Page 101 - Astounding Pulp V2

JOO .'\STOl:X OJ XG SCJE::--:CE-FICTIO~ r~ THE O:\ Y OF THE COLD JOl
Co11li11ued /rum page 97 the other nhjccts that lay within. . ~ h<.' could carr\' in a cl th and pulk l
over the men in the South... H c gbn~ed
c-ylindci-. I le reached eagerly for one Pengo :,l<HJcl up, bristling. "This IS b~rk up over his houlcler. trcmblmg hilllsclf to the k \~el of the sn w. Cun· i
oi the flat m etal cans. lt was round mine," he ~aid. with fear. ''You . . . you will help l• ;111~, n·tre:\tcd :marlin from the ani-
Jike the Ba l I of F i re and the m etal shone. The man whirled, his smile yanish· llle get out of here-'' . mal he and the 'tr~rngcr had c.iten r.
fTc p1·icd the cover lollsc w ith his finge r- ing. "You're joking, brother!" The~ But the smell of bloocl w:i.:; hot 111 H e ~lung- the c:irc:t.'>S ewer his ~houlder.
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nail:,. .'\ metal reel lay ins ide. It was he saw Pen go ·s look. He saw the :- Pengo·s nostrils. hi:; own hlo<vl._ ~lus lc:wii:g ;om of the iu::-trumcnts fron t the
made of d ull w h ite mc.:tal per forated with 1 hat was hci1w raised over his head- man. a tranger, had disputed hi. n~ht cvlinder on the now. Thcr would I>
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holes. Th roug h t he holes P engo saw \ Vith a cry he twisted sideways. d to be master. His eye fell on the 111 - p-lcnt)' of time for what remai11c lat r.
bla ck stu ff wound in thin, tight layers. The blow went short. Pengo coul Slrument that looked like the l wo-hcadc_?
"Film ~" The S tra nger snatched the feel the strc1wth of it spending again:: hammer lying in the dirt. He picked it IT1s w ife's blue e\'c~ wi<lencd at th ·
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· r eel from the ca nister, his thin face rock. H e saw the tranger on . up. letting the cloth bottomed cra~llc wonckr of th~ thing ·when h cn.•pt b:ick
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e lated . " T ha\·c seen it. A few inches, feet still holding the metal can again hang by the cord. It was heaYy, hcancr to the soc! hut.
jn a musc.:u m ." H c ran it th roug h his him as he clawed the ax from his belt.d tha~ _any sling. He advanced lowly. " \\'here is the tr:wger ? .. :5hc a:::ked.
fi n gers, ho lding it to the light. "Give me that," Pengo said, a • whirling it around his head. " T _ lcw him... Ile Sal - .d br1·cA_". .. He
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I t w as thin, g lossy stuff like the g lass, vancing . ,, "D on't !" the man screa111cc . " ' rou wa - l ike all f hi kind .. , I k tossed the.:
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Pengo saw, only flexible. There were "You fool !" he yelled. "Get back--- are rny brother !" wood to the flo r and ga ve h · r the cl th
queer tiny p ictu res in t he little sq ua re Pengo drew hi:; arm back for a blO''.': Then the flailing thing struck him and the colored baubles.
s paces, a ll alike. I d I · )Ill against the side of the head.
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T he Stranger saw the boo - us_t )le "CI th ! .. sh ried .
R e beca me aware o f the S tranger sta r- eyes. \ \'ith sudde1~ despe:at~on. u . He spun backward. flinging the c:in ''J\fal c the fire." Pengo ord ered. H'
ing at h im, of the queer labor of the rushed at P en go, his ax fhcl,:ng .. j:. from him. It crashed on a rock, spe"·- rubbed his blunt. m ttnbed fingers.
man's breathing. "vVe have fou nd it, 1
ward T he blow caught Pengo s '' ·I ing the film out in great coils. P cngo he obeyed . but it was the cloth that
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Pengo." He sat back on his heels, a g ashing the flesh open. \lT'th a 110'' . fought the snarling stuff, cursing. ~he th
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look o f wonder in his thin, colorless Pengo dropped the ax, spnngmg '. Stranger made one last desperate effort had the wonder of her. he lee
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·er her bare ann
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face. " I t is th eir history on a film. We . d 't \\'I 111 woven stn ff n pp c o , . _
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ward. The Strange~· pmne b<Jlh to squirm aside. then Pengo was fr~e and put the string· of milk-wh ite_ baubk~
-w~ll know now wby the heat has gone." his foot drew it to him. He had of it. He put his foot on the man,s . cam e into he r
o
H e turned toward th e cylinder crreed in ' d I an11S neck where he lay. The Stranger s about her neck. C I 0 1 •
axes now.
t 1ere, ' .
