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diff --git a/28933.txt b/28933.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fe5cb42 --- /dev/null +++ b/28933.txt @@ -0,0 +1,644 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of One Out of Ten, by J. Anthony Ferlaine + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: One Out of Ten + +Author: J. Anthony Ferlaine + +Release Date: May 23, 2009 [EBook #28933] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ONE OUT OF TEN *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + _Television quiz programs with an aspect of having just staged a + raid on Fort Knox are very much in the news these days. Certainly + the prizes to be won are astronomical and the contestants scarcely + less so. Step right up, little lady and tell us why your eyes look + so strange! What's that? You want us to read this astounding science + fantasy documentary by J. Anthony Ferlaine first? Well--perhaps we + should play it safe while the flying saucer folk are watching us!_ + + + one + out + of + ten + + _by ... J. Anthony Ferlaine_ + + + There may be a town called Mars in Montana. But + little Mrs. Freda Dunny didn't come from there! + + +I watched Don Phillips, the commercial announcer, out of the corner of +my eye. The camera in front of me swung around and lined up on my set. + +"... And now, on with the show," Phillips was saying. "And here, ready +to test your wits, is your quizzing quiz master, Smiling Jim Parsons." + +I smiled into the camera and waited while the audience applauded. The +camera tally light went on and the stage manager brought his arm down +and pointed at me. + +"Good afternoon," I said into the camera, "here we go again with another +half hour of fun and prizes on television's newest, most exciting, game, +'Parlor Quiz.' In a moment I'll introduce you to our first contestant. +But first here is a special message to you mothers ..." + +The baby powder commercial appeared on the monitor and I walked over to +the next set. They had the first contestant lined up for me. I smiled +and took her card from the floor man. She was a middle-aged woman with a +faded print dress and old-style shoes. I never saw the contestants +until we were on the air. They were screened before the show by the +staff. They usually tried to pick contestants who would make good show +material--an odd name or occupation--or somebody with twenty kids. +Something of that nature. + +I looked at the card for the tip off. "Mrs. Freda Dunny," the card said. +"Ask her where she comes from." + +I smiled at the contestant again and took her by the hand. The tally +light went on again and I grinned into the camera. + +"Well, now, we're all set to go ... and our first contestant today is +this charming little lady right here beside me. Mrs. Freda Dunny." I +looked at the card. "How are you, Mrs. Dunny?" + +"Fine! Just fine." + +"All set to answer a lot of questions and win a lot of prizes?" + +"Oh, I'll win all right," said Mrs. Dunny, smiling around at the +audience. + +The audience tittered a bit at the remark. I looked at the card again. + +"Where are you from, Mrs. Dunny?" + +"Mars!" said Mrs. Dunny. + +"Mars!" I laughed, anticipating the answer. "Mars, Montana? Mars, Peru?" + +"No, _Mars_! Up there," she said, pointing up in the air. "The planet +Mars. The fourth planet out from the sun." + +My assistant looked unhappy. + +I smiled again, wondering what the gag was. I decided to play along. + +"Well, well," I said, "all the way from Mars, eh? And how long have you +been on Earth, Mrs. Dunny?" + +"Oh, about thirty or forty years. I've been here nearly all my life. +Came here when I was a wee bit of a girl." + +"Well," I said, "you're practically an Earthwoman by now, aren't you?" +The audience laughed. "Do you plan on going back someday or have you +made up your mind to stay here on Earth for the rest of your days?" + +"Oh, I'm just here for the invasion," said Mrs. Dunny. "When that's over +I'll probably go back home again." + +"The invasion?" + +"Yes, the invasion of Earth. As soon as enough of us are here we'll get +started." + +"You mean there are others here, too?" + +"Oh, yes, there are several million of us here in the United States +already--and more are on the way." + +"There are only about a hundred and seventy million people in the United +States, Mrs. Dunny," I said. "If there are several million Martians +among us, one out of every hundred would have to be a Martian." + +"One out of every ten!" said Mrs. Dunny. "That's what the boss said just +the other day. 'We're getting pretty close to the number we need to +take over Earth.'" + +"What do you need?" I asked. "One to one? One Martian for every +Earthman?" + +"Oh, no," said Mrs. Dunny, "one Martian is worth ten Earthmen. The only +reason we're waiting is we don't want any trouble." + +"You don't look any different from us Earth people, Mrs. Dunny. How does +one tell the difference between a Martian and an Earthman when one sees +one?" + +"Oh, we don't _look_ any different," said Mrs. Dunny. "Some of the kids +don't even know they're Martians. Most mothers don't tell their children +until they're grown-up. And there are other children who are never told +because they just don't develop their full powers." + +"What powers?" + +"Oh, telepathy, thought control--that sort of thing." + +"You mean that Martians can read people's thoughts?" + +"Sure! It's no trouble at all. It's very easy really, once you get the +hang of it." + +"Can you read my mind?" I asked, smiling. + +"Sure!" said Mrs. Dunny, smiling up at me. "That's why I said that I'd +know the answers. I'll be able to read the answers from your mind when +you look at that sheet of paper." + +"Now, that's hardly sporting, is it, Mrs. Dunny?" I said, turning to the +camera. The audience laughed. "Everybody else has to do it the hard way +and here you are reading it from my mind." + +"All's fair in love and war," said Mrs. Dunny. + +"Tell me, Mrs. Dunny. Why are you telling me about all this? Isn't it +supposed to be a secret?" + +"I have my reasons," said Mrs. Dunny. "Nobody believes me anyhow." + +"Oh, I believe you, Mrs. Dunny," I said gravely. "And now, let's see how +you do on the questions. Are you ready?" + +She nodded. + +"Name the one and only mammal that has the ability to fly," I asked, +reading from the script. + +"A bat," she said. + +"Right! Did you read that from my mind?" + +"Oh, yes, you're coming over very clear!" said Mrs. Dunny. + +"Try this one," I said. "A princess is any daughter of a sovereign. What +is a princess royal?" + +"The eldest daughter of a sovereign," she said. + +"Correct! How about this one? Is a Kodiak a kind of simple box camera; a +type of double-bowed boat; or a type of Alaskan bear?" + +"A bear," said Mrs. Dunny. + +"Very good," I said. "That was a hard one." I asked her seven more +questions and she got them all right. None of the other contestants even +came close to her score, so I wound up giving her the gas range and a +lot of other smaller prizes. + +After we were off the air I followed the audience out into the hall. +Mrs. Dunny was walking towards the lobby with an old paper shopping bag +under her arm. An attendant was following her with an armful of prizes. + +I caught up with her before she reached the door. + +"Mrs. Dunny," I said, and she turned around. "I want to talk to you." + +"When do I get the gas stove?" she said. + +"Your local dealer will send it to you in a few days. Did you give them +your address?" + +"Yes, I gave it to them. My Philadelphia address, that is. I don't even +remember my address at home any more." + +"Come, now, Mrs. Dunny. You don't have to keep up that Mars business now +that we're off the air." + +"It's the truth and I didn't come here just by accident," said Mrs. +Dunny, looking over her shoulder toward the attendant who was still +holding the prizes. "I came here to see you." + +"Me?" + +Mrs. Dunny set the paper bag down on the floor and dug down into her +pocketbook. She took out a dog-eared piece of white paper and bent it up +in her hand. + +"Yes," she said finally. "I came to see you. And you didn't follow me +out here because you wanted to. I commanded you to come." + +"Commanded me to come!" I spluttered. "What for?" + +"To prove something to you. Do you see this piece of paper?" She held +out the paper in her hand with the blank side toward me. "My address is +on this paper. I am reading the address. Concentrate on what I'm +reading." + +I looked at her. + +I concentrated. + +Suddenly, I knew. + +"Two fifty-one South Eighth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania," I said +aloud. + +"You see, it's very easy once you get the hang of it," she said. + +I nodded and smiled down at her. Now I understood. I picked up her bag +and put my hand on her shoulder. + +"Let's go," I said. "We have a lot to talk about." + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ November 1956. + 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. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of One Out of Ten, by J. 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