The Fourth Invasion | Page 2

lost, the property damage,
the business losses due to the panic, have not yet been fully determined;
but it makes the hysteria following the Fantafilm hoax very small
potatoes by comparison.
"You may withdraw now, gentlemen; this affair will be discussed at
greater length later, regardless of what the FBI decides. I had hoped
that the main culprit would try to save unwitting accomplices from a
measure of grief. That is all."
The seven students left Dr. Clayton's office in record time.
* * * * *
Professor Elton rapped the table for silence. "Gentlemen," he began,
"Dr. Clayton and I both extend our sincere apologies." He smiled wanly.
"Of course, that does not exonerate anyone from the charge of
gullibility. But Harvey Gale's confession has been fully confirmed by
the FBI, and you--and this University--have been cleared. The public
knows now that your testimony helped lead to the facts in the case.
"To me, the most interesting feature of this business is the fact that
Gale was able to put over this hoax, despite the fact that the public had
been taken in three times before. The Orson Welles scare rode on a
wave of war-hysteria; the Flying Saucer craze followed world war; the
Fantafilm hoax came when the world was still in dread of sudden
bombings. But the Gale Hoax--what can we call it but what is loosely
known as the continuing gullibility of human beings?
"We trust that this demonstration you have just observed will help you
to remember that while seeing may be believing, it's wise not to believe
until it has been established just what you saw."
* * * * *

In his private office, Dr. Clayton leaned forward over his desk. Or, to
be more exact, something that looked like Dr. Clayton leaned over the
desk. The face was impassive as marble, but, from out a slit in his chest,
a pair of black antennae-like feelers were vibrating into a framed
picture on the wall, from which the picture had been slid aside.
"Landing safely effected. Brief panic when several Terrestrials sighted
ships; all clear now. Full report, containing details on latest successful
persuasion of Earthlings that Martians or other aliens are imaginary,
will follow."
From the speaker beneath the desk came sounds of gasps, heavy
breathing, then shuffling footsteps. Clayton pushed the picture back
into place, then took off the skin-painted vest he wore, with the flat box
on its inside. He snapped a switch on the side of his desk.
"There; now they can't hear--if any are still hanging around."
Professor Elton looked at him bewilderedly. "I don't get it. After all the
risk we went to, to convince the public that there ain't no ghosts--as the
old saying goes--you arrange to have students hear you going into a
'report to the home planet' act. And you use a code they all know.
What's the point in undoing it?"
Clayton nodded. "It looks somewhat mad, doesn't it? Well ... the
Psychology Team was sure of the necessity. You see, more and more
humans remain unconvinced each time one of these hoaxes are exposed.
The unconvinced are sure that something fiendish is going on beneath
the surface, that the authorities--all kinds from civil to scientific--are
engaged in a vast cover-up. We can't prevent this belief; we don't know
how to keep it from spreading. So--the alternative is to direct it."
Elton nodded slowly. "I can see possibilities along that line--but just
what direction was this supposed to kind of bring about?"
"Why, obviously, if large-scale invasion from Mars is imminent--and
this is the belief that we're all catering to--then it follows that the
invasion hasn't already taken place. The two of us, and Harvey Gale,

will disappear shortly in one way or another, and gradually public cries
for effective planetary defense will mount.
"You know who will direct the defense."

Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from Future Science Fiction No. 30 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.

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