PUBLICITY STUNT
By Robert Moore Williams
Illustrated by Joe W. Tillotson
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Other Worlds March
1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The orders were to build up Venus, make it sound like the gateway toParadise for the average Earthman—fog-flies, flying snakes and "tame"Venusians included.
"Just go right ahead and start chewing on me!" Molock briskly invitedthe Venusian, Shad Brisbee. "When you get a square meal, I'll get alunch!"
Rita Morgan didn't turn a hair at the challenge but I thought CaptainWilkerson, who was officially in charge of us, was going to faint."No, no, NO!" Wilkerson screamed. "Molock, you're getting us all intotrouble. You're—"
"Sheddap!" Molock said to Wilkerson. He turned again to the Venusian,Shad Brisbee. "You heard what I said. If you want to try to startcarving on me with one of those frog stickers you've got stuck in yourbelt, hop right to it. But remember, by Harry, while you're doing yourcarving, I'm going to be doing a little light whittling myself."
Except for the needle pistol in his pocket, Molock was unarmed. Liftinghands as big as hams, he looked Shad Brisbee square in all of theVenusian's eyes that happened to be turned toward him at the moment.Molock had the full attention of all six of those eyes. The expressionon Shad Brisbee's face indicated that if he had had six more eyes, hewould have been concentrating all of them on the antics of this madhuman.
Shad Brisbee was seven feet tall, he must have weighed close to 300pounds. Molock's six feet, 185 pound frame was a pygmy beside theVenusian. Shad Brisbee fingered the knives in his belt as if he wasconsidering accepting Molock's invitation, then suddenly spread hishands. Protesting sound bellowed out of him.
"But you 'ave landed right in the middle of our dancing ground!"
"Then by Harry! dance somewhere else!" Molock shouted.
I thought at first that Shad Brisbee was going to explode. He puffedhimself up until he looked to be eight feet tall. Indignation turnedhim green. Each of his six eyes turned yellow and he glared at Molockout of all of them.
"Molock, his dancing ground is sacred!" Wilkerson croaked.
"And to me, staying alive is sacred," Molock answered. "Which is thesacredest, my staying alive or his dancing ground?"
"But the way you're acting now, you're going to get us all killed!"Wilkerson screamed.
"Am I?" Molock answered. "Watch this!" He turned again to Shad Brisbee."Listen, you six-eyed baboon. We landed in the middle of your dancingground by accident but we're going to stay right where we are as longas we damn well please. Get it? We're going to stay here as long as wedamn well please. And neither you nor any other of your six-eyed tribeis going to do anything about it."
I was holding my breath. Wilkerson looked as if he was about to faint.Only Rita seemed to be enjoying this scene. Perhaps she had illusionsthat two brawny giants were battling for her, which was a big mistakeon her part. Shad Brisbee wouldn't have had her, or any other humanwoman, in his harem as a gift. If she was inspiring Molock to put onhis act, then maybe he was battling for her sake. I had the impressionthat if Wilkerson had thought that she was inspiring Molock to thisact, the captain would have drowned her in the nearest mudhole,publicity department or no publicity department. And I would havehelped hi