The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Smiler, by Albert Hernhunter

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Title: The Smiler

Author: Albert Hernhunter

Release Date: October 28, 2009 [EBook #30353]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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_Have you ever written science fiction?
Have your stories been rejected? Herein
may lie the reason._

The Smiler

By Albert Hernhunter

"Your name?"

"Cole. Martin Cole."

"Your profession?"

"A very important one. I am a literary agent specializing in science
fiction. I sell the work of various authors to magazine and book
publishers."

The Coroner paused to study Cole; to ponder the thin, mirthless smile.
The Coroner said, "Mr. Cole, this inquest has been called to look into
the death of one Sanford Smith, who was found near your home with a gun
in his hand and a bullet in his brain. The theory of suicide has been--"

"--rather hard to rationalize?"

The Coroner blinked. "You could put it that way."

"I would put it even stronger. The theory is obviously ridiculous. It
was a weak cover-up. The best I could do under the circumstances."

"You are saying that you killed Sanford Smith?"

"Of course."

The Coroner glanced at his six-man jury, at the two police officers, at
the scattering of spectators. They all seemed stunned. Even the reporter
sent to cover the hearing made no move toward the telephone. The Coroner
could think of only the obvious question: "Why did you kill him?"

"He was dangerous to us."

"Whom do you mean by _us_?"

"We Martians, who plan to take over your world."

The Coroner was disappointed. A lunatic. But a lunatic can murder. Best
to proceed, the Coroner thought. "I was not aware that we have Martians
to contend with."

"If I'd had the right weapon to use on Smith, you wouldn't be aware of
it now. We still exercise caution."

The Coroner felt a certain pity. "Why did you kill Smith?"

"We Martians have found science-fiction writers to be our greatest
danger. Through the medium of imaginative fiction, such writers