002 2

ANC

APRIL, 1956 Z5<

LEGION OF LAZARUS

by Idmond Hamilton

IT ISN'T the dying itself. I lt's what comes before. The waiting, olonc in a room without Windows, trying not to thlnk. The opening of the door, the troices of the men who ore going with you but not ail the way. The walk down the corridor to the airlock room, the faces of the men, dosed and impersonal. They do not enjoy this. Neither do they shrink from it. •♦'$ their job.

This is the room. It is smali and it has a win-dow. Outside there is no friendly sky, no clouds. There is spocę, and there is the huge red cirtle of Mars filling the sky, look-ing down like an enormous eye epon this tiny moon. Bot you do not look up. Yoo look out.

There ore men out there. They ore quite naked.

The one garment you have wom is taken from yoo and the lock deor opens, and the fear that cannot possibly becomc greater does become great-er, and then suddenly-

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