The LAST LAUGH
by BRYCE WALTON
The visitor from Mars was a first-rate howl.
Earthmen reckoned he was endowed with all the
qualities of all the greatest clowns in the history
of Buffoonery. Often though, the distance between
humor and terror can be too short to be funny.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories November 1951.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The scarred rocket rolled down street canyons away from United Nations City, wheeled toward Madison Square Garden between jam-packed, crazily-cheering millions of citizens from every nation on Earth.
Confetti snow drifted in colorful storm, wild faces shone through drifts of spiraling streamers. Signs floated everywhere. Neon signs blinked off and on. Signs floated from balloons across the kleig-lighted sky. Welcome hero signs. And even signs shouting:
WELCOME TO EARTH—ZEKE!