The Eyes Have It

McKimmey, James, 1923-2011

The Eyes Have It - 1 online resource : multiple file formats - Produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction November 1953. . - Produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction November 1953. .

Release date is 2009-11-09

Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

"The Eyes Have It" by James McKimmey, Jr. is a science fiction short story originally published in the early 1950s. Set on Mars, the narrative explores themes of identity, trust, and deception among a group of high-ranking officials who are tasked with ruling the newly colonized planet. The focal point of the story centers on the fear of a Martian imposter within their ranks, highlighting the tension between the colonizers and the native Martians. The plot unfolds in a tense dinner meeting led by Joseph Heidel, the President of the Superior Council on Mars, who suspects one of his five colleagues is a spy and a Martian in disguise. As the discussion intensifies, Heidel reveals a shocking method to expose the imposter: after adding a preserving solution to their wine that will illuminate the Martian's distinct glowing eyes in darkness, he plans to shoot out the candles one by one. However, the tables turn when Heidel discovers too late that all five of his companions are, in fact, Martians. The story concludes with an ironic twist as Heidel realizes his own peril, surrounded by those he sought to unmask. (This is an automatically generated summary.)



Science fiction Short stories

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