Part 13 (1/2)
He wrenched off his gla.s.ses. ”Here. Look through these.” Even without the gla.s.ses, Thurlow could see the thing's outline. It coasted along the edge of the hill-nearer . . . nearer.
Ruth put on the gla.s.ses, looked where he pointed. ”I . . . a dark blur of some kind,” she said. ”It looks like . . . smoke or a cloud . . . or . . . insects. Is it a swarm of insects?”
Thurlow's mouth felt dry. There was a painful constricting sensation in his throat. He reclaimed his gla.s.ses, looked at the drifting object. The figures inside were quite distinct now. He counted five of them, the great staring eyes all focused on him.
”Andy! What is it you see?”
”You're going to think I'm nuts.”
”What is it?”
He took a deep breath, described the object
”Five men in it?”
”Perhaps they're men, but they're very small. They look no more than three feet tall.”
”Andy, you're frightening me. Why are you frightening me?”
”I'm frightening myself.”
She pressed back into his arms. ”Are you sure you see this . . . this . . . I can't see a thing.”
”I see them as plainly as I see you. If it's illusion, it's a most complete illusion.”
The rainbow glow beneath the tubular legs had become a dull blue. The object settled lower, lower, came to a hovering stop about fifteen yards away and level with them.
”Maybe it's a new kind of helicopter,” Ruth said. ”Or . . . Andy, I still can't see it.”
”Describe what you see . . .” He pointed ”. . . right there.”
”A little mistiness. It looks like it's going to rain again.”
”They're working with a square machine of some kind,” he said. ”It has what look like short antennae. The antennae glow. They're pointing it at us.”
”Andy, I'm scared.” She was s.h.i.+vering in his arms.
”I . . . think we'd better get out of here,” he said. He willed himself to leave, