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Latest
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A Science Fact
Article
I*?
? By Willy
S' Ley
—
ATL/iSr!
You can paint
an original picture
like this, using real
artists' oil paints...
the
Trait Mark
(overlay) way
JUST AS A TEACHER by
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how and what to do. You
compare your progress,
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are actually painting.
Qdidxy
MAGAZINE
DECEMBER, 1962 . VOL. 21, NO. 2
SOL COHEN
CONTENTS Publisher
Printed In the U. S. A.
Cover by Dember illustrating For Your Information By The Guinn Co., Inc. N, Y.
Next issue (February) on sale December 10th. Title Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED
~ But No One Was Home
4
refrained from saying it When warm way with an audience. He
asked a general question along has not been around science fic-
the lines of, “What do you think tion very long and is the first
the future will be like?” Mr, to admit it After discouraging
Hawley stated that in his opinion, his hearers with a standard
“People in the future will still “science fiction today is science
be interested in the same basic tomorrow” gambit, Mr. Serling
things, though perhaps from a won them back by telling Mr.
new perspective” ... a position Bradbury: “You wrote this stuff
hard to fault, and quite in keep- and developed it before it be-
ing with the motif of the occasion. came popular. Johnny-come-late-
Next came the meat course. lies like me have a lot to thank
Mr. Ray Bradbury is an excel- you for.” Further than that, Mr.
lent speaker and a provocative Serling displayed a fine, friendly
thinker, and he was by no means touch for audience empathy and
having an off day. First he stirred a familiarity with the science-
up the animals with: “I know the fiction field comparable to Hugo
least science of any science-fiction Gernsback’s. In fact, Mr. Serling’s
writer and I’m proud of it.” Ten- views of science fiction were very
year-olds, he says, tell him: “You much in accord with those ex-
know that last story of yours? pressed by Mr. Gemsback over
The way that spaceship in it many years, with emphasis on
works? UH-uh!” But, he says, he prophecy, education and inspira-
isn’t about to rewrite for ten- tion of the reader. He was
year-olds! gratified to be able to say that
Then he got down to business. science fiction is at last becom-
The space age, he said, is the ing “respectable.” Cheers did not
single most important step ever drown him out, but his heart is
taken by mankind. The next fifty obviously in the right place . . .
years will change the pattern of namely inside his ribcage, where
our lives more than did the Ren- it’s safe.
aissance. The movement to space
is “a religious movement in the A FTER these opening remarks
truest sense of the world . . . there was a sort of discussion
Man will pass the gift of life on among panelists and moderator,
to other planets, and so will from which some (approximate!
achieve continuity.” — taken by pencil in the dark)
Mr. Rod the final
Serling, notes follow:
member of the panel, is a very Moderator'. What is there now
personable young man who has a to write about in science fiction?
5
Bradbury: The space age is From the audience: Is man-
only beginning. The distance to kind prepared to go into space
the sun is less than that from one and meet nonhuman intelligences
ear to the other; this is what we which might be housed in re-
will always be exploring. volting shapes?
Serling: TV has not even Bradbury: Humanity is a con-
scratched the surface. cept. It has nothing to do with
Hawley: Do you write to en- appearance.
tertain — to educate —
what’s Kelley: We’re not ready. Until
your purpose? we get this world straightened up,
Mr. Serling allowed that en- why go anywhere? We are . . .
sorship in science fiction? ing all the West Coast talent that
Bradbury: You can get away could have been available, the
with murder. Even in TV, with heart drips green for the audience
a purely science-fiction story you that expected four distinct and
have very little interference. They informed points of view of
don’t know what you’re talking science fiction to be presented.
about. Doubtless the producer was
Serling: Social commentary most sincere in feeling that a
can go into science fiction that Disney writer and a book editor
no one would dare to try straight. would draw the “general public”
6
THERE are some things that cannot organization) an age-old brotherhood
be generally told — things you ought to of learning, have preserved this secret
know. Great truths are dangerous to wisdom in their archives for centu-
some — but factors for personal power ries. T^'hey now invite you to share the
and accomplishment in the hands of practical helpfulness of their teachings.
those who understand them. Behind Write today for a free copy of the
the tales of the miracles and mysteries book, "The Mastery of Life.” Within
of the ancients, lie centuries of their its pages may lie a new life of oppor-
secret probing into nature’s laws — tunity for you. Address: Scribe S.C.X.
their amazing discoveries of the hid-
den processes of man’s mind, and the SEND THIS COUPON ;
mastery of life's problems. Once shroud- I Scribe S.C.X. »
I
which explains how I may learn (o
thousands of men and women who pri-
|
I use my faculties and powers of mind. ,
'
Name
I
T¥7ITH honorable, and rare, safe. We’ll ask the six standard
** exceptions they never questions and crack the six stand-
. . .
do. We
agree to this with a cer- ard jokes . and by then maybe
. .
We have often noted the embar- control of people who don’t know
rassed half-smile which is the anything about it. As aficanados
standard expression on the face know, it won’t fit a mold —
of the program chairman or pro- especially not the Buck Rogers
gram host who doesn’t quite know mold of dis-rays on Martian sea-
what to say to, or about, these bottoms.
nuts who write this Buck Rogers They never seem to learn, do
stuff. You can see on his face they? — THE EDITOR
FORECAST
To begin 1963 we offer New Year's Greetings to another star-class
wordsmith who has somehow evaded Go/ox/'s shanghai squads up to this
time. The man's name is Brian W. Aldiss; the story, a novella entitled
Com/c Inferno. In the same issue we have another novella, this one by Gordon
R. Dickson —
Home from the Shore — and at least one novelette, Cordwainer
Smith's Think Blue, Count Two. Also shorts, features, Willy Ley o full-sized —
portion of the best science-fiction reading we can find.
8
Here is a modern tale of an
inner^direeted sorcerer and
an outer-directed sorcerer's
CREATURE
By FRITZ LEIBER
Illustrated by WOOD
10 GALAXY
the adult race looking like Vina glass, I mean, not the tint. People
Vidarsson is too awful a who live in glass houses can see
thought.” the stars — especially when
“Yah, you’re just scared of there’s a window-washing streak
making a million dollars,” Daisy in theirgerm-plasm.”
jeered. “Gussy, why don’t you move
“I sure am,” Gusterson said underground?” Fay asked, his
solemnly, scanning the fuzzy voice taking on a missionary
floor from one murky glass wall note. “It’s a lot easier living in
TV.
to the other, hesitating at the one room, believe me. You don’t
“How about something homey have to tramp from room to room
now, like a flock of little prickly hunting things.”
cylinders that roll around the “I like the exercise,” Gusterson
floor collecting lint and flub? said stoutly.
They’d work by electricity, or at “But I bet Daisy’d prefer it
a pinch cats could bat ’em underground. And your kids
around. Every so often they’d be wouldn’t have to explain why
automatically herded together their father lives like a Red In-
and the lint cleaned off the dian. Not to mention the safety
bristles.” factor and insurance savings and
“No good,” Fay said. “There’s a crypt church within easy slide-
no lint underground and cats are walk distance. Incidentally, we
verboten. And the aboveground see the stars all the time, better
market doesn’t amount to more than you do —
by repeater.”
moneywise than the state of “Stars by repeater,” Gusterson
Southern Illinois. Keep it murmured to the ceiling, pausing
grander. Gussy, and more im- for God to comment. Then, “No,
practical — you can’t sell people Fay, even if I could afford it —
merely useful ideas.” From his and stand it —
I’m such a
hassock in the center of the room bad-luck Harry that just when
he looked uneasily around. “Say, I got us all safely stowed at
did that violet tone in the glass the Nminus 1 sublevel, the
come from the high Cleveland Soviets would discover an
hydrogen bomb or is it just age earthquake bomb that struck
and ultraviolet, like desert glass?” from below, and I’d have to fol-
low everybody back to the tree-
44TVO, somebody’s grandfather tops. Hey! How about bubble
liked it that color,” Guster- homes in orbit around earth?
son informed him with happy Micro Systems could subdivide
bitterness. “I like it too — the the world’s most spacious suburb
12 GALAXY
and all you moles could go ellips- suddenly at Fay, shaking his
ing. Space is as safe as there is: fingerunder the latter’s chin, “I’ll
no air, no shock waves. Free fall’s tellyou what you can have that
the ultimate in restfulness — ignorant team of yours invent.
great health benefits. Commute They can fix me up a mechanical
by rocket —
or better yet stay secretary that I can feed orders
home and do all your business by into and that’ll remind me when
TV-telephone, or by waldo if it the exact moment comes to listen
were that sort of thing. Even pet to TVor phone somebody or
your girl by remote control — mail in a story or write a letter
she in her bubble, you in yours, or pick up a magazine or look at
whizzing through vacuum. Oh, an eclipse or a new orbiting sta-
damn - damn - damn - damn - tion or fetch the kids from school
DAMN!” or buy Daisy a bunch of flowers
He was glaring at the blank or whatever it is. It’s got to be
screen of the TV, his big hands something that’s always with me,
clenching and unclenching. not something I have to go and
“Don’t let Fay give you apo- consult or that I can get sick of
—
plexy he’s not worth it,” Daisy and put down somewhere. And
said, sticking her trim head in it’s got to remind me forcibly
from the kitchen, while Fay in- enough so that I take notice and
quired anxiously, “Gussy, what’s don’t just shrug it aside, like I
the matter?” sometimes do even when Daisy
“Nothing, you worm!” Guster- reminds me of things. That’s
son roared, “Except that an hour what your stupid team can invent
ago I forgot to tune in on the only for me! If they do a good job, I’ll
TV program I’ve wanted to hear pay ’em as much as fifty dollars!”
this year —
Finnegans Wake “That doesn’t sound like any-
scored for English, Gaelic and thing so very original to me,” Fay
brogue. Oh, damn-damn-DAMN!” commented coolly, leaning back
“Too bad,” Fay said lightly. “I from the wagging finger. “I think
didn’t know they were releasing all senior executives have some-
it on flat TV too.” thing of that sort At least, their
secretary keeps some kind of
64 Y|[/f^LL, they were! Some file . .
.”
things are too damn big “I’m not looking for something
to keep completely underground. with spiked falsies and nylons up
And I had to forget! I’m always to the neck,” interjected Guster-
doing it — I miss everything! son, whose ideas about secretaries
Look here, you rat,” he blatted were a trifle lurid. “I just want a
14 GALAXY
boys are wearing them too, and think of as a royalty on all the
the police are yipping at Trix for inventions someone thought of a
encouraging transvestism with little ahead of you. Fifty dollars
16 GALAXY
who go around alia time making gilt eagles and dodoes and—
decisions.” wood-burning airplanes?”
“Well, you can take it from me, “Maybe, under some circum-
Gussy, that this tickler is just a stances. There was a wood-burn-
miniaturized wire recorder and ing airplane. Fay,” Gusterson
clock . and a tickler. It doesn’t
, . continued, wagging his wrists for
do anything else.” emphasis, “I really think compu-
“Not yet, maybe,” Gusterson ters are conscious. They just don’t
said darkly. “Not this model. Fay, have any way of telling us that
I’m serious about bugs thinking. they are. Or maybe they don’t
Or if they don’t exactly think, have any reason to tell us, like
they feel. They’ve got an interior the little Scotch boy who didn’t
drama. An inner glow. They’re say a word until he was fifteen
conscious. For that matter. Fay, and was supposed to be deaf and
I think all your really complex dumb.”
electronic computers are con- “Why
didn’t he say a word?”
scious too.” “Because he’d never had any-
“Quit kidding. Gussy.” Or take those Hindu
thing to say.
“Who’s kidding?” Fay, who sit still and don’t
fakirs,
“You are. Computers simply say a word for thirty years or
aren’t alive.” until their fingernails grow to the
“What’s alive? A word. I think next village. If Hindu fakirs- can
computers are conscious, at least do that, computers can!”
while they’re operating. They’ve Looking as if he were masticat-
got that inner glow of awareness. ing a lemon, Fay asked quietly,
They sort of well medi-
. . . . . . “Gussy, did you say you’re work-
tate.” ing on an insanity novel?”
“Gussy, computers haven’t got
any circuits for meditating. USTERSON frowned fiercely.
They’re not programmed for “Now you’re kidding,” he ac-
mystical lucubrations. They’ve cused Fay. “The dirty kind of
just got circuits for solving the kidding, too.”
problems they’re on.” “I’m sorry,” Fay said with light
“Okay, you admit they’ve got contrition. “Well, now you’ve
problem-solving circuits like — sniffed atit, how about trying on
13 GALAXY
“
’Zen come near me,” a husky curiously, “have you developed
voice intoned behind them. “To- absolute time sense?”
night I vant a man.” Fay grinned a big grin from
the doorway —
almost too big a
standing in the door was grin for so small a man. “I didn’t
^ something slim in a short need to,” he said softly, patting
silver sheath. It had golden bangs his right shoulder. “My tickler
and the haughtiest snub-nosed told me.”
face in the world. It slunk toward He closed the door behind him.
them. As side-by-side they watched
“My God, Vina Vidarsson!” him strut sedately across the
Gusterson yelled. murky chilly-looking park, Gus-
“Daisy, that’s terrific,” Fay ap- terson mused, “So the little devil
sanity novel before Fay dropped see them test the new needle
in again, this time promptly at bomb at the other end of Lake
high noon. Erie. It’s educational.” He began
Normally Fay cringed his to count off seconds, vigorously
shoulders a trifle and was in- semaphoring his arm. “. . . . Two
clined to slither, but now he . . three
. Gussy, I’ve put
. . .
strode aggressively, his legs scis- through a voucher for two yards
soring in a fast, low goosestep. He for you. Budgeting squawked, but
whipped off the sunglasses that I pressured ’em.”
choking. She was instantly grab- twitched. “Time for noon Corn-
bed and violently bussed to the staff,” he announced staccato.
accompaniment of, “Hiya, Gor- “Pardon the hush box.” He
geous! Yum-yum! How about ad- whipped a pancake phone from
libbing that some weekend?” under his coat, clapped it over his
She stared at Fay dazedly, face and spoke fiercely but in-
rasping the back of her hand audibly into it, continuing to sem-
across her mouth, while Guster- aphore. Suddenly he thrust the
son yelled, “Quit that! What’s got phone away. “Twenty-nine . . .
into you, Fay? Have they trans- thirty Thar she blows!”
. . .
20 GALAXY
“You gave it to the kids and “Don’t you get it. Gussy? You
they got to fooling with it and never load your tickler except
broke it.” when you’re feeling buoyantly
“No matter,” Fay them
told enthusiastic. You don’t just tell
with a large sidewise sweep of yourself what to do hour by hour
his hand. “Better you wait for the next week, you sell yourself on
new model. It’s a six-way im- it.That way you not only make
provement.” doubly sure you’ll obey instruc-
“So I gather,” Gusterson said, tions but you constantly reinocu-
eyeing him speculatively. “Does late yourself with your own en-
it automatically inject you with thusiasm.”
cocaine? A fix every hour on the “I can’t stand myself when I’m
second?” that enthusiastic,” Gusterson said.
“Ha-ha, joke. Gussy, it achieves “I feel ashamed for hours after-
the same effect without using any wards.”
dope at all. Listen: a tickler re- “You’re warped —
all this
minds you of your duties and op- lonely sky-life. What’s more,
portunities — your chances for Gussy, think how still more per-
happiness and success! What’s suasive some of those instructions
the obvious next step?” would be if they came to a man
in his best girl’s most bedroomy
4i^^HROW it out the window. voice, or his doctor’s or psycher’s
By the way, how do you do if it’s that sort of thing —
or
that when you’re underground?” Vina Vidarsson’s! By the way.
“We have hi-speed garbage Daze, don’t wear that beauty
boosts. The obvious next step is mask outside. It’s a grand mis-
you give the tickler a heart It demeanor ever since ten thous-
not only tells you, it warmly per- and teen-agers rioted through
suades you. It doesn’t just say, Tunnel-Mart wearing them. And
“Tum on the TV Channel Two, VV’s sueing Trix.”
Joyce program,’ it brills at you, “No chance of that,” Daisy said.
‘Kid, Old Kid, race for the TV “Gusterson got excited and bit
and flip that Two Switch! There’s off the nose.” She pinched her
a great show coming through the own delicately.
pipes this second plus ten — “I’d no more obey my enthu-
you’ll enjoy the hell out of your- siastic self,” Gusterson was brood-
”
self! Grab a ticket to ecstacyl’ ing,“than I’d obey a Napoleon
“My God,” Gusterson gasped, drunk on his own brandy or a
“are those the kind of jolts it’s hopped-up SL Francis. Reinocu-
giving you now?” lated with my own enthusiasm?
sive instead of neutral turned out Micro’ll junk the tickler. I’ll
to be only the opening wedge. think you up something else to
The next step wasn’t so obvious, invent —something real good.”
but I saw it. Using subliminal “Your inventing days are
verbal stimuli in his tickler, a over,” Fay brilled gleefully. “I
man can be given constant sup- mean, you’ll never equal your
portive euphoric therapy 24 masterpiece.”
hours a day! And it makes use “How about,” Gusterson bel-
of all that empty wire. We’ve re- lowed, “an anti-individual guided
vived the ideas of a pioneer dy- missile? The physicists have got
namic psycher named Dr. Coue. small-scale antigravity good
For instance, right now my tick- enough to float and fly some-
ler issaying to me —
in tones too thing the size of a hand grenade.
soft to reach my conscious mind, I can smell that even though it’s
but do they stab into the uncon- a back-of-the-safe military secret.
scious! —‘Day by day in every Well, how about keying such a
way I’m getting sharper and missile to a man’s finger-prints —
sharper.’ It alternates that with or brainwaves, maybe, or his
‘gutsier and and
gutsier’ well, . . . unique smell! — so it can spot
forget that. Coue mostly used and follow him around the target
‘better and better’ but that seems in on him, without harming any-
too general. And every hun- one else? Long-distance assassi-
dredth time it says them out loud nation —and the stinkingest gets
and the tickler give me a brush it! Or you could simply load it
— just a faint cootch — to make with some disgusting goo and key
sure I’m keeping in touch.” it to teen-agers as a group —
“That third word-pair,” Daisy that’d take care of them. Fay,
wondered, feeling her mouth doesn’t it give you a rich, warm
reminiscently. “Could I guess?” kick to think of my midget mis-
siles buzzing around in your tun-
^USTERSON’S eyes had been nels, seeking out evil-doers, like
growing wider and wider. a swarm of angry wasps or an-
“Fay,” he said, “I could no more gelic bumblebees?”
use my mind for anything if I “You’re not luring me down
knew all that was going on in my any side trails,”Fay said laugh-
inner ear than if I were being ingly. He grinned and twitched.
22 GALAXY
then hurried toward the opposite ing so rapidly as to be almost in-
wall, motioning them to follow. visible against the gleaming lake.
Outside, about a hundred yards
beyond the purple glass, rose an- rjAISY COVERED her ears,
other ancient glass-walled apart- but there was no explosion,
ment skyscraper. Beyond, Lake only a long-drawn-out low crash
Erie rippled glintingly. as the fragments hit twenty floors
“Another bomb-test?” Guster- below and dust whooshed out
son asked. sideways.
Fay pointed at the building. “Spectacular!” Fay summed
“Tomorrow,” he announced, “a up. “Knew you’d enjoy it. That
modern factory, devoted solely to little trick was first conceived by
the manufacture of ticklers, will the great Tesla during his last
be erected on that site.” fruity years. Research discovered
“You mean one of those win- it in his biog —
we just made the
dowless phallic eyesores?” Gus- dream come true. A tiny reso-
terson demanded. “Fay, you peo- nance device you could carry in
ple aren’t even consistent. You’ve your belt-bag attunes itself to the
got all your homes underground. natural harmonic of a structure
Why not your factories?” and then increases amplitude by
“Sh! Not enough room. And tiny pushes exactly in time. Just
night missiles are scarier.” like soldiers marching in step can
“I know that building’s been break down a bridge, only this is
empty for a year,” Daisy said un- as if it were being done by one
easily, “but how — ?” marching ant.” He pointed at the
“Sh! Watch! Now!" naked framework appearing out
The looming building seemed of its own blur and said, “We’ll
to blur or fuzz for a moment. be able to hang the factory on
Then it was as if the lake’s bright that. If not, we’ll whip a mega-
ripples had invaded the old glass current through it and vaporize
a hundred yards away. Wavelets it. No question the micro-resona-
24 GALAXY
pulled the black-out curtains on you shouldn’t have chewed up
that side. For a day or two longer the VVmask.”
their thoughts and conversations “I’d really prefer you with
were haunted by Gusterson’s green stripes,” he told her. “But
vague sardonic visions of a horde stripes, spots, or sun-bathing,
of tickler-energized moles pour- you’re better than those cocktail
ing up out of the tunnels to tear moles.”
down the remaining trees, tank Actually both of them acutely
the atmosphere and perhaps disliked going below. They much
somehow dismantle the stars — preferred to perch in their eyrie
at least on this side of the world and watch the people of Cleve-
— but then they both settled land Depths, as they privately
back into their customary easy- called the local sub-suburb, rush
going routines. Gusterson typed. up out of the shelters at dawn to
Daisy made her daily shopping work in the concrete fields and
trip to a little topside daytime windowless factories, make their
store and started painting a mu- daytime jet trips and freeway
ral on the floor of the empty jaunts, do their noon-hour and
apartment next theirs but one. coffee-break guerrilla practice,
“We ought to lasso some neigh- and then go scurrying back at
bors,” she suggested once. “I need twilight to the atomic-proof,
somebody tohold my brushes brightly lit, vastly exciting, claus-
and admire. How about you mak- trophobic caves.
ing a trip below at the cocktail Fay and his projects began
hours, Gusterson, and picking up once more to seem dreamlike,
a couple of girls for a starter? though Gusterson did run across
Flash the old viriler charm, a cryptic advertisement for tick-
cootch them up a bit, emphasize lers in The Manchester Guard-
the delights of high living, but ian, which he got daily by fac-
make sure they’re compatible simile. Their three children re-
roommates. You could pick up ported similar ads, of no interest
that two-yard check from Micro to young fry, on the TV and one
at the same time.” afternoon they came home with
“You’re an immoral money- the startling news that the moni-
ravenous wench,” Gusterson said tors at their subsurface school
absently, trying todream of an had been issued ticklers. On
insanity beyond insanity that sharp interrogation by Guster-
would make his next novel a real son, however, it app>eared that
id-rousing best-vender. these last were not ticklers but
“If that's your vision of me, merely two-way radios linked to
26 GALAXY
at least closely controlled and conference we decided to com-
for a moment Gusterson thought bine Tickler with Moodmaster.”
he’d shed his tickler. Then the “My God,” Gusterson inter-
little man came out of the shad- jected, “do they have a machine
ows and Gusterson saw the large now that does that?”
bulge on his right shoulder. “Of course. They’ve been using
“Yes, we had to up it a bit them on ex-mental patients for
sizewise,” Fay explained in years.”
clipped tones. “Additional super- “I just don’t keep up with
features. While brilliantly suc- progress,” Gusterson said, shak-
cessful on the whole, the sub- ing his head bleakly. “I’m falling
liminal euphorics were a shade behind on all fronts.”
too effective. Several hundred “You ought to have your tick-
users went hoppity manic. We ler remind you to read Science
gentled the cootch and qualified Service releases,” Fay told him.
the subliminals —
you know, “Or simply instruct it to scan the
‘Day by day in every way I’m releases and —no, that’s still in
getting sharper and more serene’ research.” He looked at Guster-
— but a stabilizing influence was son’s shoulderand his eyes wi-
still needed, so after a top-level dened. “You’re not wearing the
28 GALAXY
repeating out of the tickler?” ly. “The last ‘Oh oh’ was for sec-
“Oh, no. Just balanced it off onds, wasn’t it? Now I call that
with depressin. The subliminals crude — why not microseconds
are still a prime sales-point. All too? But how do you remember
the tickler features are cumula- where you’ve made a memo so
tive, Gussy. You’re still under- you don’t rerecord over it? After
estimating the scope of the de- all, you’re rerecording over the
vice.” wallpaper all the time.”
“I guess I am. What’s this “Tickler beeps and then hunts
‘work-emergencies’ business? If for the nearest information-free
you’re using the tickler to inject space.”
drugs into workers to keep them “I see. And what’s the Pooh-
going, that’s really just my co- Bah for?”
caine suggestion modernized and Fay smiled. “Cut. My pass-
I’m putting in for another thou. word for activating the setter, so
Hundreds of years ago the South it won’t respond to chance nu-
American Indians chewed coca merals it overhears.”
leaves to kill fatigue sensations.” “But why Pooh-Bah?”
“That so? Interesting —
and Fay grinned. “Cut. And you a
it proves priority for the Indians, writer. It’s a literary reference,
doesn’t it? I’ll make a try for you, Gussy. Pooh-Bah (cut!) was
Gussy, but don’t expect any- Lord High Everything Else in
thing.” He cleared his throat, his The Mikado. He had a little list
eyes grew distant and, turning and nothing on it would ever be
his head a little to the right, he missed.”
enunciated sharply, “Pooh-Bah.
Time: Inst oh five. One oh five YEAH,” Gusterson re-
seven. Oh oh. Record: Gussy membered, glowering. “As
coca thou budget. Cut.” He ex- I recall it, all that went on that
plained, “We got a voice-cued list was the names of people who
setter now on the deluxe models. were slated to have their heads
You can record a memo to your- chopped off by Ko-Ko. Better
self without taking off your shirt. watch your step, Shorty. It may
Incidentally, I use the ends of the be a back-handed omen. Maybe
hours for trifle-memos. I’ve al- all those workers you’re puttin’
ready used up the fifty-nines and ticklers on to pump them full of
eights for tomorrow and started adrenaline so they’ll overwork
on the fifty-sevens.” without noticin’ it will revolt and
“I understood most of your come out some day choppin’ for
memo,” Gusterson told him gruff- your head.”
“Spare me the Marxist mythol- in. “The tickler is the newest fad
ogy,” Fay protested. “Gussy, for increasing worker efficiency.
you’ve got a completely wrong Once, I read somewheres, it was
slant on Tickler. It’s true that salt tablets. They had salt-tablet
most of our mass sales so far, bar dispensers everywhere, even in
government and army, have been air-conditioned offices where
to large companies purchasing there wasn’t a moist armpit twice
for their employees
” — a year and the gals sweat only
“Ah-ha!” champagne. A decade later peo-
“ —but that’s because there’s ple wondered what all those
nothing like a tickler for teach- dusty white pills were for. Some-
ing a new man his job. It tells times they were mistook for tran-
him from instant to instant what quilizers. It’ll be the same way
he must do —
while he’s already with ticklers. Somebody’ll open
on the job and without disturb- a musty closet and see jumbled
ing other workers. Magnetizing a heaps of these gripping-hand sil-
wire with a job pattern is the very gadgets gathering dust curls
And you’d be
easiest thing going. and —
astonished what the subliminals “They will not!” Fay protested
do for employee morale. It’s this vehemently. “Ticklers are not a
way, Gussy: most people are too fad —they’re history-changers,
improvident and unimaginative they’re Free-World revolution-
to see in advance the advantages ary! Why, before Micro Systems
They buy one because
of ticklers. put a single one on the market,
the company strongly suggests it we’d made it a rule that every
and payment is on easy install- Micro employee had to wear one!
ments withheld from salary. If that’s not having supreme con-
They find a tickler makes the fidence in a product — ”
work day go easier. The little fel- “Every employee except the
low perched on your shoulder is top executives, of course,” Gus-
a friend exuding comfort and terson interrupted jeeringly. “And
good advice. The first thing he’s that’s not demoting you. Fay.
set to say is ‘Take it easy, pal.’ As the &R D
chief most closely
“Within a week they’re wear- involved, you’d naturally have to
ing their tickler 24 hours a day show special enthusiasm.”
—and buying a tickler for the “But you’re wrong there, Gus-
wife, so she’ll remember to comb sy,” Fay crowed. “Man for man,
her hair and smile real pretty our top executives have been
and cook favorite dishes.” more enthusiastic about their
“I get it, Fay,” Gusterson cut personal ticklers than any other
30 GALAXY
class of worker in the whole out- The green glop’s supposed to be
fit.” smudgeproof.”
Gusterson slumped and shook Gusterson did not comment.
he
his head. “If that’s the case,” His face had a rapt expression.
said darkly, “maybe mankind de- “I’ll tell you why your tickler’s
serves the tickler.” so popular. Fay,” he said softly.
“It’s not because it backstops the
64T’LL SAY IT does!” Fay memory or because it boosts the
agreed loudly without ego with subliminals. It’s because
thinking. Then, “Oh, can the it takes the hook out of a guy, it
pressure off little guys? Why moved from side to side. “I’m not
shouldn’t Tickler be a super-ego quite sure,” he said in an odd
surrogate? Micro’s Motivations strained voice and darted out.
chief noticed that positive fea-
ture straight off and scored it
three pluses. Besides, it’s nothing
^ USTERSON stared for
seconds at the pattern of
some
but a gaudy way of saying that emptiness Fay had left. Then he
Tickler backstops the memory. shivered. Then he shrugged. “I
Seriously, Gussy, what’s so bad must be slipping,” he muttered.
about it?” “I never even suggested some-
“I don’t know,” Gusterson said thing for him to invent.” Then he
slowly, his eyes still far away. “I looked around at Daisy, who was
just know it feels bad to me.” He still standing poker-faced in her
crinkled his big forehead. “Well doorway.
for one thing,” he said, “it means “Hey, you look like something
that a man’s taking orders from out of the Arabian Nights,” he
something else. He’s got a kind told her. “Are you supposed to
of master. He’s sinking back into be anything special? How far do
a slave psychology.” those stripes go, anyway?”
“He’s only taking orders from “You could probably find out,”
himself,” Fay countered dis- she told him coolly. “All you have
gustedly. “Tickler’s just a mech to do is kill me a dragon or two
reminder, a notebook, in essence first.”
no more than the back of an old He studied her. “My God,” he
envelope. It’s no master.” said reverently, “I really have all
“Are you absolutely sure of the fun in life. What do I do to
that?” Gusterson asked quietly.
“Why, Gussy, you big oaf — deserve this?”
“You’ve got a big gun,” she
Fay began heatedly. Suddenly told him, “and you go out in the
his features quirked and he world with it and hold up big
“
twitched. ’Scuse me, folks,” he companies and take yards and
said rapidly, heading for the yards of money away from them
door, “but my tickler told me I in rolls like ribbon and bring it
gotta go.” all home to me.”
“Hey Fay, don’t you mean you “Don’t say that about the gun
told your tickler to tell you when again,” he said. “Don’t whisper it,
it was time to go?” Gusterson don’t even think it. I’ve got one,
called after him. dammit — thirty-eight caliber,
Fay looked back in the door- yet — and I don’t want some
way. He wet his lips, his eyes psionic monitor with two-way
32 GALAXY
clairaudience they haven’t told the foot of their skyscraper might
me about catching the whisper start humping up any minute.
and coming to take the gun away Toward the end of one after-
from one of the few indi-
us. It’s noon he tucked a half dozen new-
viduality symbols we’ve got left.” ly typed sheets in his pocket,
Suddenly Daisy whirled away shrouded his typer, went to the
from the door, spun three times hatrack and took down his prize:
so that her silvered hair stood a miner’s hard-top cap with elec-
out like a metal coolie hat, and tric headlamp.
sank to a curtsey in the middle “Coin* below, Cap’n,” he shout-
of the room. ed toward the kitchen.
“I’ve just thought of what I “Be back for second dog
am,” she announced, fluttering watch,” Daisy replied. “Remem-
her eyelashes at him. “I’m a sweet ber what I told you about lasso-
silver tickler with green stripes.” ing me some art-conscious girl
neighbors.”
V “Only if I meet a piebald one
with a taste for Scotch— or may-
I^EXT day Daisy cashed the be a pearl gray biped jaguar with
’ Micro check for ten hun- violet spots,” Gusterson told her,
dred silver smackers, which she clapping on the cap with a We-
hid in a broken radionic coffee Who Are-About-To-Die gesture.
urn. Gusterson sold his insanity Halfway across the park to the
novel and started a new one escalator bunker Gusterson’s
about a mad medic with a hic- heart began to tick. He resolutely
cupy hysterical chuckle, who gim- switched on his headlamp.
micked Moodmasters to turn As he’d known it would, the
mental patients into nympho- hatch robot whirred an extra
maniacs, mass murderers and and higher-pitched ten seconds
compulsive saints. But this time when it came to his topside ad-
34 GALAXY
Cranky.
last trip. “Creativity fuel. five thousand Richard the Thirds.
Explodes through the parietal fis- “Oh no you’re not,” Fay
sure ifyou look at it cross-eyed.” amended, drawing him back with
“Ha-ha,” Fay laughed. “Well, one hand. Somehow, under-
boys, I’ve found my man. How’s ground, the little man seemed to
the new novel perking, Gussy?” carry more weight. “You’re hav-
“Got my climax, I think,” Gus- ing cocktails in my thinking box.
terson mumbled, still peering Besides, climbing a down esca-
puzzledly around Fay at the ladder will give you a heart at-
slidestanders. “Moodmaster’s go- tack.”
ing to come alive. Ever occur to
you that ‘mood’ is ‘doom’ spelled TN HIS home habitat Gusterson
backwards? And then .” He . . was about as easy to handle
let his voice trail off as he real- as a rogue rhinoceros, but away
ized that Kester and Davidson from it — and especially if un-
and Hazen had made their fare- derground — he became more
wells and were sliding into the like a pliable elephant. All his
distance. He reminded himself bones dropped out through his
wryly that nobody ever wants to feet, as he described it to Daisy.
hear an author talk —
he’s much So now he submitted miserably
too good a listener to be wasted as Fay surveyed him up and
that way. Let’s see, was it that down, switched off his blinking
everybody in the crowd had the headlamp (“That coalminer ca-
same facial expression .? Or per is corny, Gussy.”) and then
—
. .
36 GALAXY
creative-flow geniuses in six “Hell, the tickler’s not even ef-
months, I’ll come live topside.” ficient yet about little things,”
Gusterson blatted, diving back
ii'Y’OU mean because a lot of into the privacy-yashmak he was
people are standing around sharing with Fay. “Whyn’t that
glassy-eyed listening to some- girl’s doctor have the Mood-
thing mumbling in their ear that master component of her tickler
it’s a good thing?” inject her with medicine?”
“Gussy, you don’t know prog- “Her doctor probably wants
ress when you see it. Tickler is her to have the discipline of pill-
the greatest invention since lan- taking — or the exercise,” Fay
guage. Bar none, it’s the greatest answered glibly. “Look sharp
instrument ever devised for in- now. Here’s where we fork. I’m
tegrating a man into all phases of taking you through Micro’s pos-
his environment. Under the pres- tern.”
ent routine a newly purchased A ribbon of slidewalk split it-
tickler first goes to government self from the main band and
and civilian defense for primary angled off into a short alley.
patterning, then to the purchas- Gusterson hardly felt the con-
er’s employer, then to his doctor- stant-speed juncture as they
psycher, then to his local bunker crossed it. Then the secondary
captain, then to him. Everything ribbon speeded up, carrying them
that’s needful for a man’s welfare at about 30 feet a second toward
gets on the spools. Efficiency the blank concrete wall in which
cubed! Incidentally, Russia’s got the alley ended. Gusterson pre-
the tickler now. Our dip-satellites pared to jump, but Fay grabbed
have photographed it. It’s like him with one hand and with the
ours except the Commies wear it other held up toward the wall a
on the left shoulder but . . . badge and a button. When they
they’retwo weeks behind us de- were about ten feet away the
velopmentwise and they’ll never wall whipped aside, then whipped
close the gap!” shut behind them so fast that
Gusterson reared up out of the Gusterson wondered momentar-
pancake phone to take a deep ily if he still had his heels and the
breath. A sulky-lipped sylph-fig- seat of his pants.
ured girl two feet from him Fay, tucking away his badge
twitched — medium cootch, he and pancake phone, dropped the
judged — then fumbled in her button in Gusterson’s vest pocket.
belt-bag for a pill and popped it “Use it when you leave,” he said
in her mouth. casually. “That is, if you leave.”
cabin in the War of 1812. You hardly feel it at all at night when
really must rate.” you’re lying down and if you
. . .
.”
pact overstuffed swivel chair. He at least not very big ones . .
let his arms dangle and his head Backing away involuntarily,
sink into his puffed shoulder Gusterson felt something prod
cape. Gusterson stared at him. It his right shoulderblade. Ripping
was the first time he could ever open his coat, he convulsively
recall the little man showing fa- plunged his hand under it and
tigue. tore out Fay’s belt-bag . . . and
“Tickler currently does have then set it down very gently on
one serious drawback,” Fay vol- the top of a shallow cabinet and
unteered. “It weighs 28 pounds. relaxed with the sigh of one who
You feel it when you’ve been on has escaped a great, if symbolic,
your feet a couple of hours. No danger. Then he remembered
question we’re going to give the something Fay had mentioned.
next model that antigravity fea- He straightened again.
ture you mentioned for pursuit “Hey, you said it’s got scanning
grenades.We’d have had it in this and decision-making elements.
model except there were so many That means your tickler thinks,
38 GALAXY
even by your fancy standards. other yawn. “Just resting a bit.
And if it thinks, it’s conscious.” I seem to get more tired these
“Gussy,” Fay said wearily, days, somehow. You’ll have to ex-
frowning, “all sorts of things now- cuse me, Gussy. But what made
adays have SfisDM elements. you think of meditation?”
Mail sorters, missiles, robot med- “Oh, I just got to wonderin’ in
ics, high-style mannequins, just to that direction,” Gusterson said.
name some of the Ms. They “You see, when you first started
‘think,’ to use that archiac word, to develop Tickler, it occurred to
but it’s neither here nor there. me that there was one thing
And they’re certainly not con- about it that might be real good
scious.” even if you did give it S&DM
“Your tickler thinks,” Guster- elements. It’s this: having a mech
son repeated stubbornly, “just secretary to take charge of his
like Iwarned you it would. It sits obligations and routine in the real
on your shoulder, ridin’ you like world might allow a man to slide
you was a pony or a starved St. into the other world, the world of
Bernard, and now it thinks.” thoughts and feelings and intui-
“Suppose it does?” Fayyawned. tions, and sort of ooze around in
“What of it?” He gave a rapid there and accomplish things.
sinuous one-sided shrug that Know any of the people using
made it look for a moment as if Tickler that way, hey?”
his left arm had three elbows. It “Of course not,” Fay denied
stuck in Gusterson’s mind, for he with a bright incredulous laugh.
had never seen Fay use such a “Who’d want to loaf around in an
gesture and he wondered where imaginary world and take a
he’d picked it up. Maybe imitat- chance of missing out on what his
ing a double-jointed Micro Fi- tickler’s doing? —
I mean, on
nance chief? Fay yawned again what his tickler has in store for
and said, “Please, Gussy, don’t him — what he’s told his tickler
disturb me for a minute or so.” to have in store for him.”
His eyes half closed. Ignoring Gusterson’s shiver.
Gusterson studied Fay’s sunk- Fay straightened up and seemed
en-cheeked face and the great to brisken himself. “Ha, that
puff of his shoulder cape. little slump did me good. A tick-
“Say, Fay,” he asked in a soft ler makes you rest, you know —
voice after about five minutes, it’s one of the great things about
“are you meditating?” it. Pooh-Bah’s kinder to me than
“Why, no,” Fay responded, I ever was to myself.” He button-
starting up and then stifling an- ed open a tiny refrigerator and
ter taste than those other moles.” said coolly, reaching out his
“Not hide it, exactly,” Fay
to hand. He caught the rustling
protested, “but just so the others sheets as they slipped from Gus-
won’t be jealous. I wouldn’t feel terson’s fingers, evened them up
comfortable parading a free- very precisely by tapping them
scanning decision-capable Mark on his knee . and then handed
. .
40 GALAXY
” :
Gusterson —and then took Daisy about you every minute you’re
into the bedroom and told her down there.”
everything. When she was gone — in a
When he’d finished she said, green suit and hat to minimize or
“This is something I’ve got to see at least justify the effect of the
for myself.” faded stripes —Gusterson doled
Gusterson shrugged. “If you out to the children provender and
think you’ve got to. I say we equipment for a camping expedi-
should head for the hills right tion to the next floor. lago led
now. One thing I’m standing on: them off in stealthy Indian file.
the kids aren’t going back to Leaving the hall door open Gus-
school.” terson got out his .38 and cleaned
“Agreed,” Daisy said. “But, and loaded it, meanwhile concen-
Gusterson, we’ve lived through a trating on a chess problem with
lot of things without leaving the idea of confusing a hypothet-
home altogether. We lived ical psionic monitor. By the time
through the Everybody-Six-Feet- he had hid the revolver again he
Underground-by-Christmas cam- heard the elevator creaking back
paign and the Robot Watchdog up.
craze, when you got your left foot
half chewed off. We lived through "rVAISY came dragging in with-
the Venomous Bats and Indoc- out her hat, looking as if
trinated Saboteur Rats and the she’d been concentrating on a
Hypnotized Monkey Paratrooper chess problem for hours herself
scares. We lived through the and just now given up. Her stripes
Voice of Safety and Anti-Com- seemed to have vanished; then
munist Somno-Instruction and Gusterson decided this was be-
Rightest Pills and Jet-Propelled cause her whole complexion was
Vigilantes. We lived through the a touch green.
Cold-Out, when you weren’t sup- She sat down on the edge of
posed to turn on a toaster for the couch and said without look-
fear its heat would be a target ing at him, “Did you tell me,
for prowl missiles and when peo- Gusterson, that everybody was
ple with fevers were unpopular. quiet and abstracted and orderly
We lived through — down below, especially the ones
Gusterson patted her hand. wearing ticklers, meaning pretty
“You go below,” he said. “Come much everybody?”
back when you’ve decided this is “I did,” he said. “I take it that’s
different. Come back as soon as no longer the case. What are the
you can anyway. I’ll be worried new symptoms?”
44 GALAXY
She gave no indication. After agonized gasping. Daisy stopped,
some time she said, “Gusterson, staring fearfully at the open door-
do you remember the Dore illus- way. Gusterson moved past her.
trations to the Inierno? Can you Then he stopped too.
visualize the paintings of Hier- Fay stumbled into view and
onymous Bosch with the hordes would have fallen on his face ex-
of proto-Freudian devils torment- cept he clutched both sides of the
ing people all over the farmyard doorway halfway up. He was
and city square? Did you ever stripp>ed to the waist. There was
see the Disney animations of a little blood on his shoulder. His
Moussorgsky's witches’ sabbath narrow chest was arching convul-
music? Back in the foolish days sively, the ribs standing out
before you married me, did that starkly, as he sucked in oxygen
drug-addict girl friend of yours to replace what he’d burned up
ever take you to genuine orgy?” running up twenty flights. His
“As bad as that, hey?” eyes were wild.
She nodded emphatically and “They’ve taken over,” he pant-
all of a sudden shivered violently. ed. Another gobbling breath,
“Several shades worse,” she said. “Gone crazy.” Two more gasps.
“If they decide to come top- “Gotta stop ’em.”
side
— ” She shot up. “Where are His eyes filmed. He swayed
the kids?” forward. Then Gusterson’s big
“Upstairs campin’ in the mys- arms were around him and he
terious wilderness of the 21st was carrying him to the couch.
floor,” Gusterson reassured her.
‘X.et’s leave ’em there until we’re
ready to — ^
r\AISY came running from
kitchen with a damp
the
cool
He broke off. They both heard towel. Gusterson took it from her
the faint sound of thudding foot- and began to mop Fay off. He
steps. sucked in his own breath as he
“They’re on the stairs,” Daisy saw that Fay’s right ear was raw
whispered, starting to move to- and torn. He whispered to Daisy,
ward the open door. “But are “Look at where the thing savaged
they coming from up or down?” him.”
“It’s just one person,” judged The blood on Fay’s shoulder
Gusterson, moving after his wife. came from his ear. Some of it
“Too heavy for one of the kids.” stained a flush-skin plastic fitting
The footsteps doubled in vol- that had two small valved holes
ume and came rapidly closer. in it and that puzzled Gusterson
Along with them there was an until he remembered that Mood-
the towel away, buried his face of it! It was the complete lack of
in his hands for a few seconds, order and sanity and that let me
then looked over the fingers at get topside. There were things I
the two of them.
—
saw ” Once again his voice went
“I’ve been living in a night- shrill. He clapped his hand to his
mare for the last week,”he said mouth and rocked back and forth
in a taut small voice, “knowing on the couch.
the thing had come alive and try- Gusterson gently but firmly
ing to pretend to myself that it laid a hand on his good shoulder.
hadn’t. Knowing it v^as taking “Steady,” he said. “Here, swallow
charge of me more and more. this.”
Having it whisper in my ear, over Fay shoved aside the short
and over again, in a cracked little brown drink. “We’ve got to stop
rhyme that I could only hear them,” he cried. “Mobilize the
every hundredth time, ‘Day by topsiders — contact the wilder-
day, in every way, you’re learning ness patrols and manned satel-
to listen
— and obey. Day by lites —
pour ether in the tunnel
—
. . .
”
day ’
airpumps invent and crash-
His voice started to go high. He manufacture missiles that will
pulled it down and continued home on ticklers without harm-
harshly, “I ditched it this morn- ing humans —
SOS Mars and
ing when I showered. It let me Venus —
dope the shelter water
break contact to do that. It must supply —
do something! Gussy,
have figured it had complete con- you don’t realize what people
trol of me, mounted or dismount- are going through down there
ed. I think it’s telepathic, and every second.”
then it did some, well, rather un- “I think they’re experiencing
pleasant things to me late last the ultimate in outer-directed-
night. But I pulled together my ness,” Gusterson said gruffly.
fears and my will and I ran for it. “Have you no heart?” Gay de-
The slidewalks were chaos. The manded. His eyes widened, as if
Mark 6 ticklers showed some pur- he were seeing Gusterson for the
pose, though I couldn’t tell you first time. Then, accusingly, point-
what, but as far as I could see ing a shaking finger: “You in-
46 GALAXY
vented the tickler, George Guster- stamping on her toes, but just at
son! It's all your fault! You’ve got that moment the gun dug in his
to do something about it!” back with a corkscrew move-
Before Gusterson could retort ment.
to that, or begin to think of a The man holding the gun on
reply, or even assimilate the full him was Fay’s colleague David-
enormity of Fay’s statement, he son. Some yards beyond Fay’s
was grabbed from behind and couch, Kester was holding a gun
frog-marched away from Fay and on Daisy, without digging it into
something that felt remarkably her, while the single strange man
like the muzzle of a large-caliber holding Daisy herself was doing
gun was shoved in the small of so quite decorously —
a circum-
his back. stance which afforded Gusterson
minor relief, since it made him
T TNDER COVER of Fay’s out- feel guilty about not going
^ burst a huge crowd of peo-
less
berserk.
ple had entered the room from Two more strange men, one of
the hall —eight, to be exact. But them lounging pajamas,
in purple
the weirdest thing about them to the other in the gray uniform of
Gusterson was that from the first a slidewalk inspector, had
instant he had the impression grabbed Fay’s skinny upper
that only one mind had entered arms, one on either side, and
the room and that it did not re- were lifting him to his feet, while
side in any of the eight persons, Fay was struggling with such
even though he recognized three desperate futility and gibbering
of them, but in something that so pitifully that Gusterson mo-
they were carrying. mentarily had second thoughts
Several things contributed to about the moral imperative to go
this impression. The eight people berserk when menaced by hostile
all had the same blank expres- force. But again the gun dug into
sion — watchful yet empty-eyed. him with a twist.
They all moved in the same Approaching Fay face-on was
slithery crouch. And they had all the third Micro-man Gusterson
taken off their shoes. Perhaps, had met yesterday Hazen. — It
Gusterson thought wildly, they was Hazen who was carrying —
believed he and Daisy ran a quite reverently or solemnly —
Japanese flat. or at any rate very carefully the
Gusterson was being held by object that seemed to Gusterson
two burly women, one of them to be the mind of the little storm
quite pimply. He considered troop presently desecrating the
48 GALAXY
thinking at all, but only listening under them before he had a
for instructions from something chance to scan them himself.
that was whispering on the very Pooh-Bah’s eye was like a red
threshold of his inner ear. searchlight.
“Gussy, old boy,” Fay said, “Go on,” Fay prompted. “What
twitching a depthless grin, “I’d were ticklers supposed to be —
be very much obliged if you’d for themselves?”
answer a few simple questions.” “Nothin’,” Gusterson said soft-
His voice was hoarse at first but ly. “Nothin’ at all.”
50 GALAXY
terson said softly, “I think the “What are you intending to do
ticklers are so psionic that it’s as now?” Daisy asked flatly.
if they just had one mind. If I “I’m merely goin’ out an’ save
were with them very long I’d the world,” he told her. “I may
start to be part of that mind. Say be back for supper and I may
something to one of them and not.”
you say it to all.”
52 GALAXY
of them got to the head of the mind and memory. He shuffled
file his (or her) tickler was cere- around for a bit, spoke vaguely
moniously unstrapped from his to three or four people he re-
shoulder and welded onto a sil- called from the dream days, and
very cask with smoothly pointed then headed for home and sup-
ends. The result was something per —
three weeks late, and as
that looked —
at least in the case disoriented and emaciated as a
of the Mark 6 ticklers— like a bear coming out of hibernation,
stubby silver submarine, child
size. It would hum gently, lift OIX MONTHS later Fay was
and then fly slowly
off the floor ^ having dinner with Daisy
out through the big blue gap. and Gusterson. The cocktails had
Then the next tickler-ridden hu- been poured and the children
man would step forward for proc- were playing in the next apart-
essing. ment. The transparent violet
The second scene was in a walls brightened, then gloomed,
park, the sky again blue, but big as the sun dipped below the hori-
and high with an argosy of white zon.
clouds. Gusterson was lined up in Gusterson said, “I see where a
a crowd of humans that stretched spaceship out beyond the orbit
as far as he could see, row on of Mars was holed by a tickler.
irregular row. Martial music was I wonder where the little guys
playing. Overhead hovered a are headed now?”
flock of little silver submarines, Fay started to give a writhing
lined up rather more orderly in left-armed shrug, but stopped
the air than the humans were on himself with a grimace.
the ground. The music rose to a “Maybe out of the solar sys-
heart-quickening climax. The tem altogether,” suggested Daisy,
tickler nearest Gusterson gave who’d recently dyed her hair fire-
(as if to say, “And now —
who engine red and was wearing red
knows?”) a triple-jointed shrug leotards.
memory. Then the
that stung his “They got a weary trip ahead
up on
ticklers took off straight of them,” Gusterson said, “unless
their new and shining bodies. they work out a hyper-Einstein-
They became a flight of silver ian drive on the way.”
geese ... of silver midges . . . Fay grimaced again. He was
and the humans around Guster- still looking rather peaked. He
son lifted a ragged cheer . . . said plaintively, “Haven’t we
That scene marked the begin- heard enough about ticklers for
ning of the return of Gusterson’s a while?”
Coming soon —
BADGE OF INFAMY
THE SKY IS FALLING
54 GALAXY
fearsome the aliens were. Terrible
was his plight. But Dr. Gofdpepper
fought on, confident in the ultimate
triumph of American Dental Sciencef
DR. MORRIS
now. It’s not his fault that ‘Big though by no means diminished
Jimmy’ got himself into this by them.
pickle. But all he’s got in this During this time she thought
world is his share of whatever his she was aware of a certain look
daddy’s got, and it looks like in her employer’s eye, and a cer-
there’s a powerful big chance his tain tone in his voice. But that
daddy might lose whatever he’s time had passed, and with it had
56 GALAXY
passed much of Mrs. Doothit’s in- a games-room and what had pre-
terest in her work. She had even viously been another sleeping
been considering taking a position chamber but which had been con-
as housemother in an establish- verted at no small cost and effort
ment for underprivileged girls into a laboratory for the fabrica-
that was maintained in a suburb tion and synthesis of dental pros-
of Dallas by the Southern Baptist thetic devices.
Convention. All this had been done out of
But she put off making this pure generosity, affection and re-
decision from day to day. spect by Dr. Crawford on behalf
Upstairs, in the spacious suite of his old Navy Dental Corps
of rooms generously put at “buddy”. Dr. Goldpepper.
his disposal by his host, Cle- It is not to be thought that Dr.
ment (Clem”) Crawford, DDM Goldpepper had surrendered oc-
(Ret), was yet another of the cupancy of his bachelor apart-
dramatis personae, or cast of ment in the Hotel Davenport, nor
characters, of the narration which yet of his laboratory on Broadway
we now peruse, namely and vide- in the Upper West 70s, in order
licet one Morris Goldpepper, to live the life of a country squire
Doctor of Dental Surgery, in- in the sylvan or (considering the
ventor of the Goldpepper Bridge sparseness of trees) semi-sylvan
and the Goldpepper Crown, and fastnesses of John C. Calhoun
perfector of the Semi-Retractable County, Texas. The facts of the
Clasp which bears his name. He matter, not altogether pleasant,
is as it were, the Livy, Macrobius are that he was undergoing the
or Gibbon of this annal. (Mod- long and delicate process of re-
esty, epitomized by my automatic cuperation intendant upon the
shrinking from the spotlight, aftermaths of his rescue from the
obliges me — with this one ex- grasp and clutches of the malev-
ception — to cleave to the Third olent inhabitants of a distant
Person previously and hence- planet in another part of the
forth.) Galaxy, the captivation and cap>-
The suite of rooms was a verit- tivity whereon has already been
able apartment of its own, con- recorded in these pages; anent
sisting of a sleeping chamber, a which, enough —no point in
lounge, an office, a kitchen, a bar chewing a twice-told tale.
(which Dr. Goldpepper’s well- At any rate. Dr. Goldpepper
known temperate habits rendered rested in luxuriously ap-
his
about as useful as certain mam- pointed guest quarters. He took
malian appurtenances on a boar). long walks around the ranch, de-
58 GALAXY
Once it was realized that this on whose head there was de-
was a sign of submission, indeed clared to be in the State of Chi-
of homage or obeisance, and not huahua (or it might be Sonora)
some sort of wrestling hold, the an unofficial reward of ten thou-
latter at once became calm. sand pesos. He enjoined the
“What is the meaning of this Mexican not to allow the extra-
outrageous intrusion?” Dr. Gold- terrestrial upon the premises
pepper demanded, sternly and again under pain of severe dis-
outraged. “Is it your intention to pleasure.
abduct me yet another time, as if Much shaken by these events,
I hadn’t had enough tsuris al- Dr. Goldfellow allowed himself to
ready?” be persuaded to take a small glass
“Assist, Benevolent
assist. of Bourbon whiskey, and Mrs.
Goldpepper!” the alien wailed as Doothit made him some strong
he writhed on a floor-rug made coffee.
from the pelts of fifty-four coyotes
shot by the owner of the Bar M TJ^HILE the agitation produced
L. “Forgive, Great Dentist of the by these untoward events
Ages!” had yet to die down, a sound of
Seizing the unwelcome one by an automobile was heard outside
the scruff of his collar while he in the driveway. Looking out the
was still attempting his act of window, those inside perceived
vasselage. Dr. Crawford inquired, the well-known palomino Cadillac
in some amazement, “Do you of James E. (for Elphonsus) “Big
mean to tell me, ‘Morry,’ that this Jimmy” Dandy. Seated with him
littleold thing was one of the was his son “Little Jimmy,” a per-
gang that kidnapped you?” fect example of hyperbole, or ex-
“It was not by violence, but by aggeration not intended to de-
subterfuge,” said the erstwhile ceive, for it was obvious to the
victim, wearily. “And I don’t care naked eye that “Little” Jimmy
to dwell on the subject. Ask him was at least six feet six inches
to leave.” and had an open and pleasant
tall,
“
‘Ask’ him?!” Dr. Crawford ex- was a source of sorrow to
face. It
claimed with an oath, opening the Dr. Morris Goldpepper that cir-
door and flinging the intruder cumstances beyond his control
out with some measure of vio- were providing impediments to
lence. He then summoned one of the marriage of this young man
his employees, a tall, dark and to Mary Jane Crawford, of whom
ugly man with only one eye, he was very fond (in an avuncu-
known as ‘Ojito’ Gonzales, and lar way, she referring to him as
60 GALAXY
lion earthworms' ? ” he inquired, some backwoods anti-Federalist.
cautiously. Delusions of the most He sighed.
multifarious kinds he had met “What is the precise or even
with before, but this was some- approximate connection,” he in-
thing new. quired, “between governmental
“It’s all the fault of that G — projects for flood control, and the
damn Federal Government,” said sale or purchase of earthworms?”
Mr. Dandy. “If it wasn’t for Them, The rawboned, rugged rancher
I’d never of gotten in this here looked at him ruefully. ‘That’s
predicament. The least they could right,” he said. “You’re not from
do is buy ’m off me. They buy around here. You wouldn’t know.
surplus wheat, don’t they? But- Well, ‘Doc,’ the Federal Govern-
ter? Cotton? Goober peas? Why, ment was supposed to start this
do you know that last year the here flood control project of build-
Federal Government spent over ing dams along the Little Com-
eight million tax-dollars to keep anche, Big Comanche, Middle
up the price of lard?” Comanche, Muddy Tom, Clear
“What!” exclaimed Dr. Gold- Tom and Bullhead River Valleys,
pepper, stung to the quick. “With which would provide twenty-
my money?” seven new lakes. Now, you know,
Mr. “Big Jimmy” Dandy ‘Doc,’ lakes are pretty scarce in
smacked his right fist into his left this part ofTexas. I don’t suppose
palm. “Yes, sir, with your money! there’s more than one or two a
And with my money! But can I man couldn’t, uh, spit across, with
get some of it back when I need a favorable wind behind him.
it? No, sir. Them and their G — “So you can imagine what
damn flood control! Why, when I twenty-seven new lakes would
think of it — ”
mean. Twenty-seven lakes!"
Wistfully, Dr. Morris Gold- “Hmm,” said Dr. Morris Gold-
pepper thought of the perfectly pepper thoughtfully.
equipped laboratory upstairs, Every fisherman in Texas, Mr.
with its neat array of wires of “Big Jimmy” declared enthusias-
teeth, shellac trays, plaster, dental tically, would flock to the new
stone, denture trays, casting ovens Lakes Area, to say nothing of
and machines, Baldor lathes and multitudes from other states. It
Bunsen burners. Here he could would be the biggest thing since
have been at work on his favorite the discovery of oil. “So natur-
project,developing the Gold- ally,” he said, “I looked to in-
pepper Cap, instead of listening crease my stock.”
to the disjointing babblings of “Your stock?”
64 GALAXY
penny. I’d blow my brains out if handful of sickly and economical-
Ithought otherwise, and he knows ly valueless weeds.
it;yes, he does. A scrabbling sort of noise
“Just the thought of all them caught his attention, and he
hungry beauties crawling and turned to observe the identical
wigling in my worm and no
pits, alien from Upsilon Centauri who
market a-tall for’m, makes me had earlier been ejected from the
feel raw and miserable in the pit property, in the current act of
of my stomach. I wonder if Miz kneeling and pouring handfuls of
Doothit baked any sweet potato dust on his head with both hands.
pie lately. Though I’ll take rhu- “Abject I am, Great Goldpep-
barb-pecan if she hasn’t.” per,” he wined. “Abasing myself
Doctor Morris Goldpepper de- before you in humility I am. On
clined an invitation to join the behalf of my people apology of-
rancher in the kitchen, and, on the fering, I am. Forgive, forgive.
terminologically inexact plea of Compassionate Goldpepper!”
a headache, withdrew to take an- At first Doctor Morris Gold-
other long walk in the country. pepper resolved to sell his life
dearly. But the thought occurred
"V^ITH one part of his mind Dr. to him that this creature from
Goldpepper mused upon the another galactic quadrant might
problem of the Goldpepper Cap, just conceivably be telling the
for so many long years his per- truth. Furthermore, his curiosity
petual Work In Progress — was piqued.
should it be, for example, reticu- “What are you doing here?” he
lated or non-reticulated? —while inquired. “On the terms of the
simultaneously with another part peace treaty signed between your
of his mind he brooded over the planet, the American Dental As-
question of “Big Jimmy,” “Little sociation and the Waterfront
Jimmy” and Mary Jane. Workers Union (acting through
Almost before he realized it he their representative, Mr. Albert
found himself upon a sort of a Annapollo, and the Longshore-
high mound or hillock, from men’s Dental Health Plan —
whence he had a view of much of who acted as our shock troops —
the property belonging to his I was to be released from the cap-
friend Dr. Crawford. Everywhere tivity wherein I toiled making
the green verdure grew —
except false teeth to enable your natural-
on the hillock, which was dusty ly toothless race to pose as
and arid and nourished (if that Earthmen; and those of you on
is not too strong a word) only a this planet were to leave instanta,
66 GALAXY
if you will pardon my curiosity, ness to do business. After all, it
why is this particular hill so deso- is not every day in the week that
late, compared to what I might one finds a customer for fifteen
call the lushness of the rest of the million earthworms.
ranch?” However, the term “customer”
The man withdrew his finger, implies not only sale, but pur-
sucked meditatively on the tooth chase as well. Purchase may be
and then said, “Why, how the land by cash, goods or service. Cash,
looks hyere, that’s how all thish- it was obvious, the Upsilonians
year land use ta look, twell we got did not have. The only service of
in them Jim Dandy Giant Golden- which they were possessed which
Red Hybrids. Now, evva othuh was at all likely to be of use was
bit a land hyere is green an that of teleportation (matterport-
growin. We keeps thishyear little ing, according to another usage);
old hill seprut just fer showin and it was agreed that this was
whut it oe’ul use ta look like; will something for which the world
”
it hurt much, ‘Doc?’ was not yet prepared. Which left
And in this wise was Dr. Morris “goods.”
Goldpepper reminded of the sing- The Upsilonian offered, when
ular and curious ability of the the crops of his native world
common earthworm —
let alone should be restored to their former
the Jim Dandy Giant Golden-Red yield, to pay for the worms,
Hybrid earthworm —
to rejuven- pound pound, in slith, purts,
for
ate a piece of ground by moving sneet, kutch and/or zooky. But
through it, and by moving it on being informed by Doctor
through them, “Disgusting sub- Morris Goldpepper (who had
ject,” some might say, but to lived on these substances and
Dental Science nothing natural is their derivatives for months) that
disgusting; thus cogitating, he re- the best of them tasted like old
turned to the ranch-house, fol- library paste, Mr. Dandy de-
lowed by the Upsilon Centaurian, clined. He also eructated.
just in time to catch “Big Jimmy.” “Pardon me, folks,” he said,
abashed and discomfited. “It’s a
A MERICA’S leading worm sort of nervous indigestion, which
rancher was loath to believe I get every now and What in
. . .
that the alien was from another thee Hell are these?”
planet, but, upon being assured “These” were a number of ob-
and reassured that he was not, at jects in a small box offered by
any rate, from the Soviet Union, the alien Upsilonian, apparently
he professed his complete willing- the same bulk as a five-grain as-
Jimmy” came in and reminded his sipping his pink grapefruit juice
father that they had fifteen mil- (for which fruit Texas should
lion worms to take care of and be more famous than it is) with
hence for that reason couldn’t only Mary Jane for company; and
stay there all day and all night, she had nothing to say except an
much as he (“Little Jimmy”) occasional semi-stifled sob.
would personally prefer to do. Before he had finished the job,
The muffled sound of Mary Jane the Dandys drove up, Mr. Dandy,
sobbing outside was audibly Senior, bounding into the break-
heard when he paused, reluctant- fast-nook (it was as big as the
ly- Grand Ballroom the Hotel
at
His father rose. “Boy’s right,” Davenport) with his red face full
he posited. “Well, I guess I’ll have of beaming joy. “It worked!” he
to come back tomorrow and con- cried —
a noise which produced
tinue the discussion. I sure do the Upsilonian on the scene. “Big
hope we can think of something. Jimmy” picked him from his feet
Bye.” And they drove off in the and danced around the room with
68 GALAXY
him. “It worked! Settled my stom- “Hmm,” observed “Big Jim-
ach like it never was settled be- my,” adding, “Well I guess now
fore! It’s just ^ot to be good for we know what ‘freest’ means. Or
arthritis, too! I figure half the maybe it’s ‘grunk.’ Tell them fac-
population of the C/nited States tories to start gearing for in-
has got nervous stomachs, and the creased production! Yip-pay!”
other half has arthritis! Mr. Up- “Ee-yih-hoo!” cried Doctor
silonian (say, are you Armenian? Crawford.
I’ve known some real fine Ar- The alien said nothing, ’but
menians!), I’ll take seven and a genuflected and kissed the cuffs
half million white ones, and seven of Doctor Goldpepper’s trousers.
and a half million pink ones, a
worm for a pill. A deal?” How Upsilon Centauri was
The alien was too startled to do saved from soil sickness and fam-
more than nod. ine, how the Jim Dandy Ethical
Dr. Crawford came down at Drug Company of Texas, Inc.,
that moment. “Mary Jane, honey,” moved with the speed of light into
he observed, “you trot right out the ranks of the great corporations
and give your sweetheart a real along with its sister-syndicate, the
big good-morning kiss, hear? And Jim Dandy Giant Golden-Red
tellhim that the wedding is on!” Hybrid Earthworm Company;
The delighted girl rushed, how James E. (for Elphonsus)
squealing merrily, from the room, Dandy, Jr., married Mary Jane
and her father, in a lowered tone Crawford at the same double cere-
of voice, winked and dug the mony which united her father in
other Earthmen in the ribs with matrimony to Mrs. Lilybelle
his elbows, as he observed, “I Doothit, are matters too profuse
found something else that those in content to be recorded here by
pills are good for! Why, good Doctor Morris Goldpepper, now
moTnin^, Lilybelle!” restored once again to health and
Doctor Goldpepper, on the duty; who, desiring only the good
point of asking what else, looked and welfare of the American
up to see who “Lilybelle” might Dental profession and the human
be, and lo and behold, it was no race, is glad to go down to posteri-
other one but the comely house- ty merely as the inventor of the
keep>er, whom he had never heard Goldpepper Bridge and the
“Clem” address other than as Goldpepper Crown, and perfector
“Mrs. Doothit, ma’am,” before. of the Semi-Retractable Clasp
She blushed, and her eyes, before which bears his name.
she cast them down, sparkled. — AVRAIM DAVIDSON
DROOZLE
EAN LANNI could see that his long, golden red hair pointed at
J girl friend, Judy Stokes, his breast pocket. “This Droozle
thought it was the lamest excuse I must see. And who’s that other
she had ever heard. If your ball- member of the partnership there
point pen won’t write as you want beside him? An Eversharp pencil
it to, your life doesn’t stop, she named Blackie?”
probably was thinking. You just “No, that is the other end of
get yourself another pen You — Droozle. Permit me to introduce
don’t call off a marriage . . you.” Blandly the tall, young
Skeptically the girl with the artist slidDroozle from his breast
70 GALAXY
Droozle was probably the greatest writer in the world —
any world!
By FRANK BANTA
pocket, straightened him from his •Tfou did. I felt him squirm a
U-shape and handed his twelve- little.”
DROOZLE 71
was your heart beating wild-
“It refill, normally. But I could use
ly,” she decided a moment later. him again in only one day’s time
“Which makes me think you provided I didn’t mind the top
might not just be trying to get three-fourths of my pen laying on
rid of me by a silly excuse.” my arm.”
“Believe me, I’m not,” he “I hope his weight didn’t get
urged. “Droozle is the key to all tiresome,” she commiserated,
my fortunes.” holding in her amusement.
“All right, tell me about it. But “I coped somehow,” he an-
first tell me where in the universe swered sturdily. ‘Xater he learned
you got him.” — after I squeezed him on the
“Oh, that was just after I gradu- liver a few times just to show him
ated from art school. I was on my how —
to switch to a lovely
grand tour. We had an unex- shade of ochre, which was de-
pected stopover at the Coffin lightfulon pale green or pink
planetary system. I discovered paper. Why, what’s the matter,
ballpoint snakes are the chief ex- Judy?”
port of Coffin Two. When we “Go on,” she choked. “Go go
lifted ship, I had acquired my go!”
little puppy snake, Droozle.” He beamed. “I write my letters
“Is a puppy snake like a puppy with him too. Every day I wrote
dog?” she asked, fascinated. “I with him, first in red, and then in
mean, do they have their little ochre to give him a rest. He
domestic troubles, such as the seemed to love to write more than
calls of nature?” to sketch. He would jump into my
“Oh, he was thoroughly pocket- hand with tail happily pointed
broken before I acquired him. But downward as I sat down to my
he did like his little jokes, and I writing desk. And when I later
learned to leave him curled up in saw his dark green stripes turning
a circular ashtray until maturity pastel and knew that anemia was
sobered him.” imminent, and started to lay him
down for a earned rest, he would
44'Yf/'ELL, I should say! You stiffen himself as if to say, ‘Oh,
drew sketches with him, come, come! I’m good for half a
didn’t you tell me?” page yet!’ ”
He nodded. “At first he only “It sounds as though he was a
— —
had one color of ink red and if willing worker, but I still can’t
I sketched with him all day he see why his malfunction makes
would commence to look wretch- our marriage impossible.”
edly anemic. He took two days to “I haven’t gotten to his career
72 GALAXY
as a novelist yet. There lies the was by far the topper. It was
heart of the tragedy.” banned in Boston.”
“Please proceed to the heart of “You haven’t mentioned any-
the tragedy.” thing tragic so far,” she observed.
“In fact, you have made a pot of
iiTT all began when I found him money,”
arched up one morning, “Right. After my snake had
writing by himself — with diffi- filed his income tax returns, we
culty, it is true. His first message still had enough money to pur-
to the world was, 7 hold that the chase this house and to support
supine viewpoint is seldom down- us for a couple of years. The only
ward! ” ’
trouble is, his royalties have
“I don’t see how he could stand stopped coming in and that
up on end to write for very long, money is all used up. I still
even with such a magnificent phil- haven’t been able to sell any of
osophy to bolster him.” my landscape paintings. So we
“What a terrible pun,” Jean haven’t any income, and that’s
groaned. “He couldn’t stand up why you and I can’t marry for a
very long at first. But I saw he had long time yet — if ever!”
talent. I gladly learned the skill Her exquisite brows wrinkled
of holding him upright in a re- with concentration. “I don’t un-
laxed manner so that he could ex- derstand. Has Droozle written
press himself on paper. In no time himself out?”
at all, he had written what was to “Far from it,” answered Jean,
be his first, sensational, best-sell- seating himself and parking
ing shocker, Naked Bellies in the Droozle on his knee. “He’s writing
Grass.’* more than ever.”
“That does sound sensational.” “The quality is gone, then?”
“Not for snakes. He neglected Jean shook his head. “No, he’s
to mention his characters were writing superlatively.”
snakes. I Fang You Very Much “Then what is the problem?”
followed swiftly afterward and she asked, now thoroughly mysti-
was just as successful. Mothers fied.
were amused with its lispy title “He’s writing classics!” burst
and got it for the children.” out Jean in baffled irritation. “He
“Sounds like a story with some won’t write anything else! Easily
meat in it.” seeing the approaching catastro-
“Yes! Something you can get phe, I wrote long persuading es-
your teeth into. However, his next says to him. It was pathetically
offering, A Snake Pit Full of Love, useless. Proudly he continued to
DROOZLE 73
write his Rise and Fall of the tering little extremity. That put
Western Plainsman in a lucid, him out of the writing business
passionate prose which would until he came to terms.”
evoke an imperishable picture — ‘Well, now. You were enterpris-
but in three thousand pages.” ing!” she approved.
“I think classics are nice,” pro- “It didn’t do any good though,”
tested Judy, “and one of these Jean grumbled despondently,
days I’m going to read another bowing his head.
one.” “He wouldn’t bargain?” she
Huskily Jean told her the asked incredulously.
worst. “Writing classics consumes “He didn’t have to. He knew
paper by the ton. And if you ever right where the cheese grater
get your 750,000 word story fin- was.”
ished, you must then start shrink- “Ooh!”
ing it back to an acceptable “My sentiments exactly. But I
75,000 words. This is a nearly don’tknow what to do with him
hopeless task. Of course if you can now.”
get it back to 75,000 words the “You’re all out of ideas?”
digest magazines will have no “Oh we could sell this house
trouble shrinking it to 15,000 and move down to skid row where
words or fifteen pictures, and you the rents are cheap,” he flung out
then get your fingers in the till.” airily, but quite plainly worried
He paused and all hope fled from sick.
his face. “Droozle won’t live “I’ve got a much better idea
nearly long enough to get all of than that,” she said cheerily, get-
that shrinking done. And in the ting a pad and pencil from her
meantime that scribbling snake is red handbag. “How about giving
writing me out of house and Droozle this ultimatum?” As she
home!” wrote, Jean read over her shoul-
“Are you going to let him get der, “‘Suggest you begin writing
away with it?” the girl challenged. fiction pleasing both to you and
your master, or we shall be forced
DON’T know whether I am to hand you over to the dog
”
or not,” replied the young catcher!’
artist,looking worried. “I thought Jean drew back amazed. ‘Why,
I had the problem solved at first. we would do no such thing!”
He got so sassy when we were “I know it, silly. I’m just negoti-
arguing about him writing classics ating.”
that I had no hesitation about ap- “No,” he grumped, ready to be
plying a pinch of glue to his glit- angry with her. He got up and
74 GALAXY
strode around the studio. “The restless tail over the margins of
dog catcher! We
will not lie to newspapers spread on the floor.
that snake!” “He doesn’t know yet that I know.
Judy dropped the idea. “I’ve I discovered thefraud only by the
just now thought of another one. merest accident.”
Here’s an ultimatum we could “He isn’t writing?” she asked,
give him and mean it, too. No perusing the newspapers for signs
more writing until we reach an of Droozle’s elegant script.
agreement, or we will take away “He most certainly is.”
all his writing paper and reading “Where?”
matter for good!” “Look at him!” Jean exclaimed,
“I’d thought of doing that,” ignoring her question. “He’s doing
Jean conceded. “But isn’t that a it again!”
monstrous way to treat a literary Droozle had ceased wriggling
genius?” for the moment and lay there
“Not at all!” she protested. “By shaking violently, as though he
taking on a work that will re- had malaria. Then the paroxysm
quire more time than his lifetime, passed and he took up his restless
he is defeating himself.” movements again.
“There’s that way of looking at “The poor genius,” mourned
it,” agreed the artist. “All right, Judy. “He must be sick with frus-
Droozle,” he called. “You heard tration.”
us talking and you know we mean “Sick, my eye! That snake has
it. No more writing until we reach learned to centrifuge part of his
an agreement —
or else!” blood while it is in his body, so
Droozle quit writing at once. that the hemoglobin is separated
While the girl and the young out. The result —
is invisible ink!”
artist watched anxiously, Droozle “Why, I’ll tell that Droozle off!”
first wandered about uncertainly raved Judy. “Here I sat feeling
for a few minutes and then curled sorry for the little crumb!”
up on a newspaper and went to Droozle did not mind. While
sleep. she ranted, he brazenly began
He slept all evening. writing in visible ink once more.
“How did you catch him at it?”
has beaten us again,” she asked.
Jean Lanni told Judy “I used a piece of his news-
Stokes resignedly when she ar- paper to pick up a hot saw blade.
rived at his studio the following The heat turned the invisible ink
evening. He watched Droozle fas- brown.”
cinatedly as the snake moved his “Droozle,” said the girl passion-
DROOZLE 75
ately, looking down at the writer, excusably selfish with Droozle.
“you know your master is in great I’ve kept him cooped up here, not
need of funds. Where is your sense wanting to bother with him while
of loyalty and self-sacrifice for I was out on my painting trips.
the one who has cared for you?” True, he was busy writing. But
Droozle wrote poetically, “Is most of his knowledge of Earth
there Joy or any other good thing has come from books; he can’t
in Abnegation? Is there Beauty in write classics about living things
Sacrifice? What Handsome pur- unless he sees living things.”
p>osedo these serve a being in his
race with Time? His Days will A S she picked up his trend of
soon be spent and they will come thought, Judy’s face lost its
no more; thus my Criterion: Is resentful expression, and some-
This the most Joy gathering, thing like seraphic righteousness
Awareness touching. Beauty sens- spread over it. “I see what you
ing act of which he is capable? mean. Just how did you plan to
None other is worthy of his time!” make up for this shut-in feeling
“Men are not so selfish,” ob- that poor Droozle must have been
jected Jean. suffering so much from for all
“I am not a man,” wrote these years?”
Droozle simply. “Oh, Judy, I’m so glad you
Jean turned staunchly to the asked me!” He threw wide his
girl. “Judy, he has convinced me. arms to the world. “Out into the
I have been wrong about him. wind and the rain we shall go, and
From now on he can write what- there I will draw my pictures
ever he likes!” while he observes; then into the
“Good-by to our hopes then?” roaring, brawling taverns we shall
“For the present, yes” assented go, where life thrives in all its
76 GALAXY
“Loathing is no reason to turn to mix the hemoglobin back with
away from reality, Droozle,” ad- the plasma again.
monished the artist. “Things are He complained, “It is cruel of
not nearly so bad as they used to you to condemn me to this ugli-
be anyway. In all justice, shudder ness. I want only to read my
and tilt requires far less body- books and hear a few simple
English than its ancestor, rock and fugues by Bach.”
roll.” “It is not cruel. You will have
Droozle argued carefully, “You exactly the same existence I have
will recall I heard some of it once chosen for myself as an artist. It
when you took me into a particu- is fundamental that if you are to
larly dirty bar over in the west write serious literature, you must
end of town. I feel, as a result, that rub your nose against the realities
I have observed this type of data of life.”
PLUTO
DOORWAY TO
THE STARS
By GEORGE PETERSON FIELD
78 GALAXY
It all started back in the Lowell sat down at his moderate
1820’s when it was found that sized, but adequate, telescope
Uranus was not following a and started looking. He died
smooth elliptical but was
orbit, without finding it. It was there,
staggering through the sky like but it was much fainter than it
a drunk. It was finally guessed had a right to be and he had
that the erratic behavior was due missed it. The astronomers’ pri-
to another planet still further out. vate purgatory had started. Later
Two mathematicians tackled the searches with photographic plates
problem and independently cal- also missed it, although it was
culated the orbit, position and photographed twice. Once it was
mass of the hypothetical planet. masked by a bright star, and the
With the position in the sky other time the image fell on a
known, it was a simple matter flaw in the negative!
for the astronomers to find the
new planet, Neptune, which till TT wasn’t until 1930 that Pluto
then had been overlooked. As ^ was found. The radius, eccen-
soon as Neptune was discovered, tricity and period of the orbit
the orbit of Uranus was recalcu- were almost exactly as Lowell
lated and this time the observa- had predicted. Because the or-
tions fitted perfectly —
almost. bital calculations were so closely
There were still small differences verified, there was no reason to
between the predicted and the doubt Lowell’s prediction that
actual positions. Pluto had a mass of six times
Spurred by the success of the the earth’s mass, except that the
previous work. Professor Perci- size of the planet was impossibly
val Lowell thought that there small. It was so small that it still
might be another planet still looked like a point through the
further out. He calculated that it telescope. It wasn’t until 1950,
should be four thousand million using the 200-inch Palomar tele-
miles out from the sun, moving in scope, that Pluto’s diameter was
an unusually elliptic orbit with measured. It was roughly 3600
a period of 280 years, and it miles, or about as big as Mercury.
should have a mass six times that This would make the density of
of the earth. The same figures the planet hundreds of times
were later obtained by another greater than water! The earth is
prominent astronomer, Professor only 5.5 times denser than water
W. H. Pickering. and osmium, the densest known
An object this large should be material, is only 22 times denser.
easy to find, so in 1905, Professor Thus Pluto seems to be made of
80 GALAXY
know it better. But until then it thesame direction as its rotation.
is interesting to speculate. Thus a spaceship in orbit near
the earth is helped along in its
/^NE of the most spectacular orbit by the earth’s rotation. In
possible solutions to the order to have any appreciable
mystery is to assume that it dragging effect on a space ship,
really is a visitor from outside a rotating planet has to be very
the solar system. Not just a wan- heavy, and rotating rapidly; also
dering frozen planet that hap- the spaceship should be as close
pened to be collected by the sun as possible to the planet’s center.
long ago in its wanderings This calls for planets with high
through space, but a device, a density, since they have all their
“gravity catapult” made by intel- mass concentrated in a small
ligent beings and placed in orbit radius and the spaceship can get
around the sun ... a “gravity cat- close to the center without hitting
apult” being a generator of gravi- the surface.
tational fields thatis used to ac- Using these ideas of Einstein,
celerate spaceships to velocities we can envision how such a
near the speed of light. gravitational catapult could be
It has only been recently rea- made. It would require a large,
lized that such a “gravity cata- very dense body with a mass
pult” could exist. We can de- larger than the earth, made of
scribe how it should be made, collapsed matter many times
but we couldn’t even begin to heavier than water. It would
construct it with our present have to be whirling in space like
technology. a gigantic, fat smoke ring, con-
It has long been known that stantly turning from inside out.
Einstein’s theory of gravity pre- The forces it would exert on a
dicts many unusual prop>erties of nearby object, such as a space-
gravitation. These effects are not ship, would tend to drag the ship
well known since they are unob- around to one side, where it
servable with our presently would be pulled right through
available instruments. So there the center of the ring under ter-
was little reason to talk about rific acceleration and expelled
them. The most interesting ef- from the other side. If the ac-
fect is that a rotating mass, such celeration were of the order of
as a planet, not only attracts an 1000 g’s, then after the minute
object toward it with its regular or so that it would take to pass
gravitational field, but it also through, the velocity of the ship
“drags” the object around it in on the other side would be near
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN’s
great new novel of interplanetary adventure
Podkayne of Mars
Now running serially in IF — don't miss it!
82 GALAXY
mMM
To spread Mankind to the stars
carries a high cost in tives —
and not atl of them are human/
By KRIS NEVILLE
Illustrated by GIUNTA
84 GALAXY
upon the dark face of existence. and tore at the age-old moun-
This was the first two-stage tains.
planet man had ever attempted Inside the eternal, self-renew-
was so far
to colonize. Miracastle ing Richardson domes, the tech-
from Earth that the long ships nicians worked and waited and
were destroyed twice to reach it. superintended the computers
which controlled the processes
technicians came, com- raging beyond them.
manded by General Max The long ship lifted steadily
Shorter, sixty-three years old. and majestically through the bat-
Men wearing the circle whose tering storm and the driving rain
diameter was etched in ruby steel of dust and crystals. Out beyond
enclosing a background of gleam- the dense space that surrounds
ing ebon —
the emblem was a all stars, the long ship probed the
silver D
over a sunburst of ham- ever-shifting currents in the four-
mered gold. dimensional universe. The long
The surface of Miracastle roil- ship found a low-density flaw,
ed with unfamiliar storms and where space could hardly be said
tornados and hurricanes. Before to exist at all. The long ship, de-
these, the films of lichen evapora- scribed mathematically, was half
ted into dust, and the sparse and as long as the continuum — the
stunted vegetation with ochre fo- length being inversely propor-
liage turned sear and was pow- tional and related only to mass.
dered by the fury in the air. Time was but a moth’s wing be-
Earth equipment, alien to the tween twin cliffs of eternity.
orange sun, hammered into the Inside Miracastle’s orange sun,
heart of Miracastle. Night and at its very core, an atom of hy-
day it converted the pulverized drogen was destroyed complete-
substance of the planet in the ly; and in the inconceivable dis-
white-hot core of its atomic fur- tance, an atom of hydrogen
naces. appeared. The pulsing, steady-
Acid snapped at the
rivers state equation of the universe
wind and changed to salt depos- maintained its knife-edge and in-
its and super-heated steam. In evitable thermo-dynamic bal-
the gaseous atmosphere, neutral ance.
crystals formed and fell like pow- Inside the long ship, a pilot-
dered rain. Miracastle heated machine ordered the destruction
and cooled and shivered with the of a vastly greater collection of
virus of man-made chemical re- matter. The atoms of the ship
actions, and the storms screamed and the sailors —
fixed in rela-
86 GALAXY
tionship, each to each —imploded important thing in his life: to do
into nothingness. his job.”
And the long ship and the men It took perhaps ten seconds for
aboard it were born again at a the soft knock to penetrate his
low-density area a million light concentration. He adjusted him-
years away — halfway to Earth, self to the moment and closed the
Born and were destroyed again, diary softly. He deposited it in
in the blink of an eye. the upper right-hand drawer of
Beyond the ship now lay Sol, the writing desk and locked the
pulsing in its own warmth and drawer.
warming its children embedded The knock came again.
in the cold and distant texture He arranged his tie.
of the universe. The sailors were “Come in,” General Shorter
ghosts come home. said.
Miracastle was alone with her The agitation of the man in the
conquerors. doorway was announced by the
paleness of his face.
pENERAL MAX SHORTER, “Come in, David,” General
a few weeks later, began Shorter said, rising politely from
writing a diary. the writing desk. “Be seated,
“I have been Destroyed thirty- please.”
seven times during forty years’ “General, weVe had a ... a
service with the long ships,” he very unfortunate thing happen
wrote. He wrote with a pen, using on the shift.”
a metal straight edge as a line The general sank back into his
rule. chair. Light from the desk lamp
“I have served faithfully and I framed his expressionless and im-
believe as well as any man the mobile face, half in light, half in
Corps, the planet and mankind. shadow. He fingered the straight-
It is perhaps appropriate at this edge on the desk top.
time, as I approach the end of “Sit down, David, and then tell
my long service, to record a few me about it.”
observations which have occur- Shift-Captain Arnold moved
red to me during the course of it uncertainly.
as well as to record the day-to- “Sit down, sit down,” General
day details of my present com- Shorter repeated impatiently.
mand.” Captain Arnold seated himself
The general wrote: “A man is on the edge of the chair.
given a job to do. And when all “One of the men,” he said,
is said and done, that is the most “just committed suicide. He was
monitor this shift. He went out- “A few minutes more,” the gen-
side without a suit.” eral said. “The brandy is good.”
The general blinked as though He moved into the shadow and
to remove an irritation from his sorted bottles at his tiny cup-
eye. His hand lay still and hard board. “Here.” He held the glass
upon the straight-edge. “What to the light. Amber liquid flowed
was his name?” he asked in a softly and the general handed
voice that was vaguely puzzled. across the half-filled glass. “Sit
“Schuster. Sergeant Schuster, back,” he said. “I’ll join you.”
sir.” Glass in hand, the general
“Yes, I remember him,” the stood with his back to the light.
general said. “He came to us He seemed surrounded by cold
about a week before the lift. I fire, and the glass sparkled as he
think he was from Colorado. He lifted it. He sipped. “Try it, it’s
had very broad shoulders. Short good.”
and broad. Neat appearing. Uni- “It’s very good, sir.”
form always in good order.”
General Shorter ran his thumb I^OR a moment neither spoke.
and forefinger up the bridge of Then the general said, “This
his nose and then, with a very isn’t my first command, you
small sigh, placed his palm over know. I’ve seen men die. I’ve had
his eyes. to take chances with them occa-
“Draw up the report,” he said. sionally. You
could say, I sup-
“Was there a final message?” The pose, that I ordered some men to
question was uttered without hes- their deaths. But still, the men
itation and was followed by a came aboard knowing the risks.
moment of silence. In the final sense, they, not I,
“No, sir.” made the decision. I never sent
General Shorter’s breath was a — ”
88 GALAXY
board and poured into a new ists. The job comes first. In this
glass. Again he was light and case, the job of defeating the en-
shadow. The spilled liquid ap- emy ,But what does that have
. .
proached the shadow and was de- to do with us? Nothing, eh?
voured in it as though it had You’re right. Sometimes I like to
never been, but still the aroma talk, and I suppose that’s one of
stood on the air. my privileges. I’m not the ideal-
The general said: “Imagine, if ist I used to be, I guess. I remem-
you can, David, that Earth were ber when I was your age. I saw
attacked, andthe attack de- things differently than I do now.
stroyed many of the military in- What used to seem important no
stallations. After you struck back, longer does. Each stage of devel-
David, what would you do next?” opment has its unique biological
“I don’t know, sir. I’m not a imperatives: a child, a youth, a
strategist, I’m afraid.” mature man, look out on the
“What about your cities? The world from a body held in focus
millions of people trapped with- to different chemistries.But the
out supplies —
over-running the job remains.” General Shorter
countryside, looting, plundering held up his glass. “Cheers.” He
in search of food. Carrying pesti- drained it.
lence and disease and terror. Again there was silence.
What would you do, David?” “David, do you think I’m in
“Well, I guess I’d try to organ- much trouble?”
ize some relief organization or “I’m afraid so. General. The
something.” Committee is due to arrive to-
“But David. Anything you di- morrow.”
verted to care for these people “I know,” the general said.
would limit your ability to fight “This suicide isn’t going to help
back, wouldn’t it? They would be us. Tomorrow. Is itthat soon? I
cluttering up all your transporta- thought yes, I guess it is
. . .
tion. Your second move would be here long enough to lose our im-
to take the bombs which destroy munity, so we’ll all catch colds.”
people and not property and . . . Captain Arnold stood. “I bet-
use them on your own cities.” ter get started on my report.”
Captain Arnold drained his “Poor Sergeant Schuster,”
glass. “That would be .” He did . . General Shorter said. “If any-
not finish. one’s to blame, it must be me.”
“Insane, David? No. Rational. “He obeyed the orders.”
Field Commanders must be real- “What did you say?”
•*- above Miracastle and dis- I’ll keep the suit on.”
charged its passengers. The Scout “I don’t think they’re expecting
Ball could handle them: saving you with the surface party. Gen-
energy, which along with time it- eral.”
self, is the ultimate precious com- “Probably not or they’d be
modity of the universe governed here. Earth crew?”
by the laws of entropy. “They’ve been out ten months
The Scout Ball settled through or so, sir.”
the dark turbulence undisturbed “We will have colds, then.
by the hissing winds. It hovered Would you take me to Mr. Tuck-
momentarily in the invisible bea- er, To the other suited
please?”
con above the Richardson dome men he said, “Good, fast job.”
as if both attracted and repelled. General Shorter followed the
It moved horizontally and set- crewman up the spiral staircase
tled. Suited figures on the surface and along the corridor. His hand
wrestled with its flexible exit- touched a frictionless wall. “New
tube against the storm, fighting plastic?”
to couple it to the lock of the “This is one of the most recent
Richardson dome. The exit-tube balls, sir.”
moved rhythmically until the “How does it handle?”
Scout Ball inched away, drawing “Quite well, sir.”
it taut. Pumps whirred. The suit- “I miss the Model Ten,” he
ed figures entered the forward said.
lock of the Scout Ball. “There’s only a few left now, I
Inside, General Shorter divest- guess.”
ed himself of the helmet. The suit “I haven’t seen one in years.”
hung upon him like ancient, The crewman stopped before a
wrinkled skin. numberless panel. He knocked
He asked, “What time is it?” politely. “Mr. Tucker? I have
Upon being told, he nodded General Shorter here. He came
with satisfaction. “Seventeen out with the surface party.”
90 GALAXY
Mr. Tucker’s voice, the edge of carefully, moving the flame sev-
surprise partly lost through the eral times across the blunt end.
partition,came: “Just a moment.” He regarded the results without
In silence they waited. General expression. “A cigar should be
Shorter moved restlessly. Several properly lit. General,” he said.
minutes passed. “Yes, yes, I suppose so,” the
The panel opened. general said. He paused to worry
at a wrinkle on his suit. “Good
92 GALAXY
Flison. They were going through Right now domes Seven and
the ritual of conversation. Nine are the more important.
“This is the first time you’ve They contain the air-changing
been Destroyed then, sir,” the equipment. We are holding tight-
general said. “My first time was ly to our completion date, and
so long ago I’ve forgotten what it these two —Seven and Nine —
feels like.” will be pulled out in fifteen days.
“I was uneasy in advance,” Mr. That is to say, they will, barring
Flison said. “You read various any serious interruptions in our
descriptions about the physical work. On schedule, I should point
sensations. Intellectually, of out.”
course,you draw a distinction, The general poured coffee for
but emotionally you know that himself. Mr. Flison politely de-
the only word which applies is clined.
death —
pure and simple. But “When you’ve been in the
there’s no sensation. happens
It Corps as long as I have,” the gen-
too fast. You don’t even notice eral resumed, “the schedule be-
comes a part of you. Everything
it.”
94 GALAXY
—
Captain Meford? It’s a large “There is a long sloping pla-
planet.” teau up there, and a series of na-
“I had one of the machines tural caves back in the next cliff
scan the remaining maps for geo- face,” Captain Meford said. This
metrical patterns, sir.” did not seem adequate. He con-
“Isn’t that done routinely?” tinued: “Most of the air-changing
Mr. Tucker asked rather sharply. activity starts in the low-lying
“Yes, sir. But you see, we’ve areas, at first around the dome
always expected that if we were positions. It advances along an
ever going to encounter intelli- elevation front, gradually drifting
gent life on a planet, it would be up. Little tongues are carried up
rather widespread. Accordingly in advance by the heated cur-
and this is the routine procedure, rents. The aliens retreated before
sir, used, as far as I know, by all it. On the plateau you can see the
contact parties —
we ran through sentries. I guess they posted
a statistically significant sample themselves there, at intervals, be-
of the terrain. There was nothing tween the edge and the new
on Miracastle out of the ordinary. caves, to define the limits of safe-
There was the typical, low-order ty. They died there. Six of them.
vegetable matter, about what we The rest, several hundred,
always find. It was a very typical reached the caves. They are
planet, sir.” dead, too.”
The third man from the Earth “I see,” Mr. Wallace said.
Committee, Mr. Wallace, seldom “When you first discovered
spoke. When he did, his voice was them —?” Mr. Ryan asked after
mild, and there was a sense of a moment.
child-like wonder in his tone. Captain Meford hesitated.
“The natives?” he asked. Mr. Tucker said: “I believe
“They had fled when we
. . . one of your men killed himself
discovered the city.” last night —
wasn’t it? A techni-
“Where did they flee to?” Mr. cian? I was told he felt you could
Wallace asked. reverse the air-changing equip-
ment in time to save the aliens.
i^APTAIN MEFORD glanced I understand that was very much
^ upward. Other eyes followed on his mind for the last week or
to end just below the edge of the so.”
view screen. Above stood the “I’m not too familiar with the
sheer face of the cliff. Clouds man, sir. He was on Captain Arn-
roiled below the summit, obscur- old’s shift, I believe.”
ing it from view. “Captain Meford,” Mr. Ryan
insisted, “when did you say you are still very risky because of
first discovered the aliens?” the wind velocities.”
Captain Meford hesitated. The
others waited. A FTER the evening meal, Gen-
“They were then scaling the eral Shorter called Captain
cliff, sir.” Arnold aside. “Mind if I go over
“And General was he
Shorter, to Nine with you?” he asked.
told of this immediately?” Mr. “The air around here is well, —
Ryan asked. the fact of the matter is. I’d like
“I don’t know when the general to get away from them for
was told.” awhile.”
“You discovered them?” “Of course not, sir,” Captain
“Yes, sir. I you see, at the. . . Arnold said.
time the winds completely pro- “We’ll call it an inspection.
hibited air traffic. As you know, Which might be a good idea at
the air scouts are not stable that. With these people running
enough until . . . later. Later, I . . around trying to interfere with
Yes, sir. I discovered them.” my schedule. Poking around. Ask-
“Did you then inform the gen- ing questions. Taking men away
eral?” from their work, basically.” He
“No, sir. I informed the duty tapped his teeth with his right
officer.” thumb in reflection. “I’d better
“Did he inform the general?” check up on all the domes to-
“I don’t know.” night, just to be sure.”
“Why didn’t you tell the gen- “Yes, sir.”
eral?” Mr. Tucker asked. “I wouldn’t want anything to
“I was then in communication go wrong because they’re here.”
with Captain Geiger, and I felt In the dressing quarters, they
he .
.” The sentence trailed
. donned surface suits and exited
away. through the locks to Miracastle.
“Would tell the general?” Mr. In the area immediately beyond
Tucker prompted. “Well, did the Dome, the solidly positioned
he?” connection rails radiated away.
“I believe he did, sir,” Captain The general gestured for the cap-
Meford said. He let out a long tain to lead.
breath. The wind buffeted them. In-
“May we see the aliens?” Mr. side the surface suits it was quiet.
Ryan asked. “David?” the general asked.
“I wouldn’t advise it, sir,” Cap- “Yes, sir?” Captain Arnold said.
tain Meford said. “High flights He was fastening his safety line
96 GALAXY
in the keyed slot. He fumbled In fact, he was my adjutant a few
with it for a moment before the years ago. He was always a man
wind. to hold a grudge.”
“You on suit communica- Captain Arnold made no reply.
tions?” “You know how politics is in
“Yes, sir.” Captain Arnold the Corps.”
straightened and moved forward. Dome Nine rose from the
The general replaced him and swirling mist before them. The
dropped his safety line in place wind seemed to increase in fury.
with practiced efficiency. And still, inside the suits, there
Captain Arnold, surrounded by was the sound only of labored
dust devils, became a distant, in- breathing and the general’s voice.
distinct bulk. His motions were “These natives,” the general
ponderous. The general could no said. “They were very primitive,
longer see his face or his expres- David.” Neither could see the
sion. other’s face. “I can’t think of
“I do not entirely understand them as intelligent at all. I feel
this, David,” the general said con- they were very low on the evo-
versationally. “The investigation. lutionary ladder. I wouldn’t call
I thought I had powerful friends it a city, as I’ve heard it called.
ago? I called on you for some placed the helmet over his head.
technical advice.” He held his “Good night, General.”
helmet in his hands. Methodically the general com-
“When was that, sir?” pleted his rounds. He laughed
“Oh, it was about the technical often and joked with the men
feasibility of reversing the air- and seemed in exceptionally good
changing equipment, I believe. spirits.
As you know, I can’t be up on all Back in his own quarters, he
the technical, purely detailed brought out his diary. With a
procedure, for all phases of the weary sigh, he sat down to it. He
operation. That’s what we have glanced at his timepiece. The day
experts for.” The last statement extended backward almost be-
was unusually jovial. “I believe yond memory but it was not yet
you told me, David, that the late.
98 GALAXY
After thumbing the diary list- tive technique. We’ve found two
lessly for several minutes — tines of it, at least.
pausing now and then at a para- “Again superficially, the city
graph —
he began to write. He would suggest a nomadic tradi-
put the events of the day down tion, but for its craftsmanship.
precisely in their logical se- It seems independent of any ob-
quence. vious supply of food and their
equivalent of water, if any. Nor
IV were any provisions in evidence
for the disposal of waste prod-
Committee took over the ucts. Yet the city had the appear-
*- dining area when the general ance of age and continual usage.
left for his tour of inspection. If you notice, the floor of the re-
While the steward’s department cess was worn unevenly toward
was preparing coffee for the in- the center by what I should guess
terviewees, now assembling in to be the traffic of several cen-
the corridor, the four members of turies.
the Committee arranged them- “The thought naturally occurs
selves at the larger of the tables. that the aliens were the rather
Notepaper lay before them. decadent relics of a highly devel-
Mr. Tucker lighted a cigar and oped technological civilization
fingered it. “A rather good meal,” existing on the planet in the not
he said. too distant past. Yet Miracastle
The others nodded. offers no evidence for the exist-
“I may as well start off, while ence of a prior technology no —
we’re waiting,” Mr. Wallace said. ruins, no residual radioactivity
“I’ll summarize my somewhat from atomic operations. In short,
contradictory observations. the city has no apparent genesis
“Superficially, the cultural lev- in the past.
el of the natives appeared quite “The alternative arises: per-
primitive. The absence of tools haps the natives were not natives
would normally be indicative. On at all, but immigrants or colonists
the other hand, the city was like ourselves. Yet the age of the
carved from rock in a way so as city contradicts this.
to suggest a very sophisticated “Perhaps there is a simple ex-
technology. And writing, while planation, although it does not
100 GALAXY
pressed by his loyalty to it; his corporal said. “They just died
hatred of the Corps was ex- when we changed the air. Tough.”
pressed by his inability to abide He looked at Mr. Wallace and
by its regulations. then into the silence around him.
“You knew Sergeant Schuster “Well well, let’s see. I guess
. . .
very well?” Mr. Tucker asked. you’d say that sort of got to him.
“He was a new man,” the cor- I mean, you know, he thought it
102 GALAXY
“Sit down. Excuse the cold. voice was soft and curious, as
Got it last night. What do you though the question were his final
say to a brandy?” effort to understand something
“Don’t let me stop you.” him for a long time.
that puzzled
“I never drink alone.” “What do you think it is. Gen-
“Perhaps you’d better,” Mr. eral?”
Tucker said. “What could be?” the gen-
it
The general had paused just eral said sharply. “I follow orders,
short of the cupboard. He turned sir. I was sent out here to make
slowly. “In that case, I’ll make an this planet suitable for human
exception, this once.” He poured. habitation. This is exactly what
“Just what did you mean by that, I have been doing.” His voice was
sir? Let’s get to the point.” growing progressively more
“General Shorter, we’re going angry and with an effort he
to have to ask you to come back curbed himself. “Put yourself in
with us.” my position. I did what any field
The general bent slightly for- commander would have done. It
ward. His lips were partly open, was too late to stop it. I’ve got —
as though he were listening to It’s a question of the limits of
hear a second time. normal prudence. A matter of in-
“Why,” he said, “I’ve too much terpretation, sir.”
work to do, sir. I’m afraid that’s The general was in the process
out of the question. It’s just not of pouring still another drink.
possible at all.” The slender brandy glass broke
Mr. Tucker waited. under the force of his anger. He
General Shorter poured him- opened his palm. Blood trickled
self another brandy. His back from between his fingers.
was to the civilian. The general looked up from
“There’s nothing more impor- the hand and fleeting annoyance
tant, right now, than my job came and went before he was re-
here,” he said. He drank the called to present reality. His
brandy in a single gulp. eyes met Mr. Tucker’s.
“I don’t see how it can wait. Mr. Tucker suddenly shivered
General,” Mr. Tucker said. as if touched by a wind from be-
The general’s lips were dry. He yond the most distant stars, a
closed his eyes tightly for a mo- wind which whispered: The
ment against the alcohol and the aliens are among us.
cold. He licked his lips. “What’s “General,” Mr. Tucker said,
the formal charge?” “the formal charge is murder.”
Mr. Tucker bent forward. His — KRIS NEVILLE
105
“No trouble. Might as well take strewn with low-lying ghosts as of
them all.” people and objects, formed when
“Only people —God give me the granite bubbled like water.
strength! —only people, Manuel.” Away from the dead center the
“How about little people?” ravines were body-deep in chap-
“Children, yes. That has been arral, and the hillsides stood gray-
explained to you.” green with old cactus. The stunted
“Little people. Not children, lit- trees were lower than the giant
tle people.” bushes and yucca.
“If they are people, take them.” Manuel went with Mula, a
“How big they have to be?” round easy man and a sparse
“It doesn’t make any difference gaunt mule. Mula was a mule,
how big they are. If they are but there were other inhabitants
people, take them.” of the Santa Magdalena of a
That is where the damage was genus less certain.
done. Yet even about Mula there was
The official had given a snap an oddity in her ancestry. Her
judgement, and it led to disaster. paternal grandfather had been a
It was not his fault. The instruc- goat. Manuel once told Mr. Mar-
tions are not clear. Nowhere in all shal about this, but Mr. Marshal
the verbiage does it say how big had not accepted it.
106 GALAXY
”
108 GALAXY
the biggest town in the whole dreamed that they were little
state of Texas.” people.”
“Prairiedogs can’t write as
CO Marshal certified them and good as on that list. Prairie dogs
^ sent them into Washington. can’t write hardly at all.”
This gave High Plains the largest “That’s true. The list is hard to
percentage increase of any city in explain. And such odd names on
the nation, but it was challenged. it too.”
There were some soreheads in “Where is Mula? I don’t see
Houston who said that it wasn’t Mula since I came back.”
possible. They said High Plains “Mula just lay down and died,
had nowhere near that many Manuel.”
people and there must have been “Gave me the slip. Why didn’t
a miscount. I think of that? Well, I’ll do it
And in the days that the argu- too. I’m too worn out for anything
ment was going on, they cleaned else.”
up and fed Manuel, if it were he, “Before you do, Manuel, just a
and tried to get from him a cogent couple of last questions.”
story. “Make them real fast then. I’m
“How do you know it was on my way.”
thirty-five years you were on the “Did you know these little
treadmill, Manuel?” people were there before?”
“Well, it seemed like thirty-five “Oh, sure. There a long time.”
years.” “Did anybody else ever see
“It could have only been about them?”
three days.” “Oh, sure. Everybody in the
“Then how come I'm so old?” Santa Magdalena see them. Eight,
“We don’t know that, Manuel, nine people see them.”
we sure don’t know that. How “And Manuel, how do we get to
big were these people?” the place? Can you show us on
“Who knows? A finger long, a map?”
maybe two?” Manuel made a grimace, and
“And what is their town?” died quietly as Mula had done.
an old prairie-dog town
“It is He didn’t understand those maps
that they fixed up.You have to at and took the easy way out.
all,
dig down with a spade to get to They buried him, not knowing
the streets.” for sure whether he was Manuel
“Maybe they were really all come back, or what he was.
prairie dogs, Manuel. Maybe the There wasn’t much of him to
heat got you and you only bury.
TT was the same night, very late ifyou are really. I don’t believe
and after he had been asleep, that you even belong on the
that Marshal was awakened by world.”
the ring of an authoritative voice. “Not belong on the world! We
He was being harangued by a own the world. We can show writ-
four-inch tall man on his bedside ten title to the world. Can you?”
table, a man of dominating pre- “I doubt it. Where did you get
sence and acid voice. the title?”
“Come out of that cot, you “None your business. I’d
of
clown! Give me your name and rather not say. Oh, well, we got it
station!” from a promoter of sorts. A con
“I’m Marshal, and I suspect man, really. I’ll have to admit
that you are a late pig sandwich, that we were taken, but we were
or caused by one. I shouldn’t eat in a spot and needed a world. He
so late.” said that the larger bifurcates
“Say ‘sir’ when you reply to me. were too stupid to be a nuisance.
I am no pig sandwich and I do We should have known that the
not commonly call on fools. Get stupider a creature, the more of a
on your feet, you clod.” nuisance it is.”
And wonderingly Marshal did. “1 had about decided the same
want the list that was
“I stolen. thing about the smaller a crea-
Don’t gape! Get it!” ture. We
may have to fumigate
“What list?” that old mountain mess.”
“Don’t stall, don’t stutter. Get “Oh, you can’t harm us. We’re
me our tax list that was stolen. It too powerful. But we can obliter-
isn’t words that I want from you.” ate you in an instant.”
“Listen, you cicada. I’ll take “Hah!”
you and — “Say *Hah, sir’ when you ad-
“You will not. You will notice dress me. Do you know the place
that you are paralyzed from the in the mountain that is called
neck down. I suspect that you Sodom?”
were always so from there up. “I know the place. It was
Where is the list?” caused by a large meteor.”
“S-sent it to Washington.” “It was caused by one of these.”
“You bug-eyed behemoth! Do What he held up was the size of
you realize what a trip that will a grain of sand. Marshal could not
be? You grandfather of inanities, see it in detail.
it will be a pleasure to destroy “There was another city of you
you!” bug-eyed beasts there,” said the
“I don’t know what you are, or small martinet. “You wouldn’t
no GALAXY
know about it. It’s been a few hun-
dred years. We decided it was too
close.Now I have decided that NEW BURROUGHS BOOKS!
you are too close.”
tllustrateil by Mabton Blaine
“A thing that size couldn’t crack
a walnut.”
“You floundering fop, it will MOON MEN (formerly Moon Maid). MONSTER MEN,
FIGHTING MAN OF MARS, 3 books, now ready at
blast this town flat!” S2.7S each.
“What will happen to you?”
“Nothing. I don’t even blink for AT THE EARTH'S CORE, PELUICIDAR, LAND THAT
things like that.” TIME FORGOT. TANAR OF PELLUCIDAR, these 4
“How do you trigger it off.”
books now ready at $2.75 each.
By HELEN M. URBAN
THE GLORY OF
IPPLING
^^HERE’S an axiom in the gal- habyta right back to normalcy.
axy: The more complicated Or like the time a matter-dupli-
the machine, the bigger mess it cator receiver misread OCH3CH3-
can make. Like the time the plan- OH, to turn out a magnificently
etary computer for Buughabyta busted blonde sphygmomanohm-
flipped complete grain-futures
its raiser with an HOCH3OH re-
series. The computer ordered placement, putting a strain on
only 15 acres, and Buughabytians the loyalty of a billion teen-age
had to live for a full year off the girls dedicated to Doyle Oglevie
government’s stored surplus — worship. Doyle-she insisted she
thus pounding down the surplus, was Doyle-he, as it took quite a
forcingup the price, eliminating while for her hormones to over-
the subsidy and balancing the come the memory of his easy,
Buughabytian budget for fifteen eyelash-flapping, tone-torturing
years — an unprecedented bit of microphone conquests. Put a
nonsense that almost had per- strain on his wardrobe, too.
manent effects. But a career econ- No machine, of course, can
omist with an eye for flubup and compare for complexity with any
complication managed to restore group of humans who have been
balanced disorder, bringing Buug- collected into machine-like preci-
112 GALAXY
sion of operation. Take one time ping his muscles, waiting for his
when an Ipplinger Cultural Con- handmaidens to remove the five
tact Group was handed a Bos- layers of elaborately decorated
wellister with V.I.P. connections robes that were draped over his
and orders to put him to an as- super-manly body.
signment — for his maturity. Boswellister cringed slightly
(inwardly), speculating that the
gOSWELLISTER sat patient- Blond Terror really was a
ly. He squirmed
emotionally muscled man. All that man —
up and down his backbone, but nearly seven feet tall, bronzed,
he affected a disdainful appear- developed, imperious, conde-
ance of patience in view of the scending to notice just slightly
importance of his and his poppa’s the adulations of the women in
positions compared with the the packed arena.
pawn-like minusculity of the au- The Blond Terror stepped into
dience’s. the tub, carrying out his adver-
The Blond Terror strode ma- tised boast of being the cleanest
down the aisle of the
jestically wrestler in the ring, a boast he
open air sports arena, preceded was unable to prove with ring
by twenty-four harem-darling action through the exigencies of
dancing girls. The orchestra type-casting, for the Blond Ter-
wailed an oriental sinuosity of ror was the villain.
woodwinds and drums, accom- The Blond Terror muscled
panying the hip-twitching, nearly down into the tub. He was scrub-
naked, sloe- (by benefit of make- bed, then rinsed. He stood out
up) eyed, black-haired beauties. onto the white fur rug and sneer-
Fifteen heavyweights, draped ingly allowed his handmaidens to
in leopard skins, had preceded pat him dry and powder him
the dancers to set up the Blond down. They held up the large
Terror’s tub on a polar bear rug hand mirror and allowed him to
in the center of the ring. A dozen view his handsomeness while his
luscious watercarriers had emp- short-cropped, blond curls were
tied their jars into the tub. Soap carefully combed.
and towels, oils and perfumes, “Now.” Boswellister spoke the
mirror and comb were arranged order into the lapel receiver. On
on top of a lushly ornamented box the Ipplinger starship a commun-
that stood by one of the corner ications tech slapped home a
posts. switch and the solido-vision circle
The Blond Terror vaulted the settled over the Blond Terror’s
ropes and stood in the ring, pop- head, a halo of solid light for a
114 GALAXY
.
to give the TV audience a full- and there was one girl, a big-
face closeup. bodied, blonde with mild eyes.
Boswellister cursed himself for He checked his watch and hur-
choosing the Blond Terror. That ried his pace. It was about time
cynical, egocentric muscle artist for Dodie’s turn on the runway
was too pleased with himself to that extended out from the front
have any room in his thoughts for of the gambling house.
proper superstitious awe, and too With satisfaction, Boswellister
stupid to recognize the superior called up the memory of Dodie’s
science in back of the halo device. peel act. This would be a natural,
“Remove the device,” Boswel- and he couldn’t think why he
lister ordered. There was no point hadn’t decided on it right away.
in allowing it to stay, and that
band of solid light, immovably in TN many ways Dodie was a big
place on the wrestler’s head, made girl. In clothes she could
a perfect battering ram for head- never be the fashion ideal, but she
butting mayhem. certainly made a good thing out
Boswellister paid no attention of nakedness. Her soft, heavy,
to the gladiators-at-mat; he left white breasts made old men
his seat as soon as the device was blanch and young men start to
removed and walked out onto grab. She was tall, with a narrow
Ventura Boulevard. He went waist, flaring hips, long curvy legs
over his cultural equation, trying and arms; with those big, inno-
to find the flaw. cent blue eyes, wearing high
In the year he had spent on heels and an ounce of flimsy, up
the preliminary survey, he had there on the burlesque runway . .
Galaxy Publishing Corp., 421 Hudson St., New York 14, N.Y.
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promised, and his promises had they were busy calling sugges-
included many things she’d never tions to the line of ponies who had
before heard of. Boswellister taken over the runway. Boswellis-
squirmed momentarily. ter felt as if he were standing in a
It was too bad there wasn’t a desert, surrounded by a mob of
better crowd. Most of the Boule- phantoms from his own imagina-
vard’s regulars were at the Arena tion.
opening, but there were a few The crying voice of the gam-
loiterers, standing along the curb, bling-house barker rode in over
watching the free show. And all the clang and brass of jazzy music,
he had to do was make a begin- but he couldn’t turn the tip. As
ning, Boswellister felt. He was soon as the line-girls left the over-
sure that everything would roll by the-sidewalk runway, the idlers
itself after that. He had faith in moved on down the street to take
his superstition equation. in the next spot’s free outdoor lure
Dodie peeled. She seemed show.
headed for complete nakedness at Boswellister leaned against the
any moment, but to Boswellister’s wall and watched the barker wipe
surprise, the revealing costume his sweat-soaked forehead. He
contained more pieces than he felt kinship with the man in his
had remembered. failure. The manager came out
“Any moment now,” he whis- and talked to the barker for a
pered to the solido-tech. “Now, moment. Boswellister overheard:
wait .there
. . that should be
. . . “Dodie didn’t draw one customer.
the last piece. Settle the device A buck ain’t to be made these
around her head,” he ordered. days.”
Then he groaned and counter- The barker replied, shaking his
manded the order. He had re- head, “They’re oversold, Marve.
membered Dodie’s details, not The give-away is all they want.”
her act. For at the last moment Boswellister turned away and
she slipped to the wings, drop- walked towards his motel. They
ping the last swatch of lace to wanted the give-away, but the
slide down one long, white, out- glory of Ippling he had to give
thrust leg. made no impression. He felt des-
Oh, blessed Ippling! There was perate. He had to make one more
his ship, floating majestically try.
overhead, but no one would give His family position demanded
it a glance. He pointed to it. obedience from the starship offi-
These men must follow his ex- cersand crew. He stopped for a
cited gestures and look up; but moment and gave a swift com-
118 GALAXY
livered of a replica new-born in- complainingly down the street be-
fant. hind her.
Again and again the “doctor” “People of Earth!” Boswellis-
performed the delivery, alter- ter stated commandingly. He
nately inserting the doll-baby into grasped a man’s arm, saying,
the doll-mamma and removing it. “Stand still a moment, friend, and
Boswellister flushed and hear the promise of Ippling. Glory
walked quickly away. He had no beyond your imagination can be
doubt of the toy’s educational yours with the ascendancy of Ip-
value, but nevertheless —
he pling in this world of tears and
sighed deeply. sorrows.”
When Boswellister reached the The man jerked away. “What
corner of Ventura and Laurel the hell, Mac!” He looked search-
Canyon, he made his stand on ingly at Boswellister and mut-
the southeast corner, facing the tered, “Geez, a nut.” He stood
hills over which the Ipplinger back from Boswellister to listen,
starship would come to hover smilingly superior, tolerantly
over the intersection and be re- waiting to be entertained. A
vealed by him. woman dragging a toddler
He contacted control and or- stopped, then several other people
dered the halo focus for his head. stopped to see until Boswellister
He reached up and felt the circle, had about ten people standing
planted firmly over his brow. He around him.
smiled to himself and went into “People of Earth!” he started in
his pitch. again, but he was interrupted by
a cackling voice from the rear.
iillJEOPLE of Earth,” he began “Where else?”
quavering voice, then
in a The small crowd laughed and
he remembered the Calsobisidine started to move away, but Bos-
demonstrator, firmed up his tones wellister stood straight and com-
and started again. “People of manded them. “Listen! Wait for
Earth! Listen to the message a moment and learn your glorious
from the stars!” destiny.
“Selling horoscopes,” a woman “Now,” he said quietly into the
answered her child’s question. lapel pickup, and the great dough-
“What’s a horrorscope, mam- nut circle of the Ipplinger star-
ma?” ship sailed in close over the hills.
“A bunch of hooey,” she A line of brush fire followed the
snapped in reply, scowled at Bos- starship.
wellister and jerked her child Boswellister held up his hands
120 GALAXY
The officer grabbed his coat close, forcing Boswellister to the
collar and hustled him to the rear as they screamed for their
sidewalk. “You’re under arrest!” free samples. Two bulky crew-
“You me!” Boswel-
can’t arrest men stood embattled by the en-
lister squirmed and jerked away. trance port, strongarming the kids
He shouted, “Follow me!” and ran who tried to storm through the
north, a good part of the crowd port and inside.
after him. He shrieked an order “Space Angel’s inside!” That
into the pickup while he ran over was their battle cry as they tried
the bridge towards Moorpark. to wriggle under the legs of the
A woman spotted the Ipplinger crewmen.
starship that followed overhead. “Ya sellin’ Oatbombs?” one
“Free samples!” she screamed, screamed in the commander’s ear,
and those who had lagged behind then reached up to snatch off a
fell into a run with the crowd fol- shoulder patch.
lowing Boswellister. Boswellister stood in the rear
The northwest corner of Laurel of the crowd and wrung his hands
Canyon and Moorpark had been while the crowd clamored for
cleared of houses for the erection their samples.
of a new billion-dollar shopping “Give us the pitch, then pass
center, and the ground was out the stuff!”
smooth and bare. Here, in the “Lookit that ship! Ain’t it a
center of the five-acre construc- dilly! Whatcha sellin’. Wheat-
tion site, the Ipplinger starship snaps?”
settled to Earth. “Bring on the dames!”
The Ipplinger Supreme Star-
ship Commander was panic- ^^HEY pressed in close to the
stricken. He had to rescue Bos- starship, running their hands
wellister from that sample-seek- over the slick metal surface.
ing mob. If Boswellister should “Boy, what a prop! Bet it cost
be trampled and injured! Each a million bucks. What ya sellin’,
screamed demand, picked up by mister?”
Boswellister’s lapel microphone, “Sanity!” Boswellister shouted
sent the Supreme Commander’s from the rear.
blood pressure up another notch, His men tried to hold their
and the moment the ramp was ranks, but the crowd broke the
unshipped he hit the ground. lines, jerking the medals off their
Officers and crewmen quickly chests for souvenirs.
lined up to pipe Boswellister Boswellister was almost bab-
aboard. But the crowd pushed in bling by the time the commander
122 GALAXY
to his room to learn the language minded on that firstworld about
he’d need, while the officers his needing five wives for his
pulled their own demoralized household, they had nearly man-
spirits together so they could go aged to commit him to a lunatic
to work on the crew when the asylum, for he had overlooked, in
news broke that they weren’t go- his equation, the fact that his first
ing home. planet, with its two suns and per-
petual daylight, had never known
^^HEY made a quick passage to about the stars. There had been
their destination, and Bos- no way to break through their
wellister — well rested, well fed, wall of stupidity, and he had left,
hypnotically tutored, supplied the planet’s sanity-police close on
with communicators, a synthe- his heels. Had he used money it
sizer for his food and a portable would have been a cinch, he had
equation writer strapped to his realized as soon as he was safely
back, and his irrepressible, daunt- in the ship.
less belief in himself in trium- That hard-earned lesson he
phant operation — stepped from had applied to his second planet,
the ramp onto this newest world but there superstition meant
of his Princely destiny. more than money, though money
“Circle in orbit,” he ordered. had seemed on the surface to be
“I’ll call you when I need you.” the answer to everything. On that
Boswellister walked confi- second planet he had made the
dently down the road to town. error of buying his way into the
He congratulated himself on hav- half-religious tem-
half-political,
ing learned, also on his wise hu- ple setup and had tried to bring
mility in admitting the fact of his the local superstitions into line
having learned. He smiled now at with Ipplinger Reality Philoso-
the naivete with which he had phy. They had lost an officer and
approached his first try at estab- three men when they rescued him
lishing a realm for his Ipplinger from the temple’s torture cham-
Princedom rights. ber; and none too soon, for he
He had been so full of illusions had been taking quite a stretch-
that he had landed openly, had ing when his rescue had arrived.
stepped right up and announced Applied on Earth, the super-
that he had come to establish his stition equation had not paid off.
household and rear his own Prin- He had failed to notice that they
ces,who would, in their maturity, didn’t really believe in their reli-
leave to win their own worlds. In gions and superstitions, though
addition to their being small- they showed every indication of
124 GALAXY
ARE WE GOING TO BUILD A SPACE
STATION?
126 GALAXY
time is ripe. After a while I be- (USA 2, USSR 3.) Orbital flights
gan to wonder why this question have been made by both sides
came up with such monotonous and the program to make the big
regularity and I began to ask Saturn booster operational is un-
back. der way. The space station is still
It turned out that not every- a few years in the future. And
body who asked that question before we can go ahead and build
had the same reasons. One would it a few other things have to be
pers and magazines had talked the Saturn will be able to put
about nothing but boosters, in- 20.000 pounds into a 300-mile
strumented satellites and Mer- orbit. But if the upper stages
cury capsules for more than a which are now under develop-
year, the space-station project ment should turn out a little bet-
had most likely been given up. ter than expected —let’s say, if
Of course it isn’t so. they turn out as well as hoped —
If NASA, and with it news- that payload may turn out to be
papers, magazines, radio and TV, ten per cent higher. This will
is talking mainly about instru- take care of the necessary load-
mented satellites and boosters carrying capacity.
and so forth, it is talking merely The second thing that must be
about the things now at hand. done before the space station can
Instrumented satellites are being be tackled is the solution of the
sent up at fairly regular rate. so-called rendezvous problem.
By December 31, 1961 there had The space station, once it exists,
been a total of 74 successful satel- cannot survive unless the rendez-
lite shots (USA 61, USSR 13) vous problem has been solved,
and 5 shots to and past the moon even if the whole station was car-
128 GALAXY
gram, for equipping, supplying station, however; he only sug-
and maintaining the space sta> gested how it might be done. His
tion —are the reason why the idea ran as follows: put a very
space station isn’t much in the large rocket ship equipped with
news right now. a “landing boat” into an orbit
But that does not mean that around the earth. Have the man
nobody is thinking about it. who put the ship into orbit re-
In fact we are now in the turn to the ground with his land-
fourth phase of the thinking ing boat. And then add to the
about the space station. space station with successive
The first phase was way back flights, until it has become an or-
in 1923, when Professor Her- bital base.
mann Oberth introduced the con- The second phase followed five
cept into scientific literature. He yearslater, when an Austrian re-
did not describe a specific space tired officer, originally a captain
PLASTIC
ABSORBER SUN'S RAYS
TURBINE
GENERATOR
WORKING
FLUID
ORIENTATION
SENSORS
SECONDARY
130 GALAXY
Wohnrad (Living Wheel). See first design for a permanent space
Fig. 1. It was a circular structure station and his main suggestions
with living quarters in its rim. have been in all subsequent de-
Of course it was supposed to ro- signs.
tate so that the crew would be One interesting fact which
under pseudo-gravity (actually might be useful to mention is
centrifugal force) and because it that some of Noordung’s con-
rotated the wheel was to be en- cepts appeared in subsequent de-
tered by the hub. Curved mirrors signs although the originators of
for catching the sun’s rays were these designs did not even know
to provide power. “Hermann that his book existed. It just
Noordung” did not think of every- proves that solutions to given
thing, and he also made a num- problems are bound to turn out
ber of mistakes, but his was the to be similar.
132 GALAXY
the problem. One might say that ground in a nearby suburb of
the thinkers are no longer people Berlin.
of a theoretical bent who point It took me over a year to real-
out what should be possible. The ize the remote suburb of
that
thinkers are people who hope for my childhood and the nearby
a contract. suburb of my early manhood
Of course there are several were one and the same, and that
designs around in the United we were building our early liquid
States and there can be little fuel rockets in a corner of the
doubt that there are similar de- tract of fieldsand copses which
signs around in the Soviet Union. had served Major Parseval. By
Some of the current designs vis- that time I had also learned to
ualize a structure similar to that what extremes Major Parseval
of a Zeppelin-type airship, con- had gone in his design.
sisting of circular girder type In a desire to produce an air-
rings for the end of each section, ship which could be loaded on a
spaced apart by lightweight truck (and the trucks of that
metal beams. The airtight plastic period were not very large) he
cover is then to be draped over had not only done without a
this metallic skeleton. But Good- skeleton, he had not only de-
year Aircraft has evolved another signed and built a collapsible
design, one which seems an echo gondola, he had even produced
of the other type of lighter-than- collapsible propellers. His pro-
airship we once had, the blimp. pellers were strips of cloth at-
tached to a hub. Their ends were
T FEEL a rather remote per- curved pieces of steel, so that the
sonal interest in structures of propeller acquired its shape by
this type, one which needs some the centrifugal force of these
backtracking in time to explain. curved steel pieces, when the en-
One of my earliest memories is gine spun the propeller. (The
seeing one of the airships built only thing Major Parseval could
by Count Ferdinand von Zeppel- not collapse, although he prob-
in circling over Berlin. A few ably tried, was the engine.)
years later I was taken out to a I was reminded of all this by
remote suburb to see an airship seeing that Goodyear’s space sta-
on the ground. It was one that tion is not only completely col-
also bore the name of its design- lapsible —
they call it “expand-
er: Major Parseval. Many years able” —but that even their solar
later I was one of the men who reflectors are not rigid!
founded the rocket-proving The reason why these struc-
134 GALAXY
peri-astron (from Greek aster The terms would be peri-areion
for star) for closest approach to (peri-areon) and apo-areion
a star, for example by a comet, (apo-areon.)
is astronomical usage. Of course As for the outer planets the
the term is rarely used. The con- terms may sound somewhat
cept is not needed often. clumsy but do not present any
Now let’s go to work. special difficulties. For Saturn
If you use the Greek name for the Latin name works out bet-
Mercury, Hermeias, you get a ter, e. g. peri-satumium. Uranus
reasonable word for the equiva- is Greek to begin with and the
FREDERIK POHL
Illustrated by RITTER
CONCLUSION
GALAXY
On Christmas the world's freedom died. Every man, woman and
child lay In the grip of fear, for no one knew at what moment his
Hsi. But don’t go easy on the job but ‘probably’ isn’t good enough.”
just because it’s a waste of time, Exasperated, Chandler said,
Chandler; it could be pretty im- “How the devil am I supposed to
portant to you.” know what to do next? So I take
Chandler absorbed the infor- all this junk back to my room
mation silently and handed over at Tripler and solder up the gen-
his list. The man did not look at erator — then what?”
it. “Come back in about an hour,” “Then Koitska will get in touch
he said. with you,” Hsi said, not unkindly.
“I won’t have any money in an “Play it as it comes to you,
hour, either.” Chandler, that’s the best advice
“Oh, that’s all right. I’ll put it I can offer.” He hesitated. “Koits-
on Koitska’s bill.” ka’s not the worst of them,” he
Chandler said frankly, “Look, said; and then, daringly, “and
I know what’s going on.
don’t maybe he’s not the best, either.
Suppose I came in and picked up Just do whatever he told you.
a thousand dollars worth of stuff, Keep on doing it until he tells
would you put that on the bill, you to do something else. That’s
too?” all. I mean, that’s all the advice
“Certainly,” said Hsi optim- I can give you. Whether it’s going
do with them?”
“Well Chandler puffed on ^^HERE is not much to do in a
. .
could
his cigarette. “Well, I — strange town when you have
“No, you couldn’t. Also, it no money. Chandler’s room at
wouldn’t pay, believe me,” Hsi what once had been Tripler Gen-
said seriously. “If there is one eral Hospital was free; the bus
thing that doesn’t pay, it is cheat- was free; evidently all the radio
ing on the Exec.” parts he could want were also
“Now, another
that’s good free. But he did not have the
question,” said Chandler. “Who price of a cup of coffee or a hair-
is the Exec?” cut in the pockets of the suntan
138 GALAXY
slacks the desk man at Tripler rants. It was only the people who
had issued him. He wandered were different.There was a solid
around the streets of Honolulu, sprinkling of those who, like him-
waiting for the hour to be up. self, were dressed in insigneless
At Tripler a doctor had also former Army uniforms obvi- —
examined his scar and it was now ously conscripts on Exec errands
concealed under a neat white — and a surprising minority who,
bandage; he had been fed; he from overheard snatches of con-
had bathed; he had been given versation, had come from coun-
new clothes. Tripler was a teem- tries other than the U.S.A. Rus-
ing metropolis in itself, a main sian Chandler
mostly, guessed;
building some ten stories high, a but Russian or U.S., wearing sun-
scattering of outbuildings con- tans or aloha shirts, everyone he
nected to it by covered passages, saw was marked by the visible
with thousands of men and signs of strain. There was no
women busy about it. Chandler laughter.
had spoken to a good many of Chandler saw a clock within
them in the hour after waking up the door of a restaurant; half an
and before boarding the bus to hour still to kill. He turned and
Honolulu, and none of them had wandered up, away from the
been free with information either. water, toward the visible bulk of
Honolulu had not suffered the hills; and in a moment he
greatly under the rule of the saw what made Honolulu’s col-
Exec. Remembering the shat- lective face wear its careworn
tered stateside cities. Chandler frown.
thought that this one had been It was an open square per- —
spared nearly all the suffering of haps it had once been a war
the rule of the world by the Exec, memorial —
and in the center of
whoever they were. Dawdling itwas a fenced-off paved area
down King Street, in the aro- where people seemed to be rest-
matic reek of the fish markets, ing. It struck Chandler as curious
Chandler could have thought that so many persons should have
himself in any port city before decided to take a nap on what
the grisly events of that Christ- surely was an uncomfortable bed
mas when the planet went pos- of flat concrete; he approached
sessed. Crabs waved sluggishly at and saw that they were not rest-
him from bins. Great pink-scaled ing. Not only his eyes but his
fish rested on nests of ice, waiting ears conveyed the message —
to be sold. Smells of frying food and mild air
his nose, too, for the
came from half a dozen restau- was fetidwith blood and rot.
140 GALAXY
Hsi, his face somehow different, empty ones from Hsi; and the
was manipulating a lever on the door closed on him again.
outside of a door while a man Hsi tugged the lever down,
inside, becoming visible as the turned, blinked and said, “All
door opened, was doing the same right, Chandler. Your stuff’s
from within. It looked as though here.”
the lock on the door would not Chandler approached. “What
work unless both levers operated; was that all about?”
and the man on the inside, whom “Go to hell!” Hsi said with
Chandler had not seen before, sudden violence. “I —
Oh never
was dressed, oddly, only in bath- mind. Sorry. But I told you al-
ing trunks. His face wore the ready, ask somebody else your
same expression as Hsi’s. Chand- questions, not me.” He gloomily
ler guessed (with practice it was began to pack the items on
becoming easy!) that both were Chandler’s list into a cardboard
possessed. carton. Then he glanced at
The man inside wheeled out Chandlei and said, apologetically,
two shopping carts loaded with “These are tough times, buddy. I
electronic equipment of varying guess there’s no harm in answer-
kinds, wordlessly receivedsome ing some questions. You want to
142 GALAXY
VIII that his “test” was about to be
graded.
T>Y THE morning of the fourth
^ day on the island of Oahu
Quickly though he dressed, she
was there before him, standing
Chandler had learned enough of beside a low-slung sports car and
the ropes to have signed a money- chatting with one of the grounds-
chit at the Tripler currency office keepers. An armful of leis dan-
against Koitska’s account. gled beside her, and although she
That was about all he had wore the coronet which was evi-
learned, except for a few practical dence of her status the gardener
matters like where meals were did not seem to fear her. “Come
served and the location of the along, love,” she called to Chand-
fresh-water swimming pool at the ler. “Koitska wants your thin-
back of the grounds. He was kill- gummy. Chuck it in the trunk if
ing time using the pool when, in it’ll fit, and we’ll head waikiki
the middle of a jacknife from the wikiwiki. Don’t I say that nicely?
ten-foot board, he felt himself But I only fool the malihinis,
seized. He sprawled into the wa- like you.”
ter with a hard splashing slap, She chattered away as the lit-
threshed about and, as he came tle car dug its rear wheels into
to the surface, found himself gig- the drive and leaped around the
gling. green and out the gate.
“Sorry, dear,” he apologized to The wind howled by them, the
himself, “but we don’t carry our sun was bright, the sky was
weight in the same places, you piercingly blue. Riding next to
know. Get that square-what’sit this beautiful girl, it was hard
thingamajig, like an angel, and for Chandler to remember that
meet me in front by the flagpole she was one of those who had de-
in twenty minutes.” stroyed his world. It was a ter-
He recognized the voice, even rible thing to have so much
if his own vocal chords had made hatred and to feel it so diluted.
it. It was the girl who had driven Not even Koitska seemed a ter-
him back from the interview with rible enough enemy to accept
Koitska, the one who had casual- such a load of detestation; it was
ly announced she had saved his hate without an object, and it
life at his hoaxing trial. Chand- recoiled on the hater, leaving him
ler swam to the side of the pool turgid and constrained. If he
and toweled as he trotted toward could not hate his onetime friend
She was from Koits-
his quarters. Jack Souther for defiling and de-
ka now, of course; which meant stroying his wife, it was almost
as hard to hate Souther’s anony- feet from the curb — “you mean
mous possessor. It could even you didn’t know who I was? And
have been Koitska. It could even to think I used to pay five thou-
have been this girl by his side. In sand a year for publicity.”
the strange, cruel fantasies with Chandler said, smiling, and al-
which the Execs indulged them- most relaxed, “I’m sorry, but
selves it was likely enough that musical comedies weren’t my
they would sometimes assume strong point. I did see you once,
the body, and the role, of the though, on television. Then, let’s
opposite sex. Why not? Strange, see, wasn’t there something about
ruthless morality; it was impos- you disappearing —
sible to evaluate it by any human She nodded, glancing at him.
standards. “There sure was, dear. I almost
It was also impossible to think froze to death getting out to that
of hatred with her beside him. airport. Of course, it was worth it,
They soared around Honolulu on I found out later. If I hadn’t been
a broad expressway and paral- took; as they say, I would’ve been
leled the beach toward Waikiki. dead, because you remember
“Look, dear. Diamond Head! what happened to New York
Mustn’t ignore it —
very bad about an hour later.”
form —like not going to see “You must have had some
the night-blooming cereus at the friends,” Chandler began, and let
Punahou School. You haven’t it trail off. So did the girl. After
144 GALAXY
”
if there had been only one he the body that was enslaved, and
would not have dared to take only for moments. Here, in the
it, for fear of stranding Koitska shadow of the execs, it was all of
or some other exec who might him, forever, until death or a
easily blot him out in annoyance. miracle turned him loose.
He did not wish to join the
wretches at the Monument. THE second day following
It was astonishing how readily he returned to his room at
fear had become a part of his Tripler after breakfast, and found
life. a Honolulu city policeman sitting
Thetrouble with this position hollow-eyed on the edge of his
he had somehow secured one — bed. The man stood up as Chand-
of the troubles —
was that there ler came in. “So,” he grumbled,
was no union delegate to settle “you take so long! Here. Is dia-
employee grievances. Like no grams, specs, parts lists, all. You
transportation. Like no clear idea get everything three days from
of working hours, or duties. Like now, then we begin.”
no mention at all — of course — The policeman, no longer Koit-
of wages. Chandler had no idea ska, shook himself, glanced stol-
what his rights were, if any at all, idly at Chandler and walked out,
or of what the penalties would be leaving a thick manila envelope
if he overstepped them. on the pillow. On it was written,
The maimed victims at the in a crabbed hand: All secref.' Do
Monument supplied a clue, of not show diagrams!
course. He could not really be- Chandler opened the envelope
146 GALAXY
and spilled its contents on the ionosphere scatter make it pos-
bed. sible forthem to cover great dis-
An hour later he realized that tances? He could not remember.
sixty minutes had passed in Or was that irrelevant, since per-
which he had not been afraid. It haps they needed only to cover
was good to be working again, he the distances between islands in
thought, and then that thought their own archipelago? But then,
faded away again as he returned why all the power? And in any
to studying the sheaves of circuit case, what about this fantastic
diagrams and closely typed pages switching panel, hundreds of
of specifications. It was not only square feet of it even though it
work, it was hard work, and ab- was transistorized and subminia-
sorbing. Chandler knew enough turized and involving at least a
about the very short wavelength dozen sophisticated technical re-
radio spectrum to know that the finements he hadn’t the training
device he was supposed to build quite to understand? AT&T
was no proficiency test; this was could have handled every phone
for real. The more he puzzled call in the United States with less
over it the less he could under- switching than this —
in the days
stand of its purpose. There was a when telephone systems spanned
transmitter and there was a re- a nation instead of a fraction of
ceiver. Astonishingly, neither was a city. He pushed the papers to-
directional: that ruled out radar, gether in a pile and sat back,
for example. He rejected imme- smoking a cigarette, trying to re-
diately the thought that the radi- member what he could of the
ation was spectrum analysis,
for theory behind submillimeter radi-
as in the Caltech project —
un- ation.
fortunate, because that was the At half a million megacycles
only application with which he and up, the domain of quantum
had first-hand familiarity; but theory began to be invaded. Ro-
impossible. The thing was too tating gas molecules, constricted
complicated. Nor could it be a to a few energy states, responded
simple message transmitter no, — directly to the radio waves.
perhaps it could, assuming there Chandler remembered late-night
was a reason for using the sub- Pasadena during
bull sessions in
millimeter bands instead of the which it had been pointed out
148 GALAXY
meat, all right, but not here. me, because the damn thing hap-
You’ll only find it in the places pened in a pharmaceuticals plant.
where the execs sometimes go . . . That was supposed to be about
Tell me something, Chandler. the only place in town where
What’s that scar on your fore- you could be sure you wouldn’t
head.” be possessed, or so everybody
Chandler touched it, almost thought. Including me. Up to the
with surprise. Since the medics time I went ape.”
had treated it he had almost for- Hsi nodded. The waiter ap-
gotten it was there. He began to proached with their drinks. Hsi
explain, then paused, looking at looked at him appraisingly, then
Hsi, and changed his mind. did a curious thing. He gripped
“What’s the score? You testing his left wrist with his right hand,
me, too? Want to see if I’ll lie quickly, then released it again.
about it?” The waiter did not appear to
Hsi grinned. “Sorry. I guess notice. Expertly he served the
that’s what I was doing. I do drinks, folded small pink floral
know what an *H’ stands for; napkins, dumped and wiped their
we’ve seen them before. Not ashtray in one motion and —
many. The ones that do get this then, so quickly that Chandler
far usually don’t last long. Unless, was not quite sure he had seen
of course, they are working for it, caught Hsi’s wrist in the same
known exactly what was going his entire personality was trans-
on, of course. The “mystery mitted in a pattern of very short
wrapped in a riddle surrounded waves which could invade and
by an enigma” had become queer- modulate the personality of any
er and even more opaque after other human being in the world.
Kruschchev’s death and the re- For that matter, of any animal,
vival of such fine old Soviet in- as long as the creature had
stitutions as the Gay Pay Oo. enough “mind” to seize —
150 GALAXY
“What’s the matter?” Hsi in- necessary as induction coils
terrupted himself, staring at tapped the encephalic rhythms.
Chandler. Chandler had stopped Only the great amplifying hookup
eating, his hand frozen midway was really complicated. Only one
to his mouth. He shook his head. of those was necessary, for a sin-
“Nothing. Go on.” Hsi shrugged gle amplifier could serve as re-
and continued. broadcaster —modulator for
While the Western World was thousands of the headsets.
celebrating Christmas — the “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Christmas before the first out- Hsi demanded.
break of possession in the outside Chandler put down his fork,
world — the man who invented lit a cigarette and beckoned to
the machine was secretly demon- the waiter. “I’m all right. I just
strating it to another man. Both want another drink.”
of them were now dead. The in- He needed the drink. For now
ventor had been a Pole, the other he knew what he was building
man a former Party leader who, for Koitska.
four years before, had rescued
the inventor’s dying father from ^^HE waiter brought two more
a Siberian work camp. The Party drinks and carried away the
leader had reason to congratulate uneaten food. “We don’t know
himself on that loaf cast on the exactly who did what after that,”
water. There were only three Hsi said,“but somehow or other
working models of the transmitter it got out of hand. I think it was
— what ultimately was refined the technical crew of the factory
into the coronet Chandler had that took over. I suppose it was
seen on the heads of Koitska and an inevitable danger.” He grinned
the girl— but that was enough savagely. “I can just imagine the
for the January push. Party workers in the factory,” he
The Stalinites were out. The said, “trying to figure out how
neo-Krushchevists were in. to keep them in line —bribe
A whole factory in the Donbas them or terrify them? Give them
was converted to manufacturing dachas or send a quota to Siberia?
these little mental controllers as Neither would work, of course,
fast as they could be produced because there isn’t any bribe you
— and that was fast, for they can give to a man who only has
were simple in design to begin to stretch out his hand to take
with and were quickly refined to over the world, and you can’t
a few circuits. Even the surgical frighten a man who can make
wiring to the brain became un- you slit your own throat. Any-
way, the next thing that hap- up. Maybe they don’t care.
pened — the following Christmas Would you?”
— was when they took over the Chandler drained his drink
world. It wasn’t a Party move- and shook his head. “One ques-
ment at all any more. A lot of tion,” he said. “Who’s ‘we’?”
the workers were Czechs and Hsi carefully unwrapped a
Hungarians and Poles, and the package of cigarettes, took one
first thing they wanted to was to out and lit it. He looked at it as
even a few scores. though he were not enjoying it;
“So here they are! Before they cigarettes had a way of tasting
let the whole world go bang they stale these days. As they were.
got out of range. They got them- “Just a minute,” he said.
selves out of Russia on two Red Tardily Chandler remembered
Navy cruisers, about a thousand the quick grasp of the waiter’s
of them; then they systematically fingers on Hsi’s wrist, and that
triggered off every ballistic mis- the waiter had been hovering, in-
sile they could find . and they
. . conspicuously close, all through
could find all of them, sooner or their meal. Hsi was waiting for
later, it was just a matter of the man to return.
looking. As soon as it was safe In a moment the waiter was
they moved in here. Best place back, looking directly at Chand-
in the world for them. ler. He looped his own wrist with
“There are only a thousand or his fingers and nodded. Hsi said
“
so of them here on the Islands, softly, ‘We’ ” is the Society of
and nobody outside the Islands Slaves. That’s all of us — slaves
even knows where they are. If — but only a few of us belong to
they did, what good would it do the Society. We —
them? They can kill anyone, any- There was a crash of glass.
where. They kill for fun, but The waiter had dropped their
sometimes they kill for a reason tray.
too. When one of them goes wan- Across the table from Chand-
dering for kicks he makes it a ler, Hsi looked suddenly changed.
point to mess up all the trans- His left hand lay on the table
port and communications facili- before him, his right hand poised
ties he comes across —especially over it. Apparently he had been
now, since they’ve stockpiled ev- about to show Chandler again
rything they’re likely to need the sign he had made.
for the next twenty years. We But he could not do it. His
don’t know what they’re planning hand paused and fluttered, like
to do when the twenty years are a captured bird. Captured it was.
152 GALAXY
Hsi was captured. Out of Hsi’s can be there in half an hour.”
mouth, with Hsi’s voice, came the Chandler’s breathing was back
light, tonal rhythms of Rosalie to normal. Why not? “I’ll be de-
Pan. “This is an unexpected lighted.”
pleasure, love! I never expected “Luigi the Wharf Rat, that’s
to see you here. Enjoying your the name of it. They won’t let
meal?” you in, though, unless you tell
them you’re with me. It’s special.”
IX Hsi’s eye closed in Rosalie Pan’s
wink. “Half an hour,” Hsi said,
^HANDLER had his empty and was again himself. He began
^ glass halfway to his lips, au- to shake.
tomatically, before he realized The waiter brought him
there was nothing in it to brace straight whiskey and, pretense
him. He said hoarsely, “Yes, abandoned, stood by while Hsi
thanks. Do you come here of- drank it. After a moment he said,
ten?” It was like the banal talk “Scares you. But —
I guess we’re
of a language guide, wildly inap- all right. She couldn’t have heard
propriate to what had been going much. You’d better go. Chandler.
on a moment before. He was I’ll talk to you again some other
shaken. time.”
“Oh, I love it,” cooed Hsi, in- Chandler stood up. But he
vestigating the dishes before him. couldn’t leave Hsi like that. “Are
“All finished, I see. Too bad. you all right?”
Your friend doesn’t feel like he Hsi almost managed control.
ate much, either.” “Oh — I Not the first
think so.
“I guess he wasn’t hungry,” time it’s come close, you know.
Chandler managed. Sooner or later it’ll come closer
‘Well, I am.” Hsi cocked his still, and that will be the end, but
head and smiled like a female — yes, I’m all right for now.”
impersonator. “I know! Are you Chandler tarried. “You were
doing anything special right now, saying something about the So-
love? I know you’ve eaten, but ciety of Slaves.”
well, I’ve been a good girl and I “Damn it, go!” Hsi barked.
guess I can eat a real meal, I “She’ll be waiting for you . . .
154 GALAXY
An annoying feature of dining that, maybe.” She smiled. “We’re
with Rosalie in the flesh, Chand- not. About half of us came from
ler found, was that half a dozen Russia in the first place, but the
times while they were talking he others are from all over. You’d
found himself taken, speaking be astonished, really.” She men-
words to Rosie that were not his tioned several names, world-fam-
own, usually in a language he did ous scientists, musicians, writers.
not understand. She took it as a “Of course, not everybody can
matter of course. It was merely qualify for the club, love. Would-
a friend, across the room or across n’t be exclusive otherwise. The
the island, using Chandler as the chief rule is loyalty. I’m loyal,”
casual convenience of a tele- she added gently after a moment,
phone. “Sorry,” she apologized “and don’t you forget it. Have to
blithely after it happened for the be. Whoever becomes an exec has
third time, and then stopped. to be with us, all the way. There
“You don’t like that, love, do are tests. It has to be that way —
you?” not only for our protection. For
“Can you blame me?” He stop- the world’s.”
ped himself from saying more; Chandler was genuinely star-
he was astonished even so at his tled at that. Rosie nodded seri-
tone. ously. “If one exec should give
She said it for him. “I know. It away something he’s not sup-
takes away your manhood, sup- I posed to it would upset the whole
pose. Please don’t let it do that applecart. There are only a thou-
to you, love. We’re not so bad. and I guess probably
—
Even ” She hesitated, and did
sand of
two
us,
billion of you, or nearly. The
not go on. “You know,” she said, result would be complete de-
“I came here the same way you struction.”
did. Kidnaped off the stage of the Of the Executive Committee,
Winter Garden. Of course, the Chandler thought she meant at
difference was the one who kid- first, but then he thought again.
naped me was an old friend. No. Of the world. For the thou-
Though I didn’t know it at the sand execs, outnumbered though
time and it scared me half to they were two million to one,
death.” could not fail to triumph. The
Chandler must have looked contest would not be in doubt.
startled. She nodded. “You’ve If the whole thousand execs at
been thinking of us as another once began systematically to kill
race, haven’t you? Like the Ne- and destroy, instead of merely
anderthals or —
well, worse than playing at it as the spirit moved
156 GALAXY
The end, love. The bloody finis. dozens of them, perhaps a hun-
The ones that were killed at once dred, and that they all seemed to
would have been the lucky ones. be wearing suntans like his own.
No, love,” she said, in dead earn- “From Tripler?” he guessed.
est, “we aren’t the worst things “No, love. They pick out those
that ever happened to the world. clothes themselves. Stand there
Once the —
well, the bad part — a minute.”
is over, people will understand The girl in the coronet walked
what we really are.” out to the rail of the sundeck,
“And what’s that, exactly?” where pink and amber spotlights
She hesitated, smiled and said were playing on nothing. As she
modestly, “We’re gods.” came into the colored lights there
It took Chandler’s breath was a sigh from the people in the
away —not because it was un- garden. A man walked forward
true, but because it had never with an armload of leis and de-
occurred to him that gods were posited them on the ground be-
aware of their deity. low the rail.
“We’re gods, love, with the They were adoring her.
privilege of electing mortals to Rosalie stood gravely for a
the club. Don’t judge us by any- moment, then nodded and re-
thing that has gone before. Don’t turned to Chandler.
judge us by anything. are aWe “They began doing that about
New Thing. We
don’t have to a year ago,” she whispered to
conform to precedent because we him, as a murmur of disappoint-
upset precedents. From now
all ment came up from the crowd.
on, to the end of time, the rules “Their own idea. We
didn’t know
willgrow from us.” what they wanted at first, but
She patted her lips briskly they weren’t doing any harm.
with a napkin and said, “Would You see, love,” she said softly,
you like to see something? Let’s “we can make them do anything
take a little walk.” we like. But we don't make them
She took him by the hand and do that.”
led him across the room, out to
a sundeck on the other side of TTOURS later, Chandler was
the restaurant. They were look- not sure just how, they were
ing down on what had once been in a light plane flying high over
a garden. There were people in the Pacific, clear out of sight of
it; Chandler was conscious of land. The moon was gold above
sounds coming from them, and them, the ocean black beneath.
he was able to see that there were Chandler stared down as the
158 GALAXY
Norway and —
well,” she said, obviously a man of low taste I’ll
squeezing his arm, “never mind have to do the whole bit myself.”
what all. And then one day I got She touched switches at a remote-
on the scales, just out of habit. control set by her end of the
Do you know what I weighed?’* couch, and in a moment dreamy
She closed her eyes in mock hor- strings began to come from tri-
ror, but they were smiling when aural speakers hidden around the
she opened them again, “I won’t room. It was not Hi There.
do that again, love. Of course, a “That’s better,” she said drowsily,
lot of us do let ourselves go. Even and in a moment, “Wasn’t it nice
Koitska. Especially Koitska. And in the plane?”
some of the women But just — “It was fine,” Chandler said.
between us, the ones who do Gently — but firmly — he sat
really didn’thave much to keep up and reached automatically in-
in shape in the first place.” to his pocket.
She led the way into a villa The girl sighed and straight-
that smelled of jasmine and ened. “Cigarette? They’re on the
gardenias, snapped her fingers table beside you. Hope you like
and subdued lights came on. the brand. They only keep one
“Like it? Oh, we’ve nothing but big factory going, not to count
the best. What would you like those terrible Russian things
to drink?” and no smoke.” She
that’re all air
She fixed them both tall, cold touched his forehead with cool
glasses and vetoed Chandler’s fingers. “You never told me about
choice of a sprawling wicker that, love.”
chair to sit on. “Over here, love.” It was like an electric shock
She patted the couch beside her. — the touch of her fingers and
She drew up her legs, leaning the touch of reality at once.
against him, very soft, warm and Chandler said stiffly, “My brand.
fragrant, and said dreamily, “Let But I thought you were there at
me see. What’s nice? What do the trial.”
you like in music, love?” “Oh, only now and then. I
“Oh . . . anything.” missed all the naughty parts —
“No, no! You’re supposed to though, to tell the truth, that’s
say, *Why, the original-cast album why I was hanging around. I do
from Hi There.’ Or anything else like to hear a little naughtiness
I starred in.” She shook her head now and then but all I heard
. . .
reprovingly, and the points of her was that stupid lawyer and that
coronet caught golden reflections stupid judge. Made me mad.”
from the lights. “But since you’re She giggled. “Lucky for you. I
160 GALAXY
be trouble for his taking it? God, short-sleeve shirt, with rope san-
let there be trouble! He was in a dals. He said, “You fly a iili-
mood for trouble. He was sick kopter? No? No difference. Help
and wild with revulsion. me.” An arm like a mountain
Worse than her use of him, a went over Chandler’s shoulders.
casual stimulant, an aphrodisiac The man must have weighed
touch, was that she thought what three hundred pounds. Slowly,
she did was right. Chandler wheezing, he limped toward the
thought of the worshipping doz- back of the room and touched a
ens under the sundeck of the button.
exec restaurant, and Rosalie’s A door opened.
gracious benediction as they Chandler had not known be-
made her their floral offerings. fore that therewas an elevator
Blind, pathetic fools! That was one of
in the building.
Not only the deluded men and the things the exec did not con-
women in the garden were wor- sider important for his slaves to
shippers trapped in a vile re- know. It lowered them with great
ligion, he thought. It was worse. grace and delicacy to the first
The gods and goddesses worship- floor, where a large old Cadillac,
ped at their own divinity as well! ancient but immaculately kept,
the kind that used to be called
X a “gangster’s car,” waited in a
private parking bay.
^^HREE days later Koitska’s Chandler followed Koitska’s
voice, coming from Chand- directions and drove to an air-
ler’s lips, summoned him out to field where a small, Plexiglas-
the TWA shack again. nosed helicopter waited. More by
Wise now in the ways of this the force of Chandler pushing
world. Chandler commandeered him from behind than through
a police car and was hurried out his own fat thighs, Koitska puffed
to the South Gate, where the up the little staircase into the
guards allowed him a car of his cabin. Originally the copter had
own. The door of the building been fitted for four passengers.
was unlocked and Chandler went Now there was the pilot’s seat
right up. and a seat beside it, and in the
He was astonished. The fat back a wide, soft couch. Koitska
man was actually sitting up. He collapsed onto it. His face blank-
was fully dressed —
more or ed out — he was, Chandler knew,
less; incongruously he wore somewhere else, just then.
flowered shorts and a bright red. In a moment his eyes opened
164 GALAXY
Chandler walked away thought- game, but now the whole atten-
fully. He had no real intention tion of the audience was on the
of going there, but something in red-headed man.
Hsi’s attitude suggested more Suspicion crossed Chandler’s
than a ball game; after a quick mind. In a moment it was con-
and poor lunch he decided to go. firmed, as the red-headed man
The field was a dirty play- raised his hands waist high and
ground, scuffed out of what had clasped his right hand around
probably once been an attractive his left wrist — only for a mo-
campus. The players were ten- ment, but that was enough.
year-olds, of the mixture of hair The ball game was a cover.
colors and complexions typical Chandler was present at a meet-
of the islands. Chandler was puz- ing of what Hsi had called The
zled. Surely even the wildest Society of Slaves, the under-
baseball rooter wouldn’t go far ground that dared to pit itself
out of his way for this, and yet against the execs.
there was an audience of at least Hsi cleared his throat and said,
fifty adults watching the game. “This is the one. I vouch for him.”
And none seemed to be related And that was startling too.
to the ballplayers. The Little Chandler thought, because all
Leaguers played grave, careful these wrist-circled men and wom-
ball, and the audience watched en were looking at him.
them without a word of parental
encouragement or joy. 46 A LL right,” said the red-
Hsi approached him from the headed man nervously,
shadow of the school building. “let’s get started then. First thing,
“Glad you could make it, Chand- anybody got any weapons? Sure?
ler. No, no questions. Just watch.” Take a look —
we don’t want
In the fifth inning, with the any slipups. Turn out your pock-
score aggregating around thirty, ets.”
there was an interruption. A tall, There was a flurry and a wom-
red-headed man glanced at his an near Chandler held up a key
watch, licked his lips, took a deep ring with a tiny knife on it. “Pen-
breath and walked out onto the knife? Hell, yes; get rid of it
diamond. He glanced at the Throw it in the outfield. You can
crowd, while the kids suspended pick it up after the meeting.” A
play without surprise. Then the hundred eyes watched the pearly
red-headed man nodded to the object fly. “We ought to be all
umpire and stepped off the field. right here,” said the red-headed
The ballplayers resumed their man. “The kids have been play-
ing every day this week and no- guessed of Chandler’s work as —
body looked in. But watch your much as Chandler himself knew,
neighbor. anything suspi-
See it seemed. “Maybe this is only a
and swung with the other. “Shut set, bypassing the traps Koitska
up, Linton. Wait till you hear would surely have set to prevent
what he’s got for us.” just that. Never mind the penal-
The bearded man, sprawling ties for failure. Suppose he could
and groggy, slowly rose as Hsi make it work, and find fifty head-
explained tersely what he had sets, and fit them to the fifty men
166 GALAXY
and women here in this clandes- ticallyevery one of us, and he’s
tine meeting of the Society of been lying out there for a week
Slaves . . . with a broken back, ever since
Would there, after all, be any they caught him trying to blow
change worth mentioning in the up the guard pits at East Gate.
state of the world? They had plenty of chance to
Or was Lord Acton, always pump him if they could. They
and everywhere, right? Power can’t. Next thing. No more indi-
corrupts. Absolute power corrupts vidual attacks on one exec. Not
absolutely. The power locked in unless it’s a matter of life and
the coronets of the exec was more death, and even then you’re
than flesh and blood could stand; wasting your time unless you’ve
he could almost sense the rot in got a gun. They can grab your
those near him at the mere mind faster than you can cut
thought. a throat. Third thing: Don’t get
But Hsi was throwing cold the idea there are good execs and
water on the idea. “Sorry, but I bad execs. Once they put that
know that much: One exec can’t thing on their heads they’re all
control another. The headpieces the same. Fourth thing. You can’t
insulate against control. Well.” make deals. They aren’t that
He glanced at his watch. “We worried. So if anybody’s thinking
agreed on twenty minutes maxi- of selling out —
I’m not saying
mum for this meeting,” he re- anyone is —forget it.” He looked
minded the red-headed man, who around. “Anything else?”
nodded. ‘What about germ warfare in
“You’re right.” He glanced the water supply?” somebody
around the group. “I’ll make the ventured.
rest of it fast. News: You all “Still looking into it. No report
know they got some more of us yet. All right, that’s enough for
last week. Have you all been by now. Meeting’s adjourned. Watch
the Monument? Three of our the ball game for a while, then
comrades were there this
still drift away. One at a time.**
morning. But I don’t think they Hsi was the first to go, then a
know we’re organized, they think couple of women together, then
it’s only individual acts of sabo- a sprinkling of other men. Chand-
tage. In case any of you don’t ler was in no particular hurry, al-
know, the execs can’t read our though it seemed time to leave
minds. Not even when the5r’re anyway, because the ball game
controlling us. Proof is we’re all app>eared to be over. A ten-year-
still alive. Hanrahan knew prac- old with freckles on his face was
168 GALAXY
playground, with guns drawn. ed man, sprawled across the foul
The exec who had looked at line behind third base, and re-
him out of the boy’s eyes, who membered what he had said.
had penetrated this nest of en- There weren’t any good execs or
emies and extricated Chandler bad execs. There were only execs.
from it, had taken first things
first. Help had been summoned. XI
Quick as the coronets worked, it
was no time at all until the near- "Vj^HATEVER Chandler’s life
170 GALAXY
were already taken. He stood up, He understood with what thrill
and
stretched, scratched himself of hope he had been received —
wondered what to do next, and a man like themselves, not an
he remembered the thread of exec, whose touch was at the
smoke he had seen when? — very center of the exec power.
three nights ago? — against the But how firm was that touch?
evening sky. Was there really anything he
In all those hours he had not could do?
had time to think one obvious It seemed not. He barely un-
thought: There should have been derstood the mechanics of what
no smoke there! The island was he was doing, far less the theory
supposed to be deserted. behind it. Conceivably knowing
He stood up, looked around to where this installation was he
get his bearings, and started off could somehow get back to it
in the direction he remembered. when it was completed. In theory
it might be that there was a way
TT WAS good to own his body to dispense with the headsets and
again, in poor condition as it exert power from the big board
was. It was delicious to be al- itself.
172 GALAXY
one wingtip almost touching the people ought to know each
building, heading directly into it other’s names in cases like this.
— convenient for unloading, but Imagine sharing a grave with
a foolish nuisance when it came some utter stranger!”
time to turn it and take off again, “Grave?”
Chandler’s mind thought while Bradley nodded. “Like Pha-
his body lugged cartons out of raoh’s slaves. The pyramid is just
the plane. about finished, friend. You don’t
But he knew the answer to know what I’m talking about?”
that. Takeoff would be no prob- He sat up, plucked a blade of
lem, any more than it would for stemmy grass and put it between
the other small transports at the his teeth. “I guess you haven’t
far end of the strip. seen the corpses in the woods.”
These planes were not going to Chandler said, “I found a town
return, ever. half a mile or so over there, noth-
ing in it but skeletons.”
work went on, and then “No, heavens, nothing that an-
it was done, or all but, and cient. These are nice fresh corp-
Chandler knew no more about it ses, out behind the junkheap
than when it was begun. The there. Well, not fresh. They’re a
last little bit was a careful check couple of weeks old. I thought it
of line voltages and a balancing was neat of the execs to dispose
of biases. Chandler could helo of the used-up labor out of sight
only up to a point, and then two of the rest of us. So much better
execs, working through the bod- for morale until Juan Simoa
. . .
ies of one of the Hawaiians and and I went back looking for a
the pilot of a Piper Tri-Pacer plain, simple electrical extension
who had flown in some last-min- cord and found them.”
ute test equipment —
and re- With icy calm Chandler real-
mained as part of the labor pool ized that the man was talking
— laboriously worked on the sense. Used-up labor: the men
flnal tests. who had unloaded the first
Spent, the other men flopped planes, no doubt —
worked until
to the ground, waiting. they dropped, then efficiently dis-
They were far gone. All of posed of, as they were so cheap
them, Chandler as much as the a commodity that they were not
others. But one of them rolled worth the trouble of hauling back
over, grinned tightly at Chand- to Honolulu for salvage. “I see,”
ler and said, “It’s been fun. My he said. ‘‘Besides, dead men tell
name’s Bradley. I always think no tales.”
for the Public Health Service. admired the practiced ease with
We sure knocked off a lot of rats which his body started the mo-
and fleas. I never thought I’d be tor, raced it with a critical eye
one of them.” He was silent on the instruments, turned the
Chandler admired his courage plane and lifted it off, up, into
very much. The man had fallen the rising sun.
asleep. “Oh, dear. You do need a
Chandler looked at the others. bath,” he told himself, wrinkling
“You going to Jet them kill us his nose humorously. “No harm.
without a struggle?” he demand- I’ve the nicesttub —
pink, deep
ed. — and nine kinds of bath salts.
The remaining Hawaiian was But I wish you weren’t so tired,
the only one to answer. He said, love, because it’s a long flight
“You just don’t know how much and you’re wearing me out.” He
174 GALAXY
was silent as he bent to the cor- one hopes for survival. He had
rect compass heading and hoped; and now he had survival,
cranked a handle over his head perfumed and cushioned, but on
to adjust the trim. “Koitska’s what mad terms! Rosalie was a
going to be so huhu’* he said, pretty girl, and a good-humored
smiling. “Never fear, love, I can one. She was right. There were
calm him down. But it’s easier worse things in the world than
to do with you in one piece, you being her companion; but Chand-
know, the other way’s too late.” ler could not adjust himself to
He was silent for a long time, the role.
and then his voice began to sing. It angered him when she got
They were songs from Rosa- up from the garden swing and
lie’s own musical comedies. Even locked herself in her room for —
with so poor an instrument as he knew that she was not sleep-
Chandler’s voice to work with, ing as she lay there, though her
she sang well enough to keep eyes were closed and she was
both of them entertained while motionless. It him
infuriated
his body brought the plane in for when she casually usurped his
a landing; and so Chandler went body to bring an ashtray to her
to live in the villa that belonged side, or to stop him when his
to Rosalie Pan. hands presumed. And it drove
him nearly wild to be a puppet
XII with her friends working his
strings.
66T OVE,” she said, “there are He was that most of all. One
worse things in the world exec who wished to communi-
than keeping me amused when cate with another cast about for
I’m not busy. We’ll go to the an available human proxy near-
beach again one day soon, I by. Chandler was that for Rosie
promise.” And she was gone Pan: her telephone, her social
again. secretary, and on occasion he was
the garment her dates put on.
Chandler was a concubine — For Rosalie was one of the few
not even that; he was a male execs who cared to conduct any
geisha, convenient to play gin major part of her life in her own
rummy with, or for company on skin. She liked dancing. She en-
the surfboards, or to make a joyed dining out. It was her
drink. pleasure to display herself to the
He did not quite know what to worshippers at Luigi the Wharf
make of himself. In bad times Rat’s and to speed down the long
176 GALAXY
We’ve got the whole work of Then she shook her head.
the island to do, and I do my “Never mind,” she said ap- —
share. We’ve got our plans to parently to herself. “Forget it,
make and our future to provide love. Go like an angel and fetch
for. There are so few of us. A us both some coffee.”
single H-bomb could
us all.kill
Do you think it isn’t work, keep- T IKE AN angel he went
ing that bomb from ever coming ^ not, he thought bitterly, like
. . .
his body taken. His lips barked: ing. He stood there frozen as she
“Khorashaw!” His body got up slipped it on his head. Sprung
and walked to the wall of Rosa- electrodes pressed gently against
lie’s room. A picture on the wall his templesand behind his ears.
moved aside and there was a She touched something . . .
178 GALAXY
pie.They were the sandbound. section of Oahu of its split-level
They were the creatures that debris. Chandler thought, and
crawled and struggled below, and looked for the girl in one of the
his tentacles lashed out at them. men’s eyes, could not find her,
Beside him floated another. hesitated and — floated. She was
The girl? It had a shape, but not hovering impatiently. This way!
a human shape —
a pair of great He followed, and followed.
projecting spheres, a cinctured They were a hundred people
area-rule shape. Female. Yes, un- doing a hundred things. They
doubtedly the girl. It waved a lingered a few moments as a
member at him and he under- teen-age couple holding hands in
stood he was beckoned. He fol- the twilight of the beach. They
lowed. fled from a room where Chand-
Two of sandbound ones were ler was an old woman dying on
ahead. a bed, and Rosalie a stolid, un-
The female shape slipped into caring nurse beside her. They
one, he into the other. It was as played follow-the-leader through
easy to invest this form with his the audience of a Honolulu mov-
own will as it was to command ie theater, and sought each other,
the muscles of his hand. They laughing, among the fish stalls of
looked at each other out of sand- King Street. Then Chandler
bound eyes. “You’re a boy!” turned to Rosalie to speak and
Chandler laughed. The girl ... it all went out the scene
. . .
180 GALAXY
\ \\ m¥4
r
,
' 1
'
1
Uw
rt*' •
•*-‘.» '^.N,
She was looking through some even after years, even now that
eyes, somewhere on the
clerk’s she was herself one of the god-
island. “You’ve got about a hun- like ones —“when something
dred and fifty so far. Takes time, took hold of me. I ran off the
doesn’t it? But it’s worth it in stage and right out through the
the end.” front door. There was a cab wait-
“How many ‘no’ votes?” ing. As soon as I got in I was
‘None.” She said gently, “You’ll free, and the driver took off like
never have but one, love, because a lunatic through the tunnel, out
that’s all it takes.” to Newark Airport. I tell you, I
He stared. The girl gook took was scared! At the toll booth I
up his hand and kissed it lightly. screamed but my —
friend let —
“One blackball’s enough, yes, but go of the driver for a minute,
never fear. Rosie’s on your side.” smashed a trailer-truck into a
police car, and in the confusion
"OESTLESSLY Chandler stood we got away. He took me over
up and made himself an- again at the airport. I ran bare
other drink. His head was begin- as a bird into a plane that was
ning to buzz. They had been just ready to take off. The pilot
drinking on her sun terrace since was under control . . . We flew
early afternoon. eleven hours, and I wore that
Rosalie came up beside him damn feather headdress all the
soothingly. “I know how you way.”
Want me to tell you about
feel. She held out her glass for a re-
when I went through it?” fill.Chandler busied himself slic-
“Sure,” he said, stirring the ice ing a lime for her drink. Now
around in the glass and drinking she was talking about her friend.
it down. He made another drink “I hadn’t seen him in six years.
absently, hardly hearing what I was just a kid, living in Islip.
she said, although the sound of He was with a Russian trade
her voice was welcome. commission next door, in an old
“Oh, that lousy headdress! It mansion. Well, he was one of the
weighed twenty pounds, and ones, back in Russia, that came
they put it on with hatpins.” He up with these.” She touched her
caressed her absently. He had coronet. “So,” she said brightly,
figured out that she was talking “he put me up for membership
about the night New York was and by and by they gave me one.
bombed. “I was in the middle of You see? It’s all very simple, ex-
the big first-act curtain number cept the waiting.”
when —
” her face was strained. Chandler pulled her down on
182 GALAXY
”
the couch beside him and made resistance in her body, but the
a toast. “Your friend.” coronet made it in doubt; she
“He’s a nice guy,” she said could fling him away from her
moodily, sipping her drink. “You with one touch of the mind. Yet
know how careful about
I am she didn’t do it —
getting exercise and so on? It’s “Vi myenya zvali?” his own
partly because of him. You voice demanded, harsh and
would have liked him, love, only mocking.
— well, it turned out that he
liked me well enough, but he be- ^^HE GIRL push him
tried to
gan to like what he could get away. Her eyes were bright
through the coronet a lot more. and huge, staring at him.
He got fat. A lot of them are “Andrei!”
awfully fat, love,” she said seri- “Da, Andrei! Kok eto dosad-
ously. “That’s why they need nor
people like me. And you. Re- “Andrei, please. know that
placements. Heart trouble, liver you are — I
184 GALAXY
ders, grunting, and ran with it they would go away again.
into the door, a bull driven fran- Chandler turned his back on the
tic, lunging out of its querencia paralyzed monster to flee. It
to batter the wall of the arena. would be even better to try to
The door splintered. lose himself in Honolulu if he —
Chandler was gashed with long could get that far —
he did not
slivers of wood, but he was in his own flesh know how to fly
through the door. the helicopter that was parked in
Koitska lay sprawled along his the yard or he would try to get
couch, eyes staring. farther still.
one and it isn’t me. Maybe he planned every step, in long detail.
186 GALAXY
over many years. Chandler for at Of course, there was the stand-
least a few moments had the by transmitter he himself had
freedom to battle the execs on helped to build.
their own ground, the freedom He realized tardily that Koit-
that any mourning parent or hus- ska would have made some ar-
band in the outside world would rangement for starting that up
know well how to use. by remote control.
Chandler also knew. He was a He put down the tool-kit with
weapon. He might die — but it which he had been advancing on
was not a great thing to die, mil- the racks of transistors, and
lions had done it for nothing paused to think.
under the rule of the execs, and He was a fool, he saw after a
he was privileged to be able to moment. He could not destroy
die trying to kill them. this installation —
not yet —
He stepped callously around not until he had used it. He re-
the hulk on the floor and found membered to sit down so that
a door behind the couch, a door his body would not crash to the
and a hall, and at the end of that floor, and then he sent himself
room that had once
hall a large out and up, to scan the nearby
perhaps been a message center. area.
Now it held rack after rack of There was no one there, no-
electronic gear. He recognized it body within a mile or more, ex-
without elation. It had had to be cept the feeble glimmer that was
there. dying Koitska. He did not enter
was the main transmitter for
It that body. He returned to his
allthe coronets of the exec. own long enough to barricade the
He had
only to pull one switch door — it had a strong-looking
188 GALAXY
XV He was Chandler the giant
killer, who had destroyed the
/"^HANDLER strolled out of the creatures who had destroyed a
^ TWA building, very tired. world, but he was all tired out.
It was dawn. His job was done. He poked at the filigree of the
He carried the coronet, the only coronet absently, as a man might
working coronet in the world, in caress the pretty rug which once
his hand. He had spent the night had been the skin of a tiger that
killing, killing, killing, and blood almost killed him. It was all that
had washed away his passions; he was left of the exec power. Who
was spent. He had killed every held this single coronet still held
exec he could find, in widening the world.
circles from the building where Of course, said a sly and trea-
his body lay. He had slit his sonable voice in a corner of his
dozen throats and fired bullets mind, the job was not really done.
into his hundred hearts and hun- Not quite. Not all.
for a coronet, and if it was there one to find enough of the instal-
the body was doomed; and he lations to be able to reconstruct
stopped only when it occurred to them.
him he wasn’t even doing that And then, said the voice, while
much any more. He had prob- Chandler stared at the dawn, lis-
ably killed some dozens of tening, what about the good
slaves, as well as all the execs in things the exec had done?
reach. And when he stopped the Would he not be foolish to throw
orgy of killing he had made one away so casually this one, unique
last search of the nearer portions chance to right every imaginable
of the island and found no one wrong the world might do him?
alive, and he had then realized Chandler went back into the
that one of the closest execs had building and brewed some strong
been Rosalie Pan. black coffee. While it was bubbl-
He knew that in a while he ing on the stove he slipped the
would feel very badly for having coronet back atop his head. Only
killed that girl (which could she for a while, he promised. A very
have been? The one with the little while. He pledged himself
shotgun in the mouth? The one solemnly that it would be just
5 Star Shelf
AN ASSUMPTION can seem mainly from FiiSF, that repre-
like fact merely by con- sent his closest approach to the
stant repetition. That this is star- fictional sphere since he took up
tlingly true has been demon- science popularization in earnest.
strated by Isaac Asimov in his Asimov has clearly had keen
latest book, the title of which enjoyment from taking certain
supplies the finest three-word de- stock assumptions from the rep-
scription of science fiction that I ertoire of the SF hack writer and
have yet seen and just barely subjecting them to keen scrutiny
lacks the snappy oomph that under the pitiless light of present
would entice a prospective mag knowledge.
scientific
publisher to gobble it up as the For example, one of the most
title of a new SF entry. glamorous settings used for years
Fact and Fancy by Asimov, has been, “The Planet of the
under Doubleday’s imprint, is a Double Sun.” How many stories
collection of speculative essays. have you and I read with this
190 GALAXY
background? Now along comes seen as a disk? A. Not more
Spoilsport Asimov and proceeds than a billion miles. Considering
to knock this exotic picture out that, even at the center of our
of our heads with hard facts. He galaxy, star distances average one
takes as example Alpha Centauri light year, the possibility of dou-
A, which is Earth’s twin in tem- ble sun systems of dear memory
perature, brightness and mass, is very dim indeed.
and which actually is the major Incidentally, how big is the ap-
partner in an existing binary sys- parent size of the moon as seen
tem. In terms of our solar system, from the earth’s surface? This has
Alpha Centauri B, the minor been tossed into many stories
partner, revolves in the orbit of also. The usual answer is given
Uranus, two billion miles out, so linearly and is therefore mean-
that even Saturn would be near- ingless. Astonishingly, a quarter
er to Athan to B. And since A dollar, which the mind conceives
has eight times the gravitational of as quite small, held at a dis-
attraction of B, no trouble should tance of nine feet, will just over-
arise from that score. Since the lap the full moon, the mental
diameter of B is 430,000 miles, image of which is quite large.
this would seem to provide the Bang! Another punctured illu-
Double Sun of the old-fashioned sion!
SF tale. Another startling demonstra-
But would B appear like an- tion of the tricks our senses play
other sun? It would not! Asimov on us is the actual count of eye-
does the arithmetic and finds that visible stars the jampacked
in
a diameter of 430,000 miles at a firmament of a perfect night in
distance of two billion miles sub- the mountains. “Millions! Bil-
tends an angle of 45 seconds of lions!” shouts Averageman, igno-
arc. To the naked eye. Sun B rant of the fact that there are
would be just about the appar- only 3,000 stars in both hemi-
ent size of Jupiter! The one small spheres of magnitude 6.5 or
feature redeemed from this rude brighter, the faintest star that
shattering of one of my favorite can be detected with the unaided
boyhood illusions is the fact that eye. Getting back to the moon, if
Sun B would be 150 times as at any particular time it were
bright as the full moon. But this to be removed from the sky, how
is still only l/3000th as bright many visible stars would it have
as Sun A. been obscuring? The odds are 33
Q. How close would a star the to 1 that removal would reveal
size of our sun have to be to be not one star behind it!
SHELF 191
The next sacred cow slaught- tances. Sirius, far brighter than
ered by Asimov’s merciless pen Sol, can be seen at a maximum
is the “familiar constellations” distance of 325 light years and
bit so familiar in space operas of Capella 850 light years. Of the
yore, including, I’ll bet a nine- stars visible from Earth, though,
foot quarter, Dr. Asimov’s own. the championship is held by
In deep space, our astronauts will Rigel, over 20,000 times as lum-
view over two and one half times inous as Sol. Rigel can be seen
as many naked-eye stars due to over a range of one-fifth the
the elimination of atmospheric width of the galactic lens, more
absorption of 30% of starlight. than 9,000 light years in any
All fine details of the “familiar direction. Asimov’s tear-filled
constellations” willbe drowned Astronaut could say, “Oh, well,
out by the light of thousands of you can’t see our Sun from here,
additional stars. but it’s pretty close to Rigel, that
In another chapter touchingly star over there, the one you call
titled “The Sight of Home,” Bjfxlpt.”
Asimov calculates the maximum As can be gathered from the
distance at which our future as- above, good Dr. Asimov has let
tronauts can lift their “tear-filled, down his hair as he has never
homesick eyes to the alien done in his other books aimed
heavens for a glimpse of home,” at a more general audience. He
This works out to sixty-five light is among his own science-fiction-
years at the absolute threshhold al friends and his free-wheeling
of naked-eye visibility. In fact, joy is apparent.
the Alpha Centauri system, our In another chapter that hits
closest neighbor in space, is the close to the home of most of us
only one from which Sol can be in this field, he attempts to an-
seen as a first magnitude star! swer the question invariably put
Thus, Sol can be seen at all from to him (and all other creators of
an absolute maximum of 1450 SF or fantasy fiction): “Where
near-by star systems. A lot, but do you get your crazy ideas?”
certainly a tiny handful in com- He never succeeds in pinning
parison with our galaxy’s total down an answer but en route he
population of a hundred billion develops some interesting
stars. thoughts on creativity and intel-
Further speculation then leads lectual breakthroughs such as
Asimov to wonder just how bright Darwin’s.
our sun would have to be to be I can think of no one better
seen at increasingly greater dis- supplied with such an assortment
192 GALAXY
of numerous and amazing facts, The little playlet, Pilot Lights
nor one better qualified to leap oi the Apocalypse, by the noted
lightly over the enchanted nuclear physicist, the late Louis
threshold dividing Fact from N. Ridenour, published only six
Fancy as the author of these months after Hiroshima, is one
seventeen “speculative essays’*. of the earliest and one of the
most effective warnings against
GREAT SCIENCE FICTION the possibility of push-button
BY SCIENTISTS edited by warfare that I’ve ever read.
Groff Conklin. Collier Books. Both J.B.S. Haldane’s The
CONKLIN’S INSPIRATION Gold-Makers and Julian Hux-
has given us a fine example of ley’s The Tissue-Culture King
flights of fancy by some of the are chase thrillers in which im-
most eminent dealers in fact of portant discoveries are prosti-
our time. It is more than a bit tuted to selfish ends. The Ulti-
startling to see some of these mate Catalyst by Eric Temple
names bydining a piece of fiction: Bell (John Taine) is also, but
J.B.S. Haldane, Norbert Weiner, it is an unashamedly commercial
Julien Huxley, Leo Szilard. piece from the Thirties.
Others have been top-ranking SF The stories by the pros
authors for years; Asimov, (Clarke, Asimov, Davis, Oliver)
Arthur CClarke, Chan Davis, are polished jobs that are fair-
Chad Oliver, the late Miles J. representative but unexceptional.
Breuer. Still others, when shorn In fact. What // . . by Isaac
.
SHELF 193
aversion usually reserved for mad maneuver that creates doubts
dogs. He remains oblivious to the concerning his courage.
true nature of the scientihc ad- Contact Service, a branch of
vances, attributing them to psi. Earth’s fighting Combat Service,
There is a semantic mixup con- is noncombatant and, more the-
cerning psi and psy, and the fu- oretically than actually, is re-
ture that his delighted precon- sponsible for initial (and prefer-
ceptions lead him to see is far ably peaceful) alien contact.
removed from the drab and Dickson makes his reader ab-
prosaic reality. sorbedly aware that service in
The author of Learning The- an organization dedicated to
ory, James McConnell, is a re- peace can require far more cour-
search psychologist. In his story, age than mere combat.
he rips to shreds one of the most Rating: ****
sacred tools of his profession,
the teaching and testing of lower THE SUPER BARBARIANS
animals by rewards and/or pun- by John Brunner. Ace Books.
ishment. In his remarkably un- BRUNNER'S SUPER-BARBA-
comfortable yarn that builds RIANS, as were the fouteenth
toward a high peak of frustration, century crusaders of Poul Ander-
he smashes the Learning Theory son’s delightfully tongue-in-cheek
by casting his hero, himself a The High Crusade, are conquer-
psychologist, in the role of the ors because of their employment
impotent lower animal under of captured ships and weapons
test. that are far beyond their true
Conklin has come up with an technological capabilities. Brun-
engrossing “idea” anthology. ner’s tale, however, is not a swash-
Rating: ****Y2 buckler. He picks up the narra-
tive thread some fifty years after
NAKED TO THE STARS by Earth’s defeat by the Vorrish and
Gordon R. Dickson. Pyramid draws a picture of conqueror and
Books “DORSAI!” by Dickson conquered that is deliberately
was a cracking good war story. reminiscent of the roles of Ro-
So is Naked to the Stars. man conqueror and Greek slave
Cal Truant, combat lieutenant, of millenia past, or the Mongols
rather than discover what hap- and the superior civilization of
pened during sixteen hours of the Chinese that ultimately en-
amnesia during combat, resigns gulfed the victors.
from active duty and enlists in Rating: ***
the detested Contact Service, a — FLOYD C. GALE
194 GALAXY
The BEMs in your neighborhood
won't run off with your books
if you put inside the front cover
FINAGLE SAYS —
The umpteenth corollary
of Finagle's General Law of
Dynamic Negatives says:
"No books are ever lost
by loaning except ones you
particularly want to keep."
BESTER'S BEST!
Have you read his famed THE DEMOLISHED MAN
? Lived in
its vividly real telepathic society, detailed so ingeniously and dra-
matically that, finishing the book, you’ll find it hard to believe that
society doesn’t exist— yet
CASE
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