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   BLIND
 SPOT

   By BASCOM JONES, JR.

   Illustrated by KOSSIN


 _Everyone supported the Martian
   program--until it struck home!_


Johnny Stark, director of the department of Interplanetary Relations for
Mars' Settlement One, reread the final paragraph of the note which he
had found on his desk, upon returning from lunch earlier in the day.

His eye flicked rapidly over the moistly smeared Martian scrawl,
ignoring the bitterness directed at him in the first paragraphs. He was
vaguely troubled by the last sentences. But he hadn't been able to pin
the feeling down.

    _... Our civilization predates that of Earth's by millions of years.
    We are an advanced, peaceful race. Yet, since Earth's first rocket
    landed here thirteen years ago, we have been looked upon as freaks
    and contemptuously called 'bug-men' behind our backs! This is our
    planet. We gave of our far-advanced knowledge and science freely, so
    that Earth would be a better place. We asked nothing in return, but
    we were rewarded by having forced upon us foreign ideas of
    government, religion, and behavior. Our protests have been silenced
    by an armed-police and punitive system we've never before needed.
    Someday you will awaken to this injustice. On that day in your life,
    you have my sympathy and pity!_

Stark knew that the Settlement's Investigations Lab could readily
determine the identity of the Martian who had written the note. But he
hesitated to send it over. Under the New System, such troublemakers were
banished to the slave-labor details of the precious-earth mines to the
North.

Crumpling the note in sudden decision, Stark dropped it into the office
incendiary tube. The morning visi-report had shown that there were more
than 17,000 workers at the mines. Only five had been Earthlings. Let the
armed-police system find the Martian through their own channels. It
wasn't his job.

       *       *       *       *       *

A glance at the solar clock on the far wall reminded him there was still
time for one more interview before the last bell, so he impatiently
signaled his secretary to send in the waiting couple.

Ordinarily, he liked his work and time meant little to him. He had
jumped from interpreter to director in the ten years since the
department had been created. But this day was different.

Stark was to announce his engagement at the Chief's monthly dinner party
that evening and time had seemed to drag since his lunch with Carol.

When the door opened, he rose and nodded to the plump, freckle-faced
girl who entered. The girl topped five feet by one or two inches, but
she was no taller than the Martian man who followed her at the
prescribed four feet.

After the girl had seated herself, Stark and the Martian sat down. Stark
opened the folder, which his secretary had placed on his desk earlier.

"Your names are Ruth and Ralph Gilraut? And you want permission to move
into Housing Perimeter D?" It was merely a formality, since the
information was in the folder.

When the girl nodded, Stark placed a small check mark in the space
beside her name. Then he turned to the Martian.

The large, single red eye set deep in the Martian's smooth, green
forehead above the two brown ones blinked twice before he answered.

He spoke deliberately. "As is required of all Martians under the New
System, I have taken the name of one of the early Earthlings to write
and pronounce." The large red eye blinked again. "My wife would like
to move into Housing Perimeter D. By regulation, I respect her wish."

[Illustration]

Stark placed a check mark by the Martian's name. He wiped the smudge of
ink off his hand and said, "You both know, of course, that Perimeter D
is reserved for couples who have intermarried and are about to have
offspring?"

The girl and the Martian nodded, and the girl passed Stark a medical
report. Stark looked over the report and then made a notation on a small
pink slip.

He said, "This permit certifies that you are eligible to move from
Perimeter E to Housing Perimeter D. It also certifies that your husband
has no record as a troublemaker." Stark looked at the girl. "You
understand that you may visit your friends in Perimeter E, but, by law,
they will not be allowed to enter Perimeter D to visit you. And, of
course, the new law clearly states that neither of you may visit
Earthlings in Housing Perimeter A, B or C."

The girl looked down at her hands. Her voice was almost inaudible. "My
husband and I are familiar with the advantages and disadvantages listed
under the section pertaining to intermarriage in the new law, Mr. Stark.
Thank you."

       *       *       *       *       *

Stark rose as they left. For a brief moment, he thought he had detected
a sense of rebellion in their attitude. But that was not possible.

The new law provided equality for all. And his department had been
created to iron out relations between the two races--excepting
complaints originated by troublemakers for the purpose of weakening the
New System. In such cases, Investigations had stepped in and the Martian
or Earthling troublemaker had been sent to the rare-earth mines.

The reddish light filtering in through the quartz and lead wall of his
office showed that it was almost time for the last bell.

On the street below, shoppers were streaming out of the stores on their
way to the various housing perimeters.

Earthlings were climbing into their speedy little jet cars for the short
trip to the recently modernized inner perimeters. Martians were waiting
for the slower auto buses. The traffic problem had been solved, under
the New System, by restricting the use of the Martian-built jet cars to
persons living in the inner perimeters.

As Stark watched, a black jet car impatiently hurtled out of the line of
traffic, bowled through a crowd of Martians waiting for an auto bus, and
skidded to a stop at the curb in front of the building.

A tall girl got out. The red evening glow reflecting from her golden
hair, made her breathing globe almost amber. Male Martians and
Earthlings alike turned to stare in appreciation as she pushed her way
through the crowd to the building's compressor lock. Carol was that kind
of girl.

       *       *       *       *       *

Almost at the exact moment that Carol opened the door into Stark's
office, the yellow visi-screen of the vocal box upon Stark's desk
flashed on brilliantly and the Chief's booming voice filled the office.
The light from the screen picked up the highlights on the furniture and
gave a sallow, greenish cast to Stark's features. Carol stepped back
into the doorway to stay out of range of the two-way unit.

"Stark!" The automatic tuner on the box corrected to bring the Chief's
image in wire-sharp focus.

"Yes, sir?"

"About the dinner tonight. Just checking to make sure you're planning to
be there. We want a full turnout. An inspection team has come up from
Earth and we have two visiting dignitaries from Venus."

Stark nodded and waited for the Chief to say something else, but the
visi-screen blanked out.

Carol said, "That was Dad, wasn't it?"

Stark felt very depressed suddenly. "Haven't you told him yet?"

"No. He's been tied up with those inspectors all afternoon. And you know
how Dad is, Johnny. There's a right and a wrong time to tell him things.
Right now, he's only interested in hearing about Earth."

"But we're supposed to announce our engagement tonight at the dinner."
He shook his head. "We can't go on forever with just a few stolen
moments here and there, eating an occasional lunch or third meal
together in little out-of-the-way places."

Carol laughed, the youthful swell of her breasts against the soft,
spun-glass material of her blouse. "Don't worry so, Johnny! I'm a big
girl now. This is my eighteenth birthday. Dad's bark is much worse than
his bite. I'll tell him about us on the way home."

She moved closer to him, until he could feel the warmth of her body. He
could see the warm, damp indentation where her breathing globe had
rested against her shoulders and chest.

She asked teasingly, "What did you get me for my birthday, Johnny?
Something real nice?"

"What did you want?" Johnny asked her gently.

       *       *       *       *       *

And suddenly she wasn't teasing any more. She put her arms around him.
"Dad and my brother would say I'm crazy. But all I want, Johnny, is you.
Just you! You know that."

Stark had picked out her birthday present, but he wanted it to be a
surprise for that night. He said, "I already saw one of your presents. A
black jet car!"

"How did you know that?"

"I saw you drive up in it a few minutes ago."

Carol giggled. "Dad gave it to me. Did you see me plow through that
crowd waiting for the auto bus?"

"Did your brother send you anything?"

She nodded. "Three new outfits from Earth. They were on the same liner
that brought the inspection team to the Settlement this morning. Oh,
yes, and the captain of the liner brought me this."

She showed him the tiny pin she wore attached to her collar. The pin
itself was a carefully wrought but cruel caricature of an awkward
buglike creature. A small ruby set in the center of its face served as
its eye.

Stark frowned. "Carol, you shouldn't be wearing that." He reached up and
unpinned it. "That's the sort of thing our department is fighting."

"But the captain said it was the latest rage back on Earth. They're even
making toys like it. I'm sure they're not designed to ... to poke fun at
anyone."

Stark started to say something, but the last bell interrupted him. He
said, "If you're going to take your father home and tell him about us
before the dinner, you'd better hurry. I'll come early."

Carol kissed him and said good-by. She left the pin on Stark's desk and
was smiling at him as she closed the door.

       *       *       *       *       *

After waiting until the first rush of workers had gone and the building
was quiet, Stark caught the elevator down. The overhead lights in the
compressor lock were reflected in the twin rows of breathing globes. The
green-tinted ones had to be used by Martians in the building, and the
clear ones were used by Earthmen when they were outside in the Martian
atmosphere. Stark stopped in at a little open shop down one of the many
side streets. The sign said "Closed," but he rang the bell until a
little, dried-up Martian appeared.

The storekeeper handed him a small box. Stark opened it to examine the
ring--Carol's birthday present. The single, large diamond set in the
thin precious-metal band dated back to an all-but-forgotten custom
practiced on Earth. Stark thought the engagement ring would please
Carol, though.

Standing in the compressor lock at the Chief's home later, Stark rubbed
the diamond against the sleeve of his tunic. He fumbled with his
breathing globe and then pushed the button that activated the door. The
tele-guard beyond the opening door scanned him rapidly. As he stepped
forward, a red light above the tele-guard flashed on and the door began
to close again.

Stark threw all his strength against the door and squeezed through into
the house.

Throughout the house, Stark could hear the alarm bell. A taped voice,
activated by the tele-guard, said, "Do not enter! Do not enter!"

He found Carol and the Chief in the library alone. Nearly purple with
rage, the Chief drew himself up to his full six feet.

The Chief bellowed, "Stark! Are you crazy?"

The growing feeling of sickness spread through Stark.

"Who do you think you are?" the Chief yelled. "Get back to your office
and consider yourself under arrest as a troublemaker. Give you people an
inch and you try to walk away with everything. Why, I wouldn't let you
touch my daughter if you were the last living being in the Universe!"

Carol didn't look up. She stood through it all, silently, without
moving. Stark knew now where his blind spot had been. He turned and left
them.

       *       *       *       *       *

Back at his office, he waited for the police. Stark stared down at his
reflection in the polished top of the desk. A yellow, moist film of
sweat covered his face. The red eye set in his forehead blinked. But the
pain visible just behind the surface of that eye was not over Carol or
himself.

The pain was for what he was seeing for the first time ... now.

                                                   --BASCOM JONES, JR.




Transcriber's Note:

    This etext was produced from _Galaxy Science Fiction_ February 1955.
    Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
    copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
    typographical errors have been corrected without note.