The Project Gutenberg EBook of Star Performer, by Robert J. Shea

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Title: Star Performer

Author: Robert J. Shea

Illustrator: Dick Francis

Release Date: March 22, 2010 [EBook #31736]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR PERFORMER ***

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Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from the September 1960 issue of If. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this
publication was renewed.

Star Performer

By ROBERT J. SHEA

Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS

_Blue Boy's rating was high and his fans were loyal to the
death--anyone's death!_

* * * * *

Gavir gingerly fitted the round opening in the bottom of the silvery
globe over the top of his hairless blue skull. He pulled the globe
down until he felt tiny filaments touching his scalp. The tips of the
wires were cold.

The moderator then said, "_Dreaming Through the Universe_ tonight
brings you the first native Martian to appear on the dreamwaves--Gavir
of the Desert Men. With him is his guardian, Dr. Malcomb Rice, the
noted anthropologist."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Then the moderator questioned Malcomb, while Gavir nervously
awaited the moment when his thoughts would be transmitted to millions
of Earthmen. Malcomb told how he had been struck by Gavir's
intelligence and missionary-taught ability to speak Earth's language,
and had decided to bring Gavir to Earth.

The moderator turned to Gavir. "Are you anxious to get back to Mars?"

_No!_ Gavir thought. Back behind the Preserve Barrier that killed you
instantly if you stepped too close to it? Back to the constant fear of
being seized by MDC guards for a labor pool, to wind up in the MDC
mines?

Mars was where Gavir's father had been pinned, bayonets through his
hands and feet, to the wall of a shack just the other side of the
Barrier, to die slow