The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dictator, by Milton Lesser

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Title: The Dictator

Author: Milton Lesser

Release Date: April 25, 2010 [EBook #32134]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and
Fantasy January 1955. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence
that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

THE DICTATOR

_By_

_Milton Lesser_

Ellaby's society was a perfect democracy, where all men were
equal. But some still wanted more personal attention, and
they got it, like--

* * * * *

Just looking at Ellaby, you could tell he was going places. He was
five feet nine inches tall and weighed a hundred and fifty pounds. He
had an I. Q. of ninety-eight point five-seven, less than four
hundredths off the mode. His hair was mousey and worn slightly long
for a man, slightly short for a woman. Back in High Falls, where he
was born, he was physically weaker than sixty percent of the men but
stronger than sixty percent of the women.

He had been in training since his twentieth birthday to assassinate
the Dictator. Ellaby was now thirty years old.

Dorcas Sinclair met Ellaby at the pneumo-station. She was too big and
strapping for a woman, but otherwise not unattractive with her
lusterless hair, slightly thick-featured face, small sagging bosom and
heavy-calved legs.

"I'll take your bags," she told Ellaby, and led him from the station.
She walked quickly, but not too quickly. You always had to find the
happy medium, thought Ellaby. For Ellaby, finding the happy medium had
always come easy. Ten years ago, when Ellaby had been graduated from
the High Falls secondary school, the four words MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
had been printed under his picture in the yearbook. It was expected by