The Terrible Answer Page 3

indicating emotion by facial expression. Thus the last testwas necessary. If we could have judged the degree of fear previouslyinstilled, that last might not have been necessary."

  "Just as well to have a double check nonetheless," Dane said. "Look atthem! You'd think nothing out of the ordinary had happened."

  Larkin strode back to the table. "Glad we got it over with," he said."Now we _know_. Cleve can head back for Earth tomorrow. Initial supplieswill come to about twenty million, I estimate. The rest of us can stayhere and really drive these beggars. Get the foundations dug; get therock down from the hills."

  "A planet in glorious resurrection," said Dane, the poet of the group.

  "They've got the grave dug," Cleve observed. "They're waiting fororders."

  "Such cattle," Evans muttered.

  Larkin strode back to the grave. He pointed. "Him--body into the grave.Snap into it. We've got work to do."

  The Martians put the body into the grave.

  Then a tall, green man appeared behind Larkin. He put his arms aroundLarkin's body. Another Martian took the gun from Larkin's pocket.

  And they pushed the screaming Earthman down into the grave.

  Smith sprang to his feet. "For God's sake!"

  "Sit down, you fool!" Cleve hissed. "Do you want to die? We'vemiscalculated. Something's wrong."

  The big Martian was standing on Larkin. The others threw in the soil.Larkin, now beyond sanity, was gibbering like an animal.

  Smith sat down. The Earthman presented a frozen tableau. Soon thegibbering could no longer be heard and the big Martian stepped out ofthe grave.

  "Leave everything," Cleve whispered. "Get up very casually and walk backto the ship. Get inside it."

  "May God help us," Dane quavered.

  "Shut up! Act natural."

  They went back and got into the ship while the Martians stood patientlyabout waiting for something to happen. Their patience was rewarded whenthe ship arose on a great flaming tail from the surface of the planet.

  It was a sight worth waiting for.

  THE END

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _If Worlds of Science Fiction_ July 1952. 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.