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h 1s eyes. ' b . • • P en go stoo . I . cs n1 checks and her eyes flashed . _he pomtcd
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spread makmo- snarlmg annna no1s eyes rolled in terror, the saliva spew- to the {)iece of pape r in which Peng:>
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P en go saw the look. He stiffened, his his throat his little eyes g owmg ' as he! ing over his scraggly beard. "The heat ·\ Vhat 1::;
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n ostrils w idening. His voice was a waited for the attack. B ut it 1 1 - ,, I 1e choked. had wrapped the stones.
g rurnbling growl, deep in his chest. that ?" · ..
come. . " dO "You planned to. take these things.'' l ·I I "It is son1e of the,,
"This is n1ine," h e said. "I am mas- "Listen " the Stranger cried. 1 Pengo said. "Also my ,.,,ife. I saw I-r c ::wg :ec d .. smoothed it o u t
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ter ." > • y 111; ,J symbols. pnnte • He '·Now:
not want to kill you. ou are the it in your eyes." on the sod floor for her to see.
B'ut the S tranger did not hear him. brother . Vv e have the secret of . r Pengo beat him over the head until . ?'"
I-I e was feeling' of the cloth, touching heat: Soon we will have all the~ is not this a tht11g ·
. -t too·ethe i-. a t the
he no longer quivered.
They stared at 1 . 0 ed to
He stepped back finally, staring at the . 1 ·1-s which seem
meaning- ess mat" r l f the
short, two-headed instrument. It was dance and flicke<l in the ig 1t o
''I TALKED WITH GOD'' cracked open in a dozen places, a hol- smoking fire :
low thing full of coils and wires, useless
TiiVIE CAPSULE
temptuously.
( yes, I did-actually and literally) ger1i~ as a weapon. He threw it from l{im con- PLACED .BELOvV SITE O F
and, as a res ult of that little talk with God some ten You too -may find and use th e snme s1 ~;101! ~ But there were other weapons in the NE\V YORK
y e ars ago, a s trange new Po\ver came into my life. Powe r of the God-Law tbat ~ use. It cnn r ror J• ~ WORLD'S F AIR
.After 43 yea r s or J1orrible , s ickening, dismal failure, you too whatever things are right and propct p,ucll ~. cylinder. Knives of steel, exceecling·ly
this s ~rang~ Power brought to me a sense of. over- to have: Do you believe tbis? It won't cos ddrt>-~ sharp and strange-looking snouted things 1939
·whelJl'.!10:; vic tory , . and I have been overcoming every find out-just a p enny pos t-card or a letter, n Jdnlll
undes ir~ ble con<.li!1on of my life ever since. ~Vbnt a to Dr Fr:uik E Robinson, Dept. 8, Mosco"'• lPotlcf with handles to fit the hand and a ·1 d shruo·o·ed her shoulders.
change it was. N ow-I have c r edit at more than one . · . • · r of the most fnsc -~ I• She I aug 1e , oo . .
bank, I own a beautiful h om e drive a lovelv car, own will brmg you the sto Jnd the some Power J ~i,c\ll ring in which the finger curled. He "Tl Id read " she satd urunterest-
a n e w s p~pe r a.ncl a large offic'e building, an·u my wife s uccess of tl_1e century, , be glad to toll .-oil , tn\ 1ey cou , , . . . • . ...
and f a mily are amply provided for after I leave for h -t. 0 t o 1 11 ' bC = took the kniYes and the cloth, spilling
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snores unk.nown. In addition to these material bene- . ere 1: your u ~e • t ·u1is experience will It \' di , "but they died Just the same m:
tits, I bave a s w eet _peace in my life. I am happy as it. All mfornrnt1on aboU cJdress again-Dr. ]i'rnP 1'~• out everything that was ii! ~he bqxes, e ) • ' - b t ,e·
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nappy can b e.· No c 1r:c umstauce ever upsets µie, for I you _free, of course. The aw Idaho. Ad t cov1r and also . some of the bnght colored th e co . l\tfaybe we can t, u -.." re
have lear n ed how to draw upon the invis ible God-Law. Robinson, Dept. 8, Mosco • v •
under AD.Y and all circumstances, 1980 Frank B. Robinsoa. baubles for his wife. He tied as much .. here."