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Page 263
stories are exactly the same when a competent writer writes them." So I went ahead, but it was with a broken spirit.
Gunn: And then of course eventually it was sold to Galaxy, wasn't it?
A.: Yes, it was. But I don't know what I originally intended to do all I know is that when I got to the middle point, I tried desperately to make it as unlike "Who Goes There?" as possible, and probably would have abandoned the story, but it had been ordered by Gold. He had asked me to write a story for his first issue and I did "Darwinian Pool Room," which is a very poor story, and he took it, because he had to have a story for that first issue, there was a hole that had to be filled. And I felt very guilty, because I knew it was a poor story, and so he said, would you write me another one, and I was determined to write this other one, no matter what. And then my heart broke in the middle when I realized what I was doing, but I had to keep on writing anyway, instead of tearing it up. And so I don't remember what I had originally planned, but it's a very atypical story.
Gunn: But the little multipliers in the darkness were supposed to be bacteria?
A.: Well, not necessarily, they could be anything. They can infect bacteria, but they can also infect human beings.
Gunn: Well, green patches certainly could, but I was wondering about the meaning.
A.: Oh, I see what you mean. You're talking about the significance.
Gunn: At the end you comment about the "little multipliers in the darkness. . . ."
A.: I forgot that. . . .
Gunn: I presume that the creature that was destroyed nevertheless had stimulated within human bodies bacteria, the creation of bacteria, which were products of the green patches, and now although it had been wiped out, the people were going to go ahead on to earth carrying the seeds of their destruction, and probably the destruction of life on Earth, within their bodies.
A.: Do you know . . . that's completely, I swear I never thought of that I'll have the re-read the story myself.
Gunn: I was wondering, now, what was it you meant by little multipliers in the darkness?
A.: I don't know, I'll have to reread the story. Oh my goodness, I didn't even recognize the phrase, frankly. When you said "little multipliers in darkness" I didn't know you were quoting me.
Gunn: Yes, it was a direct quote and the phrase is ambiguous and it's kind of strange, because I think most of your stories do not carry that

 
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