FEBRUARY Including Venture Science Fiction NOVELETS Against Authority MIRIAM ALLEN deFORD 20 Witness for the Persecution RANDALL GARRETT 55 The Mountains of Magnatz JACK VANCE 102 SHORT STORIES The Gadge System R. BRETNOR 5 An Afternoon In May RICHARD WINKLER 48 The New Men JOANNA RUSS 75 The Way Back D. K. FINDLAY 83 Girls Will Be Girls DORIS PITKIN BUCK 124 FEATURES Cartoon GAHAN WILSON 19 Books JUDITH MERRIL 41 Desynchronosis THEODORE L. THOMAS 73 Science: Up and Down the Earth ISAAC ASIMOV 91 Editorial 4 F&SF Marketplace 129 Cover by George Salter (illustrating "The Gadge System") Joseph W. Ferman, PUBLISHER Ed~mrd L. Fcrma11, EDITOR Ted White, ASSISTANT EDITOR Isaac Asimov, SCIENCE EDITOR Judith Merril, BOOK EDITOR Robert P. llfil/s, CONSULTING EDITOR The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Volnme 30, No. 2, Wlrolc No. 177, Feb. 1966. Plfblished monthly by Mercury Press, Inc., at 50¢ a copy. Aunual subscription $5.00; $5.50 in Canada and the Pan American Union, $6.00 in all other cormtries. Publication office, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, N.H. 03302. Editorial and ge11eral mail sholfld be sent to 3/7 East 53rd St., New York, N. Y. 10022. Second Class postage paid at Concord, N.H. Printed in U.S.A. © 1965 by Mercury Press, Inc. All riglrts inc/fl.ding translations iuto ot/rer la~>guages, resen•cd. Submissions must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed ent•ciBPes; tire Publisher assumes no responsibility for retlfm of uusolicitcd ma1111scripts. BDITOBIAL The largest volume of mail which crosses our desk each day is that which is classified in the trade as "the slush pile." This blunt term is usually used in preference to the one y11u'll find at the very bottom of our contents page, where it says, ". • • the Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts," but in both cases what is referred to is that vast bulk of stories which any editor must read: stories submitted by unknown, and usually non-professional, writers. No fiction magazine can hope to survive solely upon the regular submis­ sions of established writers or their agents. Normal attrition among writers will assure that. In writers, as in all professions, there is a continual turnover. And implicit in this turnover is the emergence of new writers. They come from the slush pile. For that reason, we scan each day's batch eagerly, looking for the next Robert Heinlein, James Blish, or A. E. van Vogt. And periodically we hit a Live One-a submission which is not merely purchaseable, but bodes well for the author's future. We've watched several new writers come up this way, battling rejection slips to finally find their way into our pages. We rejected over a dozen stories by Larry Niven before we enthusiastically bought his "Becalmed in Hell" for our July issue last year. Tom Disch followed the same route-and rubbed our face in it when he pointed out that we'd bounced a story of his we later admired when it was published elsewhere. These authors we count among our successes, but they are only a few of the new authors whose careers we helped launch. It is a rare issue of this Magazine when we do not have a "first" story by an author new to print, or new to our field. That being the case, perhaps you'd like to know how you might join these ranks. There are certain essentials, of course. Any issue of Writer's Digest will point them out to you. We ask that your submission be typewritten, double­ spaced, and not typed so faintly that we must 'iitrain in strong light to make it out. More important, your submission must have enclosed with it a stamped, self-addressed envelope in which we may return your manuscript if it is un­ suitable for us. Beyond that, there is nothing to do but to post your manuscript (the cheap­ est way being to mark it, "Contents: Manuscript-Special 4th Class Rate," which entitles you to the special rates of 10¢ for the first pound, 5¢ for each additional pound), and sit back and wait. And next issue we'll tell you exactly what happens while you're wait- ing • • • -TED WHITE This story, and the cover painting which accompanies it, mark a reunion of sorts. The artist, George Salter, created the design for this magazine as well as many of its early covers. The stories of R. Bretnor appeared here often in the early 50s, less frequently than we would like in recent yoors. This story, about Joe Cadge's whirlwind trip to the Mysterious East, may awaken some pangs of nostalgia for older readers, and wiU be fun for all. THE GADGE SYSTEM by R. Bretnor WHEN MR. BuLsTRODE HEARD SUPER-EXECUTIVE WIDE­ that Joe Gadge was going to Bur­ STRIDE in chrome on the hood, ma, he sent for him right away. like this year it says CLASSY­ He offered him a seat, and passed FLEX only twice as big, and you'll him a cigar out of the box on his only have to use two rivets on it desk. "What's this I hear, Joe?" he instead of three. Too bad you'll be said. "The boys tell me you're missing out on it, Joe. You've leaving us." been on Assembly Station 32-A a "Uh-huh," said Joe, biting the longtime." end off the cigar and feeling to see "Eleven years straight," said if his copy of Slithery Jungle Sto­ Joe, "not countin' Korea-and ries was still in the pocket of his then the army only got me as far coveralls. as St. Paul. I wasn't lucky like "I sure hate to see you go-" Herman Slotterbeck. He went ev­ Mr. Bulstrode sounded really dis­ erywhere." appointed. "-especially now, 'Well, travel while you can, I with the new Eight all ready to always say. I suppose you've land­ come out. It'll say 5 50-H.P. ed a good job in Burma?" 5 6 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION "Job?" Joe looked puzzled. for dacoits all the time. Boy, are 'What job?" they mean! Once they know you Mr. Bulstrode looked puzzled got a ruby, they climb right in too. "Your job in Burma. I guess your bedroom window. Before you you'll make pretty good money know it, you're strangled with a there?" silken cord-phht! like that!" He Joe ran a big hand over his stuck his tongue out and rolled his crewcut. "I got money. I got eight­ eyes, and Mr. Bulstrode swallow­ een hundred bucks. Uncle Morton ing hard, began to inch his hand to­ died." ward the button that called his Mr. Bulstrode frowned. ":But if secretary. you haven't a job in Burma, why "Well," said Joe, starting to get are you going there?" up. "I got lots to do. If I was to "To get me a ruby," said Joe. tell Daisy goodbye, she'd likely "A what?" nix the whole thing. So I'm goin' "A great big ruby," Joe ex­ to write her a letter. I better get plained. "Out of an idol's eye. It's start-" this way, Mr. Bulstrode. I been go­ Mr. Bulstrode was out from be­ in' with Daisy two years now, and hind his desk in no time at all. she won't say yes, or no, or nothin'. "Too bad, too bad! Sorry you can't I figure I got to put up some real stay longer. But I mustn't keep competition-buy her a swell you." Reaching an arm around television set, and a mink coat, Joe's shoulders, he began walking and-" He blushed. "-and one him to the door. 'We'll be pulling of them new SUPER-EXECU­ for you, Joe. You just get out there TIVE WIDE-STRIDE Eights. So and find yourself an idol with a I'm goin' to find me a ruby I can million-dollar eye. That'll fix old sell for maybe a million dollars. Herman Slotterbeck, ha-ha! Yes, Because if I don't, Mr. Bulstrode, indeed." Mr. Bulstrode opened Herman Slotterbeck is goin' to the door with his free hand. "If beat my time sure. He owns a du­ there's ever anything I can do for plex and rents half of it." you, just let me know." Mr. Bulstrode ran his finger "Gosh, !VIr. Bulstrode, could around inside his collar. "Sure, you get the foreman to give Her­ sure," he agreed nervously. "You've man lots of overtime so he won't got to do something. And Burma's see too much of Daisy?" just the place to do it. Nice place "Glad to, glad to." Mr. Bul­ to live, they tell me. Fine eli-" strode pumped Joe's hand up and "Oh, I don't figure on livin' down. "Have a nice trip. Take care there!" Joe broke in. "It's mostly of yourself. Goodbye." jungle, and you gotta watch out Almost before Joe could say, THE. GADGF. SYSTEM 7 "Gee, thank you, Mr. Bulstrode," he tried several times to start a con­ the door snapped closed, and he versation by whistling "On The was on his way to the time-keep­ Road To Mandalay." But the Eng­ er's office to draw his pay. lishman didn't recognize it, so he Naturally, he didn't realize that gave it up and went on with the Mr. Bulstrode thought he was third installment of "Doctor Krish­ plain nuts.