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Including Venture Science Fiction Chameleon RON GOULART 4 A Miracle Too Many PHILIP H. SMITH and ALAN E. NOURSE 19 Slips Take Over MIRIAM ALLEN DEFORD 30 Olsen and the Gull ERIC S"I:. CLAIR 41 Carbonaceous Chondrites THEODORE L. THOMAS 47 Four Brands of Impossible (novelet) NORMAN KAGAN 48 The New Encyclopaedist II STEPHEN BECKER 74 Books AVRAM DAVIDSON 77 Elementary LAURENCE M. JANIFER and MICHAEL KURLAND 81 Science: The Haste-Makers ISAAC ASIMOV 91 The Deepest Blue in the World S.DORMAN 102 Inconceivably Yours WILLARD MARSH 109 The Star Party ROBERT LORY 117 A Crown of Rank Fumiter VANCEAANDAHL 124 F&SF M.twketplace 129 Cover by Mel Hunter (see page 90) Joseph W. Ferman, PUBLISHER Avram Davidson, EXECUTIVE EDITOll Jsaoc Asimov, SCIENCE EDITOR Edward L. Ferman, MANAGING EDITOR Ted White, ASSISTANT EDITOR The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Volume 27, No. 3, Whole No. 160, Set>t. 1964. Published monthly by Mercury Press, Inc., at 40t a copy. An11ual subscril'tio" $4.50; $5.00 in Canada and the Ptn• America" Union; $5.50 in all other countries. Publi cation office, 10 Ferry Street, CoKcord, N. H. Editorial aKd general moil shonld be sent to 347 East 53rd St., NI!VI York, N. Y. 10022. Second Cltus postage paid at Concord, N. H. Printed iK U.S.A. C 1964 by MercKry Press, Inc. All rights, including translations into other language•, resnv•d. Submissions must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes; the P11blisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts. Can readers help us with a perplexing problem? It has to do with Ron Goulart and his socially objectionable problem of submitting stories written on transluscent paper which is hard on the editor's eyes. We have repeatedly asked him not to, and have several times considered placing an embargo. All these efforts, however, have been stymied repeatedly by the fact that stubborn Mr. Goulart writes Good Stories . like this one about the glorious and trouble-shooting Chameleon Corps. "My advice to you," said the drunk anchorite, revealing the secret of life: "Take a good course in accounting . Avoid lawsuits . Don't drink to excess and make a formal will ..."" We would like to add, "And don't write on transluscent paper-but what's the use? CHAMELEON by Ron Goulart THE MIDDLE ROW OF VIEW every good man's respect." screens showed a half dozen Azeler added, "We put your file images of a wrecked man. Resting through one of PEO's personnel his palms on his backside, the brains, Jolson. You're not the best Chief stopped pacing the office man in the Chameleon Corps by and said, "I can't buy him." any means." Azeler, the Junior Chief, jerked }olson's dark eyes narrowed. his pale close cropped head in "For the last five months I've been agreement. "Too pathetic, not in the wholesale pottery business. heroic." Then yesterday CC recalled me for Slouched in a dark wing chair an emergency mission. You're free Ben Jolson said, "Which is why to request another man." you sent for a Chameleon Corps "You're all that's available in man?" these tense times," said Chief Prit Chief Prittikin said, "Can't you tikin. sit up straight during a briefing, "We're hoping," said Azeler, Jolson? After all, the Political "your notorious instability won't Espionage Office should command crop up on this assignment." Jol- 4 CHAMELEON 5 son's slump was making Azeler UD Chief Prittikin said, •Jt's a easy and he kept ab!lently throw shame so many martyrs end up ing his narrow shoulders back. looking so unattractive." ''Once on Peregrine you refused to 'Where is Cutler now?" }olson stop playing your role. It took six asked. Police Corps men to make you "In a sanitarium near here. We come back home to Barnum here." brought him in secretly from Pedra "I liked that part," said }olson. after his pardon came through." "Being the ruler of that jungle The Chief reached up and kingdom. I like outdoor work." punched the switch that cut off the "Later, on Murdstone, you spent pictures. "I can't stand too much two months being a baboon," con of him. He doesn't lift my spirits." tinued the Junior Chief. "He's not hero material," said "That was a mistake now that I Azeler. "So few heroes are. That's look back on it." where you come in, Jolson." "This," said Chief Prittikin, The Chief laughed with relief. pointing at the hollow looking man "Let's look at those pictures of F. on the screens, "is our problem at Scott Cutler at his trial." He threw the moment." another switch and the top bank "Can you become him'?" Azeler of monitor screens lit up and asked }olson. showed an assortment of younger, "Sure. You don't want him look upright Cutlers. "He was thirty ing that bad, though, do you'?" four then. A bit weak in the chin "Of course not," said the Chief. perhaps but I could buy that man ''That's the whole trouble." as a positive figure." "His name," said Azeler, "I go along," said Azeler. "Jol straightening so much that he was son, we want you to be the man standing up, "is F. Scott Cutler." Cutler might have been if he had "I read about him," said }olson. aged more gracefully and not suc ~Imprisoned on Pedra for six and a cumbed to prison conditions." half years. By mistake as it turned }olson stood and came up to out. Probably a frameup. Before study the images. "Isn't there a that he was a rising military man chance Cutler will recuperate on on the planet of Barafunda." Jtis own? Why not wait?" "Just look at him, though," said "It will take," said Azeler, "a full Azeler. Cutler was sitting in a cane year and even then we can't be chair in an all grey room mutter sure." ing to himself. His hands danced "A clean limbed, sturdy, posi gently in his lap and his shadow tive-looking F. Scott Cutler has to rimmed eyes blinked too rapidly. appear on Barafunda by this week "That's not my idea of a hero." end," explained the Chief. 6 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION His eyes on the moving pictures long time anti-zombie man," said of the former Cutler, Jolson said, Azeler, "will have a favorable in "Why?" fluence on Jennifer Crosby. His re "Barafunda, as you may know," turn to Barafunda and the attend said Azeler, "still uses reactivated ant parades, speeches and cere workers in many of its nonskilled monies will be onlv one of the as industries." sorted pressures that the Political "Zombies," said }olson. "That's Espionage Office has planned and right. Cutler got in trouble, in in various stages of operation." part, because he was against the "This weekend," said Chief using of zombies." Prittikin, sitting rigidly down, "a "There is still a strong pro reception celebrating Jennifer zombie faction on Barafunda," Crosby's first half year in office will said the Junior Chief. "The Presi be held in the capital of Bara dent of the United Territories is, funda. We're hoping she can be however, believed to be anti-zom pushed into making an anti-zom bie." bie statement at the reception." Jolson said, "That's that pretty "How tall is Cutler?" asked }ol girl, isn't it? The current Presi son, backing away from the view dent." screens. "Jennifer Crosby," said Azeler. "Two inches taller than you," ''Five feet five, 11 0 pounds, com said Azeler. "His weight should be plexion medium, hair auburn, pos about vours. It isn't of course be ture and muscle tone excellent, cause ~f his eating habits while a age twenty six, formerly President prisoner. For the purposes of your in Territorv #13. She won the masquerade we'll say he weighs presidency ·of Barafunda at last what you do." season's Seaside Political Festival. }olson frowned and shifted his She'll hold office for another two position slightly. Then he grew years." two inches. "About right?" "And you want Cutler," said Azeler, swallowing, said, "Fine. }olson, "to work on this President 1 never get used to you fellows, Crosby girl. Get her to come out though." He added, "Being chosen positively against the zombie for the Chameleon Corps must be trade." quite an elating thing." "We know she's considering the "I was twelve when I was almost immediate issuing of a tapped to start undergoing the proclamation against the whole conditioning and processing," said zombie industry," said the Chief, }olson. "At the time I guess I was striding over to his low grey desk. elated. My father arranged it. He "Cutler, as a now-hero and a was." He tucked his chin once and CHAMELEON 7 his face blurred and his features sleepbriefing and a quick course in quivered and shifted. Cutler's voice and background. Turning away Azeler said, "You You'll be on tomorrow's rocket to are aware of our central Keystone Barafunda, arriving on the morn government's reasons in this Bara ing of the day after. That will give funda business?" you a couple of days to work on "Sure. They want all the planets Jennifer Crosby before the recep in the Barnum system to have fully tion." automated factories and so on." "Be sure not to get in the way ]olson checked his new face with of our other pressure groups," said the images of Cutler. "Automation Prittikin.