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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30454 ***
+
+   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.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blind Spot, by Bascom Jones
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30454 ***