ly murderous blade. But the pain wouldn't
last long--a lot less than there would be under shock treatment, and
less pain. He'd read enough to feel sure of that.

Twice he braced himself and failed at the last second. His mind flashed
out in wild schemes, fighting against what it knew had to be done.

The world still had to be warned! If he could escape, somehow ... if he
could still find a way.... He couldn't quit, no matter how impossible
things looked.

But he knew better. There was nothing one man could do against the
aliens in this world they had taken over. He'd never had a chance. Man
had been chained already by carefully developed ridicule against
superstition, by carefully indoctrinated gobbledegook about insanity,
persecution complexes, and all the rest.

For a second, Dane even considered the possibility that he was insane.
But he knew it was only a blind effort to cling to life. There had been
no insanity in him when he'd groped for evidence in the coffin and found
it empty!

He leaned over the wash basin, his eyes focused on his throat, and his
hand came down and around, carrying the razor blade through a lethal
semicircle.

* * * * *

Dane Phillips watched fear give place to sickness on his face as the
pain lanced through him and the blood spurted.

He watched horror creep up to replace the sickness while the bleeding
stopped and the gash began closing.

By the time he recognized his expression as the same one he'd seen on
his father's face at the window so long ago, the wound was completely
healed.

--LESTER DEL REY

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Galaxy Science Fiction_ 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 Dead Ringer, by Lester del Rey

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEAD RINGER ***

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