He waited.
'It's a secret spy network-I'm sure of it,' I went on. 'I have plenty of evidence. Now, I don't want you just to take my word for it. I have a friend who's been helping me-'
His dark eyes went to Joel. 'This man knows of this, too?'
'Oh, he's not the one I meant. He just gave me a lift over. I've told him a little.' I chuckled again. 'But he says it's all in my head. I had a little accident some months ago-have a metal plate in my skull, as a matter of fact- But never mind that. My friend and I know better. These dogs-'
'You have seen them-often?'
'Well, every now and then.'
'And why did you come here-to the British Consulate?' he shot at me.
'I'm coming to that part. You see-well, actually, it's a little hard to explain. If I could just show you…'
I looked anxious-like a nut who wants to reveal the location of a flying saucer, but is a little shy about butterfly nets. 'If you could possibly spare the time-I'd like you to meet my friend. It's not far.'
He was still squinting at me. His fingers squeaked as he tensed them against the desk-top. I remembered Julius exhibiting the same mannerism-a nervous habit of the not-men when they had a decision to make. I could almost hear him thinking; it would be simplicity itself for him to summon the strait-jacket crew, let them listen to my remarks about intelligent dogs, and let nature take its course. But on the other hand, what I had to say just might alert someone, cause unwelcome inquiries, invite troublesome poking about…
He came to a decision. He stood, smiling a plaster smile.
'Perhaps that would be best,' he said. 'There is only one person besides yourselves-' he glanced at Joel- 'who knows of this?'
'That's right; it's not the kind of thing a fellow spreads around.' I got to my feet. 'I hope it's not too much trouble,' I said, trying to look a little embarrassed now. Flying-saucer viewers aren't accustomed to willing audiences.
'I said I would accompany you,' Clomesby-House snapped. 'We will go now-immediately.'
'Sure-swell,' I said. I scrambled to the door and held it for him. 'I have my car-'
'That will not be necessary. We will take an official vehicle.'
I showed him a sudden suspicious look. After all, I didn't want just anybody to see my saucer. 'But no driver,' I specified. 'Just you and me and Joel here.'
He gave a Prussian nod. 'As you wish. Come along.'
He led the way to the Consulate garage on the roof, dismissed the marine on duty, and took the controls of a fast, four-seater dispatch heli. I got in beside him, and Joel sat in the rear.
I gave directions for an uninhabited area to the northwest-Yerkes National Forest-and we lifted off, hurtled out across the sprawl of city lights and into darkness.
Forty-five minutes later, with my nose against the glass, I stared down at a vast expanse of unbroken blackness spread out below.
'This is the place,' I said. 'Set her down right here.'
Clomesby-House shot me a look that would have curdled spring water. 'Here?' he growled.
I nodded brightly. It was as good a place as any for what I had in mind. He hissed, angled the heli sharply downward. I could sense that he was beginning to regret his excessive caution in whisking me away to a lonely place where he could deal with me and my imaginary accomplice privately. He had wasted time and fuel on an idiot who was no more than a normal mental case after all. I could almost hear him deciding to land, kill me and Joel with a couple of chops of his jack-hammer hands, and hurry back to whatever zombies did in their leisure hours. The thought of caution didn't so much as cross his mind. After all, what were we but a pair of soft, feeble humans?
I thought of the arm he and his friends had cost me, and felt both fists-the live and the dead-clenching in anticipation.
Clomesby-House was either an excellent pilot or a fool. He whipped the heli in under the spreading branches of a stand of hundred-foot hybrid spruce, grounded it without a jar. He slammed a door open, letting in a wintry blast, and climbed out. The landing lights burned blue-white pools on the patchy snow, flickering as the rotor blades spun to a stop.
'Stay behind me, Joel,' I said quickly. 'No matter what happens, don't interfere. Just keep alert for the dog-things; you understand?'
He gave me a startled look. 'Are they gonna come here, Jones?'
'I hope not.' I jumped out, stood facing Clomesby-House. Behind me, Joel hugged himself, staring around at the great trees.
'Very well,' the not-man said, his black eyes probing me like cold pokers. 'Where is the other man?' He stood in a curious slack position, like a manikin that hasn't been positioned by the window dresser. Out here, with just two soon-to-be-dead humans watching, it wasn't necessary to bother with all the troublesome details of looking human.
I went close to him, stared into his face.
'Never mind all that,' I said. 'It was just a come-on. It's you I want to talk to. Where did you come from? What do you want on Earth?'
All the expression went out of his face. He stood for a moment, as though considering a suggestion.
I knew the signs; he was communing with another inhuman brain, somewhere not too distant. I stepped up quickly, hit him in the pit of the stomach with all my strength.
He bounced back like a tackle dummy hit by a swinging boom, crashed against a tree-trunk, rebounded-still on his feet. In the instant of contact, I had felt something break inside him-but it wasn't slowing him down. He launched himself at me, hands outstretched. I met him with a straight right smash to the head that spun him, knocked him to the ground. He scrabbled, sending great gouts of frozen mud and snow flying. He came to his feet, lunged at me, reaching I leaned aside from a grasping hand, chopped him below the point of the shoulder, felt bone snap. He staggered, and I took aim, struck at his head I hadn't even seen the tree that fell on me. I groped my way to my feet, feeling the blood running across my jaw, blinking my vision clear…
The thing shaped like a man came toward me, expressionless, one arm hanging, the other raised, hand flattened for an axblow. I raised my steel arm, took an impact like a trip-hammer, countered with a smashing chestpunch. It was a waste of effort; the thing's thoracic area was armored like a dinosaur's skull. It brought its arm around in a swipe that caught me glancingly across the shoulder, sent me reeling.
Joel was between us, huge fists ready; he landed a smashing left that would have felled an ox, followed with a right that struck the cold, smooth face like a cannonball. The creature seemed not to notice. It struck out, and Joel staggered, caught himself-and a second blow sent him skidding. Then the thing was past him, charging for me. Joel's diversion had given me the time to set myself. I caught the descending arm in a two-handed grip, hauled it around, broke it across my chest. I hurled the alien from me. Then, as it tripped and fell, I aimed a kick that caught it on the kneecap. It went down, and I stood over it breathing hard, as it threshed helplessly, silently, trying to rise on its broken leg.
'Don't struggle,' I got out between breaths. 'That wouldn't be logical, would it? Now it's time for you to tell me a few things. Where did you come from? What world?'
It lay still then, a broken toy, no longer needed. 'You will die soon,' it said flatly.
'Maybe; meanwhile just call me curious. Where's your headquarters? Who runs things, you or the dogs? What do you do with the men you steal-or their brains?'
'Information is of no use to the soon-dead,' the flat voice stated indifferently.
Behind me, Joel moaned-a thin, high wail of animal torment. I whirled to him. He lay oddly crumpled at the base of a giant tree, his face white, shocked. Blood ran from his mouth. I went to him, knelt, and tried to ease him to a more comfortable position.
Another cry came from his open mouth-a mindless cry of pure agony. I laid him out on his back, opened his jacket.
The front of his shirt was a sodden mass of bloody fabric. The thing's blow had smashed his chest as effectively as a falling safe.
'Joel, hold on-I'll get you to a doctor.' I eased my arms under him, started to lift.
He shrieked, twisted once-then went limp.
My hand went to his wrist, found a pulse, weak, unsteady-but he was alive. His eyelids fluttered, opened.
'I fell down,' he said clearly.
'I'll get you into the heli.' My voice was choked.
'It hurt my head,' Joel went on. 'But now it don't hurt…' His mouth twitched. His tongue touched his lips. The shadow of a frown came over his face.
'It tickles in my head,' he said. 'I don't like it when it tickles in my head. I don't want the dogs to come, Jones. I'm afraid.'
'The dogs?' I felt my scalp tighten. I twisted, staring into the forest, saw nothing. 'Come on, Joel; I'm going to lift you into the heli.' I put a hand under his back, half- lifted him. He screamed hoarsely. I lowered him again.
'It hurts too bad, Jones,' he gasped out. 'I'm sorry.'
'Where are the dogs, Joel?'
'They're close.' His eyes sought me. His tongue licked his lips again. 'I know-you got to go now, Jones. I'm sorry I yelled and all.'
I whirled on the broken man-thing. 'How far away are they?' I snapped. 'You called them; how long before they'll be here?'
It looked at me with the one eye that remained in its battered head, and said nothing. I kicked it in the side, sent the limp body skidding two yards.
'Talk, damn you!'
It merely looked at me, as impersonally as a morgue attendant taking inventory. Its gaze went past me; it seemed to be listening…
Then I felt it-the greasy, gray feeling of unreality that meant the demons were closing in. I keened my hearing…
I heard the lope of demonic hands galloping across frozen ground, brushing against brittle, leafless twigs, coming closer.
'You… gotta… hurry… up…' Joel's voice croaked. 'G'bye, Jones. You was… a good friend. I guess… you was… the only friend… I ever had…'
He was dying; I knew nothing I could do would save him. And a few feet away the heli waited, fueled and ready. I wanted to go.
But I couldn't do it.
'Take it easy, Joel,' I said hoarsely. 'I'm not leaving. I'm staying with you.'
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
