembered the girl he had
But some day his hate would be met the night before, and smiled
appeased. Yes, some day soon he smugly. Perhaps she would be
would kill her! awaiting him even now. If not,
He shot a sideways glance at her, there would be another one...
wondering if by chance she sus- He settled himself deeper into
pected ... She hadn't moved. Her the chair, glanced once more at his
lips were pouted into a half smile; wife, then let his head lean com-
the sex-opera had probably fortably back against the chair's
reached one of its more pleasur- headrest. His hand .upon his thigh
able moments. felt the thin mesh that cloaked his
Hyrel let his eyes shift back to body beneath his clothing like a
the fireplace again. Yes, he would sheer stocking. His fingers went
kill her. Then he would claim again to the tiny switch. Again he
a rightful share of her money, be hesitated.
rid of her debasing dominance. Herbert Hyrel knew no more
about the telporter suit he wore
than he did about the radio in the
H Earound
LET THE thought. run
through his head, sa-
corner, the TV set against the wall,
or the personalized telovis his wife
voring it with mental taste buds. was wearing. You pressed one of
He would not kill her tonight. No, the buttons on the radio; music
nor the next night. He would wait, came out. You pressed a button
wait until he had sucked the last and clicked a dial on the TV;
measure of pleasure from the music and pictures came out. You
thought. pressed a button and made an ad-
It was like having a bottle of justment on the telovis; three di-
A BOTTLE OF OLD WINE 35
rnensional, emotion-colored pic- He had skimped for six months
tures leaped into the room. You to salvage enough money from his
pressed a tiny switch on the telpor- allowance to make a down pay-
ter suit; you were whisked away to ment on the telporter suit. Since
a receiving set you had previously then, his expenses-monthly pay-
set up in secret. ments for the suit, cabin rent, costly
He knew that the music and the liquor-had forced him to place his
images of the performers on the nights of escape on strict ration. He
TV and telovis were brought to his could not go on this way, he real-
room by some form of electrical im- ized. Not now. Not since he had
pulse or wave while the actual mu- met the girl. He had to have more
sicians and performers remained in money. Perhaps he could not af-
the studio. He knew that when he ford the luxury of leaving the wine
pressed the switch on his thigh bottle longer upon the shelf ....
something within him-his ecto- Riverside Club, where Hyrel ar-
plasm, higher self, the thing spirits rived by bus and a hundred yards
use for materialization, whatever of walking, was exclusive. It ca-
its real name-streamed out of him tered ·to a clientele that had but
along an invisible channel, leaving three things in common: money, a
his body behind in the chair in a desire- for utter self-abandonment,
conscious but dream-like state. His and a sales slip indicating owner-
other self materialized in a small ship of a telporter suit. The club
cabin in a hidden nook between a was of necessity expensive, for self-
highway and a river .where he had telportation was strictly illegal, and
installed the receiving set a month police protection came high.
ago. Herbert Hyrel adjusted his white,
He thought once more of the girl silken mask carefully at the door
who might be waiting for him, and shoved his sales slip through a
smiled, and pressed the switch. small aperture where it was thor-
oughly scanned by unseen eyes. A
buzzer sounded an instant later, the
THE DANK AIR of the cabin
was chill to Herbert Hyrel's
lock on the door clicked, and Hyrel
pushed through into the exhilara-
naked flesh. He fumbled through ting warmth of music and laughter.
the darkness for the clothing he The main room was large. Hid-
kept there, found his shorts and den lights along the walls sent slow
trousers, got hurriedly into them, beams of red, blue, vermillion,
then flicked on a pocket lighter and green, yellow and pink trailing
ignited a stub of candle upon the across the domed ceiling in a het-
table. By the wavering light, he fin- erogeneous pattern. The colored
ished dressing in the black satin beams mingled, diffused, spread,
clothing, the white shirt, the flow- were caught up by mirrors of vari-
ing necktie and tam. He invoiced ous tints which diffused and min-
the contents of his billfold. Not gled the lights once more until the
much. And his monthly pittance whole effect was an ever-changing
was still two weeks away... panorama of softly-melting shades.
36 RICHARD O. LEWIS
The gay and bizarre costumes of her partner and begin with him a
the masked revelers on the dance sinuous, suggestive dance. The
floor and at the tables, unearthly in whiskey had begun its warming ef-
themselves, were made even more fect, and he laughed.
so by the altering light. Music This was the land of the lotus
flooded the room from unseen eaters, the sanctuary of the escap-
sources. Laughter - hysterical, ists, the haven of all who wished to
drunken, filled with utter abandon- cast off their shell of inhibition and
ment-came from the dance floor 1 become the thing they dreamed
the tables, and the private booths themselves to be. Here one could
and rooms hidden cleverly within be among his own kind, an actor
the walls. upon a gay stage, a gaudy butter-
H yrel pushed himself to an un- fly metamorphosed from the slug,
occupied table, sat down and or- a knight of old.
dered a bottle of cheap whiskey. He The Persian dancing girl was
would have preferred champagne, probably the wife of a boorish oaf
but his depleted finances forbade whose idea of romance was spend-
the more discriminate taste. ing an evening telling his wife how
When his order arrived, he he came to be a successful bank
poured a glass tumbler half full president. But she had found her
and consumed it eagerly while his means of escape. Perhaps she had
eyes scanned the room in search of pleaded a sick headache and had
the girl. He couldn't see her in the retired to her room. And there upon
dim swirl of color. Had she ar- the bed now reposed her shell of
rived? Perhaps she was wearing a reality while her inner self, the
different costume than shi had the shadowy one, completely material-
night before. If so, recognition ized, became an exotic thing from
might prove difficult.. the East in this never-never land.
He poured himself another drink, The man, the toreador, had
promising himself he would go in probably closeted himself within his
search of her when the liquor be- library with a set of account books
gan to take effect. and had left strict orders not to be
A woman clad in the revealing disturbed until he had finished
garb of a Persian dancer threw an with them.
arm about him from behind and Both would have terrific hang-
kissed him on the cheek through overs in the morning. But that, of
the veil which covered the lower course, would be fully compensated
part of her face. . for by the memories of the evening.
"Hi, honey," she giggled into his Hyrel chuckled. The situation
ear. "Havin' a time?" struck him as being funny: the
He reached for the white arm to shadowy self got drunk and had a
pull her to him, but she eluded his good time, and the outer husk suf-
grasp and reeled away into the fered the hangover in the moriting.
waiting arms of a tall toreador. Strange. Strange how a device such
Hyrel gulped his whiskey and as the telporter suit could cause the
watched her nestle into the arms of shadow of each bodily cell to leave
A BOTILE OF OLD WINE 37
the body, materialize, and become The whiskey, reaching his head
a reality in its own right. And now in surges of warm cheerful-
yet ••• ness, was filling him with abandon-
ment, courage, and a desire for
merriment. He pushed himself up
HEleftLOOKED at the heel of his
hand. There was a long,
from the table, joined the merry
throng, threw his arm about the
irregular scar there. It was the re- Persian dancer, drew her close.
sult of a cut he had received near- They began dancing slowly to
ly three weeks ago when he had the throbbing rhythm, dancing and
fallen over this very table and had holding on to each other tightly.
rammed his hand into a sliver of Hyrel could feel her hot breath
broken champagne glass. Later that through her veil upon his neck, add-
evening, upon re-telporting back ing to the headiness of the liquor.
home, the pain of the cut had re- His feeling of depression and inferi-
mained in his hand, but there was ority flowed suddenly from him.
no sign of the cut itself on the hand Once again he was the all-conquer-
of his outer self. The scar was pe- ing male.
culiar to the shadowy body only. His arm trembled as it drew her
There was something about the still closer to him and he began
shadowy body that carried the dancing directly and purpo8efully
hurts to the outer body, but not the toward the shadows of a clump of
scars ... artificial palms near one corner of
Sudden laughter broke out near the room. There was an exit to the
him, and he turned quickly in that garden behind the palms.
direction. A group of gaily cos- Half way there they passed a se-
tumed revelers was standing in a cluded booth from' which pro-
semi-circle about a small mound of truded a long leg clad in black
clothing upon the floor. It was the mesh stocking. Hyrel paused as he
costume of the toreador. recognized that part of the cos-
Hyrel laughed, too. It had hap- tume. It was she! The girl! The
pened many times before-a cos- one he had met so briefly the night
tume suddenly left empty as its before! .
owner, due to a threat of discovery His arm slid away from the Per-
at home, had had to press the sian dancer, took hold of the mesh-
switch in haste to bring his shad- clad leg, and pulled. A female form
owy self-and complete conscious- followed the leg from the booth
ness-back to his outer self in a and fell into his arms. He held her
hurry. tightly, kissed her white neck, let
A waiter picked up the clothing. her perfume send his thoughts reel-
He would put it safely away so that ing.
the owner could claim it upon his "Been looking for me, honey?"
next visit to the club. Another she whispered, her voice deep and
waiter placed a fresh bottle of throaty.
whiskey on the table before Hyrel, "You know it!"
and Hyrel paid him for it. He began whisking her away to-
38 RICHARD O. LEWIS
ward the palms. The Persian girl te10vis and coming to his chair. He
was pulled into the booth. would then have to press the
Yes, she was wearing the same switch that would jerk his shadowy
costume she had worn the night self back along its invisible con-
before, that of a can-can dancer of necting cord, jerk him back and
the 90's. The mesh hose that en- leave but a small mound of clothes
cased her shapely legs were held up upon the chair at the table.
by flowered supporters in such a Deep depression laid hold of
manner as to leave four inches of him. He would not be able to see
white leg exposed between hose top her after tonight until he received
and lacy panties. Her skirt, frilled his monthly dole two weeks hence.
to suggest innumerable petticoats, She wouldn't wait that long. Some-
fell away at each hip, leaving the one else would have her.
front open to expose the full length Unless ...
of legs. She wore a wig of platinum Yes, he knew now that he was
hair encrusted with jewels that going to kill his wife as soon as the
sparkled in the lights. Her jewel- opportunity presented itself. It
studded mask was as white as her would be a simple matter. With the
hair and covered the upper half of aid of the telporter suit, he could
her face, except for the large establish an iron-clad alibi.
almond slits for her eyes. A white He took a long drink of whiskey
purse, jewel crusted, dangled from and looked at the dancers about
one arm. him. Sight of their gay costumes
He stopped once before reaching heightened his depression. He was
the palms, drew her closer, kissed wearing a cheap suit of satin, all he
her long and ardently. Then he be-
could afford. But some day soon he
gan pulling her on again.
She drew back when they would show them! Some time soon
reached the shelter of the fronds. he would be dressed as gaily ...
"Champagne, first," she whispered "Something troubling you,
huskily into his ear. honey?"
His heart sank. He had very lit- His gaze shot back to her and
tle money left. Well, it might buy she blurred slightly before his eyes.
a cheap brand . • •• "No. Nothing at all!" He sum-
moned a sickly smile and clutched
her hand in his. "Come on. Let's
dance."
SHE SIPPED her champagne
slowly and provocatively across He drew her from the chair and
into his arms. She melted toward
the table from him. Her eyes spar-
kled behind the almond slits of her him as if desiring to become a part
mask, caught the color changes and of him. A tremor of excitement
cast them back. She was wearing surged through him and threat-
contact lenses of a garish green. ened to turn his knees into quiver-
He wished she would hurry with ing jelly. He could not make his
her drink. He had horrible visions feet conform to the flooding
of his wife at .home taking off her rhythm of the music. He half sturn-
A BOTTLE OF OLD WINE 39
bled, half pushed her along past the from an unseen club. His ego
booths. curled and twisted within him like
In the shelter of the palms he a headless serpent.
drew her savagely to him. "Let's- "I'll have money!" he shouted,
let's go outside." His voice was lit- struggling to hold her. "I'll have
tle more than a croak. plenty of money! After tonight!"
"But, honey!" She pushed her- "Then we'll wait," she said.
self away, her low voice madden- "We'll wait until tomorrow night."
ing him. "Don't you have a private "No!" he screamed. "You don't
room? A girl doesn't like to be believe me! You're like the others!
taken outside . . . ." You think I'm no good! But I'll
Her words bit into his brain like show you! I'll show all of you!"
the blade of a hot knife.
No, he didn't have a private
room at the club like the others. A
private room for his telporter re- SHEhis HAD GONE coldly rigid in
arms, unyielding.
ceiver, a private room where he Madness added to the pounding
could take a willing guest. No! He in his brain. Tears welled into his
couldn't afford it! No! No! NO! eyes.
His lot was a cheap suit of satin! "I'll show you! I'll kill her! Then
Cheap whiskey! Cheap cham- I'll have money!" The hands
pagne! A cheap shack by the clutching her shoulders shook her
river ..• drunkenly. "You wait here! I'll go
An inarticulate cry escaped his home and kill her now! Then I'll
twisted lips. He clutched her rough- be back!"
ly to him and dragged her through "Silly boy!" Her low laughter
the door and into the moonlight, rang hollowly in his ears. "And just
whiskey and anger lending him who is it you are going to kill?"
brutal strength. "My wife!" he cried. "My wife!
He pulled her through the de- I'll ..."
serted garden. All the others had A sudden sobering thought
private rooms! He pulled her to struck him. He was talking too
the far end, behind a clump of much. And he wasn't making sense.
squatty firs. His hands clawed at He shouldn't be telling her this.
her. He tried to smother her mouth Anyway,he couldn't get the money
with kisses. tonight even if he did kill his wife.
She eluded him deftly. "But, "And so you are going to kill
honey!" Her voice had gone deeper your wife ...."
into her throat. "I just want to be He blinked the tears from his
sure about things. If you can't af- eyes. His chest was heaving, his
ford one of the private rooms-if heart pounding. He looked at her
you can't afford to show me a good shimmering form. "Y-yes," he whis-
time-if you can't come here real pered.
often ..." Her eyes glinted strangely in the
The whiskey pounded and light of the moon. Her handbag
throbbed at his brain like blows glinted as she opened it, and some-
~o RICHARD O. LEWIS
thing she took from it glittered his lower jaw sagged inanely, and
coldly in her hand. his head lolled to one side.
"Fool!" She stood a moment longer,
The first shot tore squarely watching his eyes become glazed
through his heart. And while he and sigh tless. Then she walked to
stood staring at her, mouth agape, the telephone.
a second shot burned its way "Police?" she said. "This is Mrs.
through his bewildered brain. Herbert Hyrel. Something horrible
has happened to my husband.
Please come over immediately.
MRS. HERBERT HYREL re- Bring a doctor."
moved the telovis from her She hung up, went to her bath-
head and laid it carefully aside. room, stripped off her clothing,
She uncoiled her long legs fro!il be- and slid carefully out of her tel-
neath her, walked to her husband's porter suit. This she folded neatly
chair, and stood for a long moment and tucked away into the false back
looking down at him, her lips of the medicine cabinet. She found
drawn back in contempt. Then she a fresh pair of blue, plastifur pa-
bent over him and reached down jamas and got into them.
his thigh until her fingers contacted She was just arriving back into
the small switch. the living room, tying the cord of
Seconds later, a slight tremor her dressing gown about her slim
spook Hyrel's body. His eyes waist, when she heard the sound of
snapped open, air escaped his lungs, the police siren out front.
- - - - THE END - - - -
CELEBRITY
By James McKimmey, Jr.
Illustrated by PAUL ORBAN
D
.
OORS SLAMMED again,
and half-consumed cups of
coffee lay cooling behind. Children
flew and feet chattered against tile.
In one rich expansive suite a giant
hoop of multi-colored flowers was
wiped at sleepy eyes and mothers placed in the center of a room.
swept crumbs, touching self-con- It was in the air. Laughter, awe,
scious fingers at their own bed-ruf- worship, excitement!
fled hair. Laborers and "clerks and Ropes went up and stretched be-
lawyers and doctors strode down tween lamp posts. Blue-coated men
sidewalks and climbed into automo- on horses began blocking streets.
biles and busses and sleek-nosed ele- Old women with wooden boxes,
vated trains. The city moved. children with flashing eyes, men in
To the center of the city, where rich suits and tattered suits began
the tall buildings stretched to the filling the sidewalks.
lighting sky, came the horde, like Curbs became lined with people.
thousands of ants toward a comb of Bars threw open doors and fresh
honey. Wheels sang and· whined. air met stale air. Men with fat
CELEBRITY 43
faces, thin faces, white faces, red men running. Gates swung and
faces, twitching with the anticipa- there was a blue-rimmed move-
tion of holiday freedom, gulped ment to a black open car. Sirens
jiggers of raw whiskey and shud- moaned, screamed. And the black
dered happily. car was moving swiftly into the
Children giggled and yelled and city.
sprinted in crazy zig-zags. Men in Beneath the buildings, marching
white caps hustled in front of the bands in red and blue and yellow
lined curbs, shouting, carrying uniforms stood assembled. Girls in
their boxes of ice-cream. Men with short skirts and tassled hats spun
buttons, men with pennants, men silver batons into the warm air.
with balloons joined the shouting, Bare legs kicked. Black boots
and the sound rose in the air and flashed.
the city smiled and shifted and its The crowd swayed against the
heart pounded. ropes, and there was laughter and
The hotel whirred inside itself. sweating and squinting.
The airport tensed and searched the .The black car reached the heart
sky. of the city. Sirens died. Rows of
men snapped to attention. Police-
men aligned their motorcycles.
----THEEND----
C.I.B. Agent Pell used his head, even if he did rely on hunches
more than on the computer. In fact, when the game got rough,
he found that to use his head, he first had to keep it ..••
Brink of
MADNESS
By WaIt Sheldon
Illustrated by KELLY FREAS
T
.
HE NIGHT the visitors came
Richard Pell worked late
among the great banks of crimino-
lovely, long-limbed blonde like Ciel
was something, of a mystery to
many of their friends. She could
logical computers. He whistled to hardly have married him for his
himself, knowing that he was way money. Central Investigation Bu-
off key but not caring. Ciel, his reau agents were lucky if all their
wife, was still in his mind's eye; extras and bonuses brought them
he'd seen her on the viewer and up to a thousand credits a year.
talked with her not ten minutes ago. Pell had unquestionably caught
"Be home shortly, baby," he'd her in a romantic moment. Maybe
said, "soon as I fill in a form or that was part of the trouble-part
two." of the reason they needed this sec-
"All right, dear. I'll wait," she'd ond honeymoon, this period of re-
answered, with just the slightest acquaintance so badly. Being the
tone of doubt. wife of a C.LB. agent meant sitting
It was an important night. It at home nine-tenths of the time
was at once their second anniver- while he was working on a case, and
sary and the beginning of their sec- then not hearing about the case for
ond honeymoon. Just how Pell- security reasons during the one-
knobby, more or less homely, and tenth of the time he was with her.
easygoing-had won himself a Four times now Pell had been
45
46 WALT SHELDON
ready to take his vacation; four well. He was dynamic and confident
times last minute business had come and he always had about him just
up. No more, though, by golly. To- the faintest aroma of very expensive
night he'd get out of here just as shaving cologne. He had a Master's
quickly as ... degree in criminology and his rise
The Identifier, beyond the door, to the post of Director, C.I.B., had
began to hum. That meant some- been sudden, dramatic and impres-
body was putting his hand to the sive. Not the least of his talents was
opaque screen, and if the scanner a keen sense of public relations.
recognized the fingerprints the "I-uh-was on my way out,"
door would open. Pell scowled at said Pell. He reached for his hat.
the bulky shadows outside. Funny about hats: few people trav-
"Go away, whoever you are," he eled topside anymore, and in the
muttered to himself. climate-conditioned tunnels you
Some of the other agents were didn't need a hat. But C.LE.
out there, no doubt; they were al- agents had to be neat and digni-
ways getting sudden inspirations fied; regulations required hats and
late at night and returning to use ties and cuffs and lapels. Thus, you
the computers again. In fact, it had could always spot a C.I.B. agent a
been tactifully suggested to Agent mile away.
Richard Pell that he might use the Larkin had a dimple when he
computers a little more himself in- smiled and Pell would bet he knew
stead of relying on hunches as he it. "We'd have called your home if
so often did. "Investigation's a cold we hadn't found you here. Sit
science, not a fancy art," Chief down, Dick."
Larkin was fond of saying to the Pell sat glumly. For the first
group-with his eyes on Pell. time, he noticed the men who had
Well, whoever it was, Pell was come in with the Chief. He recog-
definitely through. No time-wasting nized both. One was fiftyish, tall,
conversation for him! He was solidly-built and well-dressed on
ready for six glorious weeks of the conservative side. His face was
saved-up vacation time. He and strong, square and oddly pale, as if
Ciel, early tomorrow, would grab someone had taken finest white
a rocket for one of the Moon re- marble and roughly hacked a face
sorts, and there they'd just loaf and into it. Pell had seen that face in
relax and pay attention to each faxpapers often. The man was
other. Try to regain whatever it Theodor Rysland, once a wealthy
was they'd had...• corporation lawyer, now a World
Government adviser in an unoffi-
cial way. Some admired him as a
HE DOOR opened and Chief
TChief
Larkin walked in.
Eustace J. Larkin was tall,
selfless public servant; others swore
he was a power-mad tyrant. Few
were indifferent.
in his forties, but still boyishly hand- "I'm sure you recognize Mr. Rys-
some. He dressed expensively and land," said Chief Larkin, smiling.
BRINK OF MADNESS 47
"And this is Dr. Walter Nebel, of the Defenders didn't think it was
the World Department of Educa- possible. Forget Venus, said they;
tion." fortify Earth, keep the line of de-
Dr. Walter Nebel was slight and marcation on Mars, and sit tight.
had a head remarkably tiny in pro- "But there is, as you may know,"
portion to the rest of him. He wore said Rysland, "a third course in our
cropped hair. His eyes were turtle- relations with Venus."
lidded and at first impression sleepy, "There is?" asked Pell. From the
and then, with a second look- corner of his eye he saw Chief Lar-
wary. Pell remembered that he had kin looking at him with an expres-
won fame some time ago by discov- sion of-what, amusement? Yes,
ering the electrolytic enzyme in the amusement, largely, but with a
thought process. Pell wasn't sure touch of contempt, too, perhaps.
exactly what this was, but the fax- Hard to say.
papers had certainly made a fuss "The third course," said Rys-
about it at the time. land, not smiling, "would be to at-
He shook hands with the two tack Venus again, resume the war,
men and then said to Larkin, and hope to win quickly. We know
"What's up?" Venus is exhausted from the recent
"Patience," said Larkin and struggle. A sudden, forceful attack
shuffled chairs into place. might possibly subjugate her. At
Rysland sat down solidly and least, that is the at;gument of a cer-
gravely; Nebel perched. Rysland tain group called the Supremists."
looked at Pell with a strong, level Dr. Nebel spoke for the first
stare and said, "It's my sincere time. Pell realized that the man
hope that this meeting tonight will had been watching him closely. His
prevent resumption of the war with voice was sibilant; it seemed to drag
Venus." itself through wet grass. "Also Ve-
Larkin said, "Amen." nus is psychologically unprepared
Pell stared back in some surprise. for war; the Supremists believe that,
High-level stuff! too."
Rysland saw his stare and Pell reached back into his mem-
chuckled. "Chief Larkin tells me ory. The Supremists. They were a
your sympathies are more or less minor political party-sort of a cult,
Universalist. Not that it would be too. The outfit had sprung up in
necessary, but it helps." the last year or so. Supremists be-
"Oh," said Pell, with mild be- lieved that Earthmen, above all
wilderment. The difference be- other creatures, had a destiny-
tween the Universal and Defense were chosen-were supreme. They
parties was pretty clear-cut. The had several followers as delegates in
Universalists hoped to resume full World Congress. General impres-
relations with Venus and bring sion: slightly crackpot.
about a really secure peace through "The Supremists," said Theodor
friendship and trade. It would ad- Rysland, tapping his hard, white
mittedly be a tough struggle, and palm, and leaning forward, "have
48 WALT SHELDON
been calling for attack. Aggression. opened, a few art objects mutually
Starting the war with Venus all exchanged. Immigration for a few
over again. And they're not only a Venusian dancers or students or
vociferous nuisance. They have an diplomats. It wasn't much, but it
appeal in this business of Earth- was all in the right direction. At
man's supremacy. They're gaining least Pell felt so.
converts every day. In short, Rysland was saying: "We're not
they've now become dangerous." sure, of course, but we suspect-
we feel-that more than mere acci-
dent may be behind these Suprem-
ELL THOUGHT it over as
P R ysland talked. Certainly the
idea of renewed war was nightmar-
ists."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Someone seeking power, per-
ish. He'd been in the last one: who haps. As I said, we don't know.
hadn't? It had started in 2117, the We want to find out. Dr. Nebel has
year he was born, and it had been interested for some time in
dragged on for twenty-five years the curious psychology of these Su-
until T-day and the truce. The premists-their blind, unthinking
causes? Well, both Earth and Ve- loyalty to their cause, for instance.
nus worked the mineral deposits on He is, as you know, a special assist-
Mars unimpeded by the non-in- ant in the Department of Educa-
teIIigent insectile life on that tion. He asked my help in arrang-
planet, and the original arguments ing for an investigation, and I
had been about those mineral de- agreed with him wholeheartedly
posits, though there were enough that one should be made."
for a dozen planets there. The "And I told these gentlemen,"
causes were more complicated and said Chief Larkin, "that I'd put a
obscure than that. Semantics, part-
detail on it right away."
ly. There was freedom as Earth-
men saw it and freedom as the Ve- Now Pell believed he saw
nusians saw it. Same with honor through it. Larkin didn't believe it
and good and evil. They were al- was important at all; he was just
ways two different things. And obliging these Vips. A man couldn't
then Venusians had a greenish have too many friends in World
tinge to their skins and called the Government circles, after all. But of
Earthmen, in their clicking lan- course Larkin couldn't afford to
guage, "Pink-faces." And both put one of his bright, machine-
Earthmen and Venusians hated minded boys on it, and so PeB was
like the devil to see the other get the patsy.
away with anything. "Could I remind you," said Pen,
Anyway, there had been war, "that my vacation is supposed to
terrible war. Space battle, air bat- start tomorrow?"
tle, landing, repulse. Stalemate. Fi- "Now, now, Dick," said Larkin,
nally, through utter weariness per- turning on the personality, "this
haps, truce. Now, a taut, uneasy, won't take you long. Just a routine
suspicious peace. Communications report. The computers ought to
BRINK OF MADNESS 49
give you all the information you home for a while. You've got an-
need in less than a day." other case."
"That's what you always say, ev- "Well-yes. That's it, more or
ery time I'm ready to take a vaca- less." Pell swallowed.
tion. I've been saving up for two "Oh, Dick."
years now ...." "I'm sorry, honey. It's just that
"Dick, that's hardly the right at- something important came up. I've
titude for an agent who is so close got a conference on my hands. It
to making second grade." shouldn't take more than an hour."
Larkin had him over a barrel, "And we were supposed to leave
there. Pell desperately wanted to for the moon in the morning."
make his promotion. Second-grad- "Listen, baby, this is absolutely
ers didn't spend their time at the the last time. I mean it. As soon as
control banks gathering data; they this thing is washed up we'll really
did mostly desk work and evalu- take that vacation. Look, I'll tell
ation. They had a little more time you what, I'll meet you somewhere
to spend with their wives. He said, in an hour. We'll have some fun-
"Okay, okay," and got up. take in a floor show-drink a little
"Where are you going?" meth. We haven't done that in a
"To get my wife on the viewer long time. How about the Stardust
and tell her I won't be home for a Cafe? I hear they've got a terrific
while after all." new mentalist there."
He left the three of them Ciel said, "No."
chuckling and thought : He jests at "Don't be like that. We need an
scars who never felt a wound. He evening out. It'll hold us until I get
didn't say it aloud. You could quote this new case washed up. That
formulae or scientific precepts in won't be long, but at least we'll
front of Larkin, but not Shake- have a little relaxation."
speare. Ciel said, "Well ..."
"Attababy. One hour. Absolute-
ly. You· just go to Station B-90,
E PUNCHED OUT his home take the lift to topside and it's right
H number and waited until
Ciel's image swirled into the view-
on Shapley Boulevard there. You
can't miss it."
plate. His heart went boppety-bop "I know where it is," said Ciel.
as it always did. Hair of polished She shook her finger. "Richard
gold. Dark eyes, ripe olives, a little Pell, so heIp me, if you stand me up
large for her face and sometimes this time ..."
deep and fathomless. She wore a , "Baby!" he said in a tone of
loose, filmy nightgown and the sug- deep injury.
gestion of her body under it was "Goodbye, Dick." She clicked
enough to bring on a touch of mad- off.
ness in him. Pell had the feeling that even the
"Let me say it," Ceil said. She free-flowing meth and the gaiety of
wasn't smiling. "You won't be the Stardust Cafe wouldn't really
50 WALT SHELDON
help matters much. He sighed work tomorrow with his partner,
deeply as he turned and went back Steve Kronski. Steve, of course,
into the other room. would shrug phlegmatically, swing
his big shoulders toward the com-
puter rooms and say, "Let's go to
Chapter II work." It would be just another as-
signment to him.
As a matter of fact, the job
LITTLE OVER an hour would be not without a certain
A later he stepped from the
elevator kiosk at Station B-90 and
amount of interest. There were a
couple of puzzling things about
breathed the night air of topside. these Supremists that Rysland had
It was less pure actually than the pointed out. First of all, they didn't
carefully controlled tunnel air, but seem to be at all organized or in-
it was somehow infinitely more corporated. No headquarters, no
wonderful. At least to a sentimen- officers that anybody knew about.
tal primitive boob like Richard Pell, They just were. It was a complete
it was. Oh, he knew that it was in- mystery how a man became a Su-
finitely more sensible to live and premist, how they kept getting new
work entirely underground as peo- members all the time. Yet you
ple did these days-but just the couldn't miss a Supremist when-
same he loved the look of the black ever you met one. Before the con-
sky with the crushed diamonds of versation was half over he'd start
stars thrown across it and he loved spouting about the destiny of
the uneven breeze and the faint Earthmen and the general inferior-
smell of trees and grass. ity of all other creatures and so on.
This particular topside section It sounded like hogwash to Pell. He
was given over to entertainment; wondered how such an attitude
all about him were theaters and could survive in a scientific age.
cafes and picnic groves and air- Nor would a Supremist be essen-
ports for flying sports. A few hun- tially a moron or a neurotic; they
dred feet ahead he could see the were found in all walks of life, at
three-dimensional atmospheric pro- all educational and emotional lev-
jection that marked the Stardust 'CIs. Rysland told how he had ques-
Cafe, and he could hear faintly the tioned a few, trying to discover
mournful sound of a Venusian la- when, where and how they joined
ment being played by the askarins. the movement. Apparently there
He was glad they hadn't banned was nothing to join, at least to hear
Venusian music, anyway, although them tell it. They just knew one day
he wouldn't be surprised if they that they were Supremists, and that
did, some day. was the word. Rysland had shaken
That was one of the things these his head sadly and said, "Their be-
Supremists were trying to do. Rys- lief is completely without logic-
land and Chief Larkin had given and maybe that's what makes it so
him a long and careful briefing on strong. Maybe that's what fright-
the outfit so that he could start ens me about it."
BRINK OF MADNESS 51
KAY, TOMORROW then
O Pell would tackle it. Tomor-
row he'd think about it. Right now
down. He felt the wonderful illu-
sion of an explosion in his skull, and
it seemed to him that his body was
he had a date with his best ~irl. suddenly the strongest in the world
He entered the cafe and the and that he could whip everybody
music of the askarins swirled more in the joint with one arm tied be-
loudly about his head and he hind his back. He said, "Wow."
looked through the smoke and col- Ciel tried a smile now. "It does
ored light until he spotted Ciel sit- that to you when you're not used
ting in a rear booth. The place was to it."
crowded. On the small dance floor The first effect passed and he
before the orchestra nearly nude felt only the warmth oj fhe drink.
Venusian girls were going through He signaled a waitress and ordered
the writhing motions of a serpen- a couple more. "Don'·t forget to re-
tine dance. Their greenish skins mind me to take a hangover pill
shimmered iridescently. The sad- before I go to work in the morn-
faced Venusian musicians on the ing," he told Ciel.
band-stand waved their graceful, "You-you are going to work il)
spatulated fingers over thtli r curi- the morning, then?~'
ous, boxlike askarins, producing "Afraid I can't get out of it."
changing tones and overtones by "And the moon trip's off?"
the altered capacitance. A rocket- "Not off, just postponed. We'll
man in the black and silver uni- get to it, don't worry."
form of the Space Force was trying "Dick."
to stumble drunkenly out on to the "Yes?"
floor with the dancers and his "I can take it just so long, put-
friends were holding him back. ting our vacation off and off and
There was much laughter about the off." Her eyes were ea,rnest, liquid
whole thing. The Venusian girls and opaque. "I've been thinking
kept dancing and didn't change about it. Trying to arrive at some-
their flat, almost lifeless expressions. thing. I'm beginning to wonder,
Ciel looked up without smiling Dick, if maybe we hadn't just bet-
when he got to the booth. She had ter, well-call it quits, or some-
a half-finished glass of meth before thing."
her. He stared at her. "Baby, what
He tried a smile anyway. "Hello, are you saying?"
baby." He sat down.
She said, "I didn't really think
you'd get here. I could have had
dates with exactly eleven spacemen.
I kept count."
A SUDDEN, fanfare-like blast
from the orchestra inter-
rupted. They looked at the dance
"You have been faithful to me, floor. There was a flash of light, a
Cynara, in your fashion. I need a swirling of mist, and within the
drink and don't want to wait for space of a second the Venusian
the waitress. Mind?" He took her girls suddenly disappeared and
half glass of meth and tossed it their place was taken by a tall,
52 WALT SHELDON
hawk-nosed, dark-eyed man with a He was buttoning his pajamas.
cloak slung dramatically over one "See what?"
shoulder. The audience applauded. "It's us, Dick. It's not the floor
"That's Marco, the new mental- show, or the meth, or anything-
ist," said Pell. it's us. We can't enjoy anything to-
Ciel shrugged to show that she gether any more."
wasn't particularly impressed. He said, "Now wait a minute ..."
Neither was Pell, to tell the truth. But she had already stepped into
Mentalists were all the rage, partly the bedroom and slammed the
because everybody could practice a door. He heard the lock click.
little amateur telepathy and hypno- "Hey," he said, "what am I sup-
tism in his own home. Mentalists, posed to do, sleep out here?"
of course, made a career of it and _He took the ensuing silence to
were much better at it than any- mean that he was.
body else. And he did.
Their drinks came and they
watched Marco go through his act
in a rather gloomy silence. Marco
was skillful, but not especially un-
usual. He did the usual stuff:
T HE NEXT MORNING, as he
came into the office, Pell
scowled deeply and went to his desk
calling out things that people wrote without saying good morning to
on slips of paper, calling out dates anybody. Ciel had kept herself
on coins, and even engaging in locked in the bedroom and he had
mental duels wherein the chal- made his own breakfast. How it
lenger wrote a phrase, concealed it was all going to end he didn't
from Marco, and then deliberately _ know. He had the feeling that she
tried to keep him from reading it was working herself up to the de-
telepathically. He had the usual cision to leave him. And the real
hypnotism session with volunteers hell of it was that he couldn't
who were certain they could resist. exactly blame her.
He made them hop around the "Morning, partner," said a voice
stage like monkeys, burn their fin- above him. He looked up. Way up.
gers on pieces of ice, and so on. Steve Kronski was built along the
The -audience roared with laugh- general lines of a water buffalo.
ter. Pell and Ciel just kept staring. The usual battered grin was
When Marco had finished his act smeared across his face. "I see we
and the thundering applause had got a new assignment."
faded the Venusian dancing girls "Oh-did Larkin brief you on it
came back on the stage again. already?"
Ciel yawned. "Yeah. Before I could get my
Pell said, "Me, too. Let's get out hat off. Funny set-up, all right. I
of here." punched for basic data before you
It wasn't until they were home in got in. Hardly any."
their underground apartment and "Maybe that means something in
getting ready for bed that Ciel itself. Maybe somebody saw to it
turned to him and said, "You see?" that the information never got
BRINK OF MADNESS 53
into the central bank&." "Didn't even have to dial in Cen-
The C.LB. computers could be tral Data for these. Seems we got a
hooked into the central banks which lot of Supremist members right in
stored information on nearly every- our own little colIection."
thing and everybody. If you incor- PelI picked up one of the cards
porated, filed for a patent, paid and examined it idly. Vertical col-
taxes, voted, or just were born, the umns were inscribed along the card,
central banks had an electronic each with a heading, and with fur-
record of it. ther sub-headed columns. Under
Kronski jerked his thumb toward the column marked Modus Oper-
the computer room. "I punched for andi, for instance, there were sub-
names of Supremist members columns titled Person Attacked,
coupla minutes ago. Thought may- Property Attacked, How Attacked,
be we could start in that way." Means of Attack, Object of Attack,
PeIl foIlowed, his mind not reaIly and Trademark. Columns of digits,
on the job yet. He wasn't at his one to nine, were under each item.
best working with the computers, If the digits 3 and 2 were punched
and yet operating them was ninety under Trademark the number 32
per cent of investigation. He sup- could be fed into the Operational
posed he'd get used to it sometime. Data machine and this machine
Three walls of the big computer would then give back the informa-
room were lined with control racks, tion on a printed slip that number
consisting mostly of keyboard set- 32 stood for the trademark of leav-
ups. Code symbols and index cards ing cigar butts at the scene of the
were placed in handy positions. The crime.
C.LB. circuits, of course, were "Got five hundred now," said
adapted to the specialized work of Kronski. "I'II let a few more run
investigation. In the memory banks in case we need alternates."
of tubes and relays there was a "Okay," said Pell. "I'll start this
master file of all names-aliases and batch through the analyzer."
nicknames included-with which He took the cards across the room
the organization had ever been con- to a machine about twcnty feet
cerned. Criminals, witnesses, com- long and dropped them into the
plaints, everyone. Code numbers feeder at one end. Channels and
linked to the names showed where rolIers ran along the top of this
data on their owner could be found. machine and under them were a
A name picked at random might series of vertical slots into which
show that person to have data in the selected cards could drop. He
the suspect file, the arrest file, the cleared the previous setting and ran
psychological file, the modus oper- the pointer to Constants. He set
andi file, and so forth. Any of the the qualitative dial to 85%. This
data in these files could be checked, meant that on the first run the
converseJy, against the names. punch hole combinations in the
Kronski walked over to where let- cards would be scanned and any
ter sized cards were flipping from a item common to 85% of the total
slot into a small bin. He said, would be registered in a relay. Up-
54 WALT SHELDON
on the second run the machine were some kind of harmless crack-
would select the cards with this con- pots."
stant and drop them into a slot cor- "The Chief doesn't think so.
responding witl1 that heading. Fur- Neither does Theodor Rysland." He
ther scanning, within the slot itself, told Kronski more about the inter-
would pick out the constant num- view last ni!!ht.
ber. Presently u the machine stopped,
Pell started the rollers whirring. clicked several times and began roll-
Kronski came over. He rubbed ing the other way.
his battered nose. "Hope we get "Well, it found something," said
outside on this case. I'm gettin' Kronski.
sick 0' the office. Haven't been out They kept watching. Oh, for the
in weeks." life of a C.LB. man. Cards began
Pell nodded. Oh, for the life of to drop into one of the slots. The
a C.LB. man. In teleplays they cor- main heading was Physical and the
nered desperate criminals in the sub-heading Medical History. Pell
dark ruins of the ancient cities top- frowned and said, "Certainly didn't
side, and fought it out with freezers. expect to find a constant in this
The fact was, although regulations department." He picked up a few
called for them to carry freezers in of the first cards and looked at
their shoulder holsters, one in a them, hoping to catch the constant
thousand ever got a chance to use by eye. He caught it. "What's 445
them. under this heading?"
Pell said, "Maybe you need a
vacation."
"Maybe. Only I keep putting my
vacation off. Got a whole month K RONSKI SAID, "I'll find
out," and stepped over to the
Operational Data board. He
saved up now."
"Me, too." Pell sighed. Ciel worked it, took the printed slip that
would probably be pacing the floor came out and called back: "Record
back home now, trying to make up of inoc~lation."
her mind. To break it up, or not "That's a funny one."
to break it up? There would be no "Yup. Sure is." Kronski stared at
difficulty, really: she had been a the slip and scratched his neck. "It
must be just any old kind inocula-
pretty good commercial artist be- tion. If it was special-like typhoid
fore they were married and she or tetanus or something-it'd have
wouldn't have any trouble finding another digit."
a job again somewhere in World "There must be some other boil-
City. downs, if we could think of them."
The rollers kept whirring and Pell was frowning heavily. Some of
the cards flipping along with a whis- the other men, used to the ma-
pering sound. chines, could grab a boil-down out
"Wonder what we're looking in- of thin air, run the cards again and
to these Supremists for?" asked get another significant constant.
Kronski. "I always thought they The machine, however, inhibited
BRINK OF MADNESS 55
PelL It made him feel uneasy and Kronski sipped his coffee loudly.
stupi9 whenever he was around it. A few slender, graceful young men
"How about location?" suggested from World Commerce looked at
Kronski. him distastefully. "Happened just
Pell shook his head. "I checked this year. New Year they all went
a few by eye. All different numbers over. Augea, in the Hercules Moun-
under location. Some of 'em come tains. Big celebration."
from World City, some from Mars Pell looked up and said, "Wait
Landing, some from way out in the a minute..."
sticks. Nothing significant there." "Wait for what? I'm not goin'
"Maybe what we need is a cup anywhere. Not on this swivel-chair
of coffee." of a job, damn it."
Pell grinned. "Best idea all morn- "New Year they all become
ing. Come on." Supremists. And the last week of
Some minutes later they sat December everybody on the moon
across from each other at a table in gets his inoculations, right?"
the big cafeteria on the seventy- "Search me."
third level. It was beginning to be "But I know that. I found that
crowded now with personnel from out when I was tailing those two
other departments and bureaus. gamblers who had a place on the
The coffee urge came for nearly moon, remember?"
everybody in the government offices "So it may be a connection."
at about the same time. Pell was Kronski shrugged.
studying by eye a handful of spare "It may be the place where we
data cards he'd brought along and can study a bunch of these cases
Kronski was reading faxpaper clip- in a batch instead of picking 'em
pings from a large manila envelope one by one."
marked Supremist Party. Just on a "You mean we oughta take a
vague hunch Pell had viewplated trip to the moon?"
Central Public Relations and had "Might not hurt for a few days."
them send the envelope down by Kronski was grinning at him.
tube. "What are you grinning at?"
«Prominent Educator Addresses "First you got to stay over on
Supremist Rally," Kronski mut- your vacation, so you can't go to
tered. "Three Spaceport Cargomen the moon with your wife. Now all
Arrested at Supremist Riot. Young of a sudden you decide duty has
Supremists Form Rocket Club. got to take you to the moon, huh?"
Looks like anybody and everybody Pell grinned back then. "What
can be a Supremist. And his grand- are you squawking about? You said
mother. Wonder how they do it?" you wanted to get out on this case."
"Don't know." Pell wasn't really Kronski, still grinning, got up.
listening. "I'm not complaining. I'm just
"And here's a whole town went demonstrating my powers of deduc-
over to the Supremists. On the tion, as they say in teleplays. Come
moon." on, let's go make rocket reserva-
"Dh-huh," said Pell. tions."
56 WALT SHELDON
Chapter III rections to the office of the Resident
Surgeon and prepared to go there.
Ciel looked on quietly as Pell
- - - - T H E END - - - -
ONE
MARTIAN
AFTERNOON
By Tom Leahy
Illustrated by BRUSH
hot air.
dered through the crowded
sugar down among the apple cubes "No. He says, you Martians are
in the cassarole and covered them kinda likeable, but you can't be
with a blanket of dough. She cut trusted. He's nuts! I like you Mar-
an uneven circle of half moons in tians !"
it and put it in the oven. "There- ."Thank you, child, but every-
all ready to bake, Marilou," she one's entitled to his own opinion.
sighed. Don't judge your daddy too severe-
"It looks real yummy, Aunt Twy- ly," Aunt Twylee said as she
lee." scraped spilled sugar from the
"Well, I certainly hope it turns table and put little bits of it on her
out good, dear," she said, wiping tongue.
her forehead with her apron. She "He says that you'd bite th' hand
looked out the open back door. that feeds you. He says, we brought
. The landscape was beginning to all these keen things to Mars, an'
gray as heavier clouds moved down that if you got th' chance, you'd
from the mountains and pressed the kill all of us!"
afternoon heat closer, more oppres- "Gracious," said Aunt Twylee as
sively to the ground. "My, it's get- she speared scraps of dough with
ting hot. I wouldn't be a bit sur- the point of her long paring knife.
prised if we didn't get a little rain "He's a dope!" Marilou said.
this afternoon, Marilou." She Aunt Twylee opened the oven
turned back to the little girl. "Tell and peeked in at the cobbler. The
me some more about your daddy, aroma of the simmering apples
dear. We Martians certainly owe a rushed out and filled the room.
ONE MARTIAN AFTERNOON 79
"Could I have some cobbler "'Course I do, Aunt Twylee,"
when it's done?" Marilou asked, she said.
her mouth filling with saliva. Her scream was answered and
"I'm afraid not, child. It's get- smothered by the horrendous roar
ting rather late." of the thunder, and the piercing
The thunder rumbled again-a hiss of the rain that fell in sheets.
little closer, a little louder. In grea't volumes of water, it fell, as
The old lady washed the blade though the heavens were attempt-
of the knife in the sink. "Tell me ing to wash the sins of man from
more of what your father says, the universe and into non-existence
dear," she said as she adjusted the in the void beyond the void.
bifocals on her thin nose and ran
her thumb along the length of the
knife's blade. ARILOU LAY beside the
"Oh, nothin' much more. He just
says that you'd kill us if you had th'
M other children. Aunt Twylee
smiled at them, closed the bedroom
chance. That's the way the inferior door and returned to the kitchen.
races always act, he says. They want The storm had moved on; the
to kill th' people that help 'em, thunder was the faint grumbling of
'cause they resent 'em." a pacified old man. What water fell
"Very interesting." was a monotonous trickle from the
"Well, it isn't so, is it, Aunt Twy- eaves of the lime-washed stone
lee?" house. Aunt Twylee washed the
The room was filled with blind- blood from the knife and wiped it
ing blue-white light, and the walls dry on her apron. She opened the
quaked at the sound of a monstrous oven and took out the browned
thunderclap. cobbler. Sweet apple juice bubbled
The old Martian glanced nerv- to the surface through the half
ously at the clock on the wall. "My, moons and burst in delights of sug-
it is getting late," she said as she ary aroma. The sun broke through
fondled the knife in her hands. the thinning edge of the thunder-
"You Martians wouldn't do any- head.
thing like that, would you?" Aunt Twylee brushed a lock of
"You want the truth, don't you, her feathery white hair from her
dear?" Aunt Twylee asked, smiling, moist cheek. "Gracious," she said,
as she walked to the table where "I must tidy up a ,bit before the
Marilou sat. others come."
- - - - T H E E-ND - - - -
Personalities
in Science
His Specialty: Turning
New Corners
----THE END---'"
we should have a laboratory at least
23 miles above Earth. That's about
, .. ~ where the original particles can be
found. But since that isn't possible
-at this time anyway-Navy sci-
entists send up balloons containing
various sensitive equipment. Then,
the primary rays shoot into the
equipment leaving tracks on the
photographic plates for later cor-
relation by the scientists. Other
equipment radios data to the men
One Mystery-Still Unsolved on the ground when a cO'smic ray
is detected.
OSMIC RAYS-which .con-
C sist of protons, positrons, mes-
ons and heavy nuclei-are particles
Rockets which can be sent that
distance into the atmosphere don't
serve the purpose because they
that are speeded up in space to can't stay up very long, and this
velocities that almost equal the type of project requires high alti-
speed of light. These tiny pieces tudes for hours. Balloons, for this
hit the Earth constantly at tre- reason, have been found to bring
mendous energies that are millions much more successful results.
of times greater than scientists can With continued research and
obtain with even the most modern study, the mystery of the cosmic
types of equipment. ray will undoubtedly unfold and
Despite the consistent and con- science will be able to build the
centrated study being made by solution into another advance for
scientists, cosmic rays remain a the good of humanity.
mystery. How they accelerate to
their tremendous speeds-their na-
ture and where they come from We Should Have Stayed
and their purpose-these are still Prehistoric
unknown.
The cosmic rays that shoot in
from space are called primary ra-
A STUDY MADE of domestic
rats and wild rats of the same
diation, and these hardly ever pene- family indicates a definite pattern
trate Earth's atmosphere to sea of physiological and behavior dif-
level. They usually hit atoms of ferences between the two types.
gases that make up the air, invari- Which would lead to the idea that
ably smashing the atom and send- these same typ~s of differences pos-
ing its particles-which are called sibly exist between early prehistoric
secondary cosmjc rays-off in many man and civilized man as we know
different directions. him today.
Actually, in order to make a Man was probably made much
complete study of the primary cos- more susceptible to various diseases
mic rays under perfect conditions, by the very process of becomjng
89
90 SCIENCE BRIEFS
civilized. Illnesses like certain forms hardening of the arteries, all he'd
of colitis, asthma, rheumatoid ar- have to do would be to replace
thritis, some forms of cancer, some some of his hardened arteries with
types of mental illnesses-all these those belonging to his youth.
may be the products that developed And, for the vain, no more
as the civilization grew. wrinkled skin! Just store some tis-
Quite possibly, as man developed sues when you're 20, pick them up
from the state of a hard-fighting and let them grow again with you
primitive to that of a domestic se- when you're 50.
cure individual, certain changes It's an interesting possibility.
happened to his adrenal glands and The freeze method, incidentally,
his sex glands which could have is an acknowledged advantage over
been great enough to make him an the fresh bank method since it has
easier victim to certain types of ail- been found that freeze grafts heal
ments. faster and there is less danger of
Maybe he should have stayed a hemorrhaging. The frozen graft
healthy prehistoric . . . retains its potency.
Youth for the Old Man Makes Himself Deaf
wo
T BRITISH scientists have
recently performed some ex-
periments the results of which are
T HERE IS no sound in nature
that will do any damage to the
ear drums of a human. But man
worthy of noting. They removed has set out to master nature. And
some skin from the ear of a rabbit in his efforts to do so, he exposes
and impregnated it with glycerine. the human ear to degrees of sound
Then they froze it and kept it
for which it was never intended,
stored for four months, after
which time they transplanted the and against which it has no pro-
tection.
skin and found it would grow
In industry, the excessive noises
normally.
According to the two scientists- of the machinery with which the
Dr. R. Billingham and Prof. 1. Bed~ worker is associated eight hours of
awar-it is not too far-fetched to the day create an injury to the
assume that these pieces of skin hearing organ. The explosions of
would have remained in storage, in grenades and gunfire, the violent
perfect condition, for a period sounds made by airplane motors
much longer than the normal ex- and jet engines and all the other
pected life span of their donor. instruments of warfare, all contrib-
If this is so, then the aches and ute their share. Even day-to-day
pains of old age will soon be over- city life as we know it contains an
the possibility of perpetuating unnatural amount of loud and
youth is probable. A man might violent noise.
store, for example, some pieces of In his effort to become master,
his own arteries and veins. In his man is slowly destroying bits of
old age, when he is suffering from himself. -Peter Dakin
T he line between noble dreams and madness is
thin, and loneliness can push men past it ....
- - - - T H E END - - - -
Progress is relative; Senator O'Noonan's idea of it was not
particularly scientific. Which would be too bad~ if he had
the last word!
Progress Report
By Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides
lIIustrcted by PAUL ORBAN
Jim," the general was saying. "But. to you to handle it. He's got to be
it's orders from Pentagon. Are you won over, Colonel. It's your pro-
familiar with Senator O'Noonan?" ject." Considering the years that he
"Vaguely," Jennings apswered. and the general had worked to-
"You'll be more familiar with gether, the warm accord and in-
him, Jim. He's been newly ap- formality between them, the use of
pointed chairman of the appropria- Jennings' title made it an order.
tions committee covering our work. "Yes, sir," he said.
And he's fought it bitterly' from the "Over," said the general for-
beginning. He's tried every way he mally.
could to scrap the entire project. "Out," whispered Jennings.
When we've finished this test, Jim, The two men looked at him ques-
we'll have used up our appropria- tioningly.
tions to date. Whether we get any "It seems," he answered their
more depends on him." look, "we are to have an observer.
"Yes, sir?" Jennings spoke ques- Senator O'Noonan."
tioningly. Political maneuvering was "Even in Germany," Professor
not his problem, that was between Stein said quietly, "they knew
Pentagon and Congress. enough to leave us alone at a criti-
"We must have his support, Jim," cal moment."
the general explained. "Pentagon "He can't do it, Jim," Major
hasn't been able to win him over. Eddy looked at Jennings with
He's stubborn and violent in his re- pleading eyes.
actions. The fact it keeps him in "Oh, but he can," Jennings an-
the headlines-well, of course that swered bitterly. "Orders. And you
wouldn't have any bearing. So know what orders are, don't you,
Pentagon invited him to come to Major?"
the field here to watch the test, hop- "Yes, sir," Major Eddy said
ing that would win him over." The stiffly.
general hesitated, then continued. Professor Stein smiled ruefully.
"I've gone a step farther. I felt Both of them turned back to their
if he was actually at the center of instrum.ent boards, their radar
control, your operation, he might screens, to the protective obscurity
be won over. If he could actually of subordinates carrying out an as-
participate, press the activating key signment. They were no longer
or something, if the headlines could three men coming close together,
show he was working with us, actu- almost understanding one another
ally sent the test ship on· its in this moment of waiting, when the
flight..." world and all in it had been shut
"General, you can't," Jennings away, and nothing real existed ex-
moaned. He forgot rank, every- cept the silvery spire out there on
thing. the desert and the life of it in the
"I've already done it, Jim," the controls at their fingertips.
general chose to ignore the out- "Beep, minus fifteen minutes!"
burst. "He's due there now. I'll look the first time signal sounded.
106 MARK CLIFTON and ALEX APOSTOLIDES
passively. Jennings didn't know catch the senator up in the fire and
whether he was going over or not. the dream.
But he was trying. "And then more yapping colon-
"All that ship, and all the instru- ists wanting statehood," the senator
ments it contains; those represent said dryly. "Upsetting the balance
the utmost honesties of the men of power. Changing things."
who worked on them. Nobody tried Jennings was silent.
to bluff, to get by with shoddy "Beep, four."
workmanship, covet up ignorance. "More imports trying to get into
A farmer does not try to bluff his our country duty-free," O'Noonan
land, for the crops he gets tells the went on. "Upsetting our economy."
final story. Scientists, too, have sim- His vision was of lobbyists threat-
ple honesty. They have to have, ening to cut off contributions if
Senator, for the results will show their own industries were not kept
them up if they don't." in a favorable position. Of grim-
jawed industrialists who could easily
put a more tractable candidate up
HE SENATOR looked at him in his place to be elected by the
T speculatively, and with a grow-
ing respect. Not a bad speech, that.
free and thinking people of his
state. All the best catch phrases, the
Not a bad speech at all. If this tom- semantically-loaded promises, the
foolery actually worked, and it advertising appropriations being
might, that could be the approach used by his opponent.
in selling it to his constituents. By It was a dilemma. Should he
implication, he could take full jump on the bandwagon of ad-
credit, put over the impression that vancement to the stars, hoping to
it was he who had stood over the catch the imagination of the voters
scientists making sure they were as by it ? Were the voters really in
honest and simple as the mountain favor of progress? What could this
farmers. Many a man has gone into space flight put in the dinner pails
the White House with less. of the Smiths, the Browns, the
"Beep, five." Johnsons? I t was all very well to
Five more minutes. The sudden talk about the progress of mankind,
thought occurred to O'Noonan: but that was the only measure to
what if he refused to press the be considered. Any politician knew
dummy key? Refused to take part that. And apparently no scientist
in this project he called tomfool- knew it. Man advances only when
ery? Perhaps they thought they he sees how it will help him stuff
were being clever in having him his gut.
take part in the ship's launching, "Beep, three." For a full minute,
and were by that act committing the senator had sat lost in specula-
him to something .... tion.
"This is the final test, Senator. And what could he personally
Mter this one, if it is right, man gain? A plan, full-formed, sprang
leaps to the stars!" It was Jen- into his mind. This whole deal
nings' plea, his final attempt to could be taken out of the hands of
JJ0 MARK CLIFTON and ALEX APOSTOLlDES·
the military on charges of waste it might work.
and corruption. It could be brought "Now, son," he said with kindly
back into the control of private in- tolerance, "tell me what you want
dustry, where it belonged. He me to do about pressing this key
thought of vast tracts of land in his when the time comes."
own state, tracts he could buy "Beep, one."
cheap, through dummy companies, And then the continuous drone
places which could be made very while the seconds were being count-
suitable for the giant factories ed off aloud.
necessary to manufacture space- "Fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-
ships. seven-"
As chairman of the appropria- The droning went on while Jen-
tions committee, it wouldn't be nings showed the senator just how
difficult to sway the choice of site. to press the dummy key down, ex-
And all that extra employment for plaining it in careful detail, and
the people of his own state. The just when.
voters couldn't forget plain, simple, "Thirty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-
honest O'Noonan after that! five-"
"Beep, two." "Major!" Jennings called ques-
tioningly.
"Ready, sir."
- - - - THE END - - - -
IRRESISTIBlE WEAPON
(Continued from page 31)
accuracy, the colonel put the ship "No irresistible weapon exists, or
into subspace drive. ever will!" he declared. "Only an
Korman leaned back at the con- irresistible process-the transmis-
clusion of the brief activity on his sion of secrets! You are living proof
control board, and met Gibson's that no safeguards can defend
pop-eyed stare. against that."
"Interesting, the things worth He savored Gibson's silent dis-
.knowing," he commented. "How to comfort.
make a weapon, for instance, or "I am sure you know how far
whether your enemy has it yet." and how fast the Centaurian scien-
He almost smiled at his prison- tists will go, Gibson, since I guided
er's expression. you to every laboratory in that
"Or even better: knowing ex- plant. Your memory may require
actly how far your enemy has pro- some painful jogging when we
gressed and how fast he can con- reach the Solar System; but re-
tinue, whether to stop him im- member you shall!"
mediately or whether you can re- "But you-you were ordered
main a step ahead." to ..."
"B-but-if both sides are irre- "You didn't think I was a Cen-
sistible ..." Gibson stammered. taurian, did you?" sneered Kor-
Korman examined him con- man. "After I just explained to you
temptuously. what is really irresistible?"
- - - - THE END
iiMlIIllIlIIlIIlIlIlIlIIlllIIllIIlIIlIIllIIlIIllllIIlIIlIIlIlIlllIIlIIlIIlIlIlIllIlIlI1 the structure of the story seem to
imply that he's "fer," but I got the
THE distinct impression that he is a
whopping logician with his tongue
'P~
in his cheek.
Although Rog does not elabo-
rate on Martin Grant's theory, I
think I know one answer (and I
imagine there is room for more) to
COMETH the enigmatic disappearances. To
me, it is a very "obvious further
step" in logic, as Rog makes Grant
suspect there "must" be.
Martin Grant's theory "contains
TO BE OR NOT TO BE within itself the proof that the uni-
verse must, by logical necessity, be
Dear Friends: constructed according to said
I was introduced to IF with the theory. But observation and experi-
January 1953 issue and was very ence say this is not true." Martin
pleasantly surprised. I am tempted Grant conjectures, "Either the uni-
to give IF the edge over verse is not constructed acording
ASTOUNDING for the highest to logical necessity, or, the observ-
level of intelligence in the science able universe is not the universe."
fiction field, but you realize how Now, assuming that Grant's
unfair this would be to John theory was that the universe is
Campbell and/or the publishers of an illusion, it follows (if I ac-
ASTOUNDING, inasmuch as my
judgment would be based on only cept this theory) that MY
one issue of IF. I must read at OWN EXISTENCE is part of
least 60 or 70 issues of IF, before that very same illusion! Illu-
I come to so momentous a decision. sion and existence become syn-
Well, at least two or three issues, onymous. The moment "I" become
anyway. "aware" of this "fact," pop goes
My favorite story in the January the illusion AND, therefore, my ex-
issue was Walter Miller's CHECK istence. The "logical necessity" is,
AND CHECKMATE. Not only logically, the simultaneity of the
was it a good story with an un- illusion-existence of universe and
usual twist, but I think it took self. To be or not to be applies to
courage to write and courage to the sum total. It 'is indi¥isible.
publish it. I admire and respect all Simple.
concerned for it. Grant's statement, "observation
I also liked Rog Phillips' YE OF and experience says this is not true"
LITTLE FAITH, but was left was correct prior to his own disap-
somewhat baffled as to what Rog pearance, but to him alone. It re-
was trying to tell. Is he "fer or mained correct to each individual
agin" belief (faith)? The title and only to the point of the individuafs
119
120 THE POSTMAN COMETH
disappearance. Naturally, Grant's lenge of meeting and establishing
conjectures are meaningless. contact with alien life forms, these
-George Fedak challenges and many more will
Uniondale, N. Y. drive man on to the planets and
finally to the stars.
We like you, Mr. Fedak, and want Adventure, Curiosity, and the
you to read at least 60 or 70 issues Challenge will send man out into
of IF. Please don't get too involved space, not survival.
in this puzzle and disappear your- -Lyle Kessler
self! Philadelphia, Pa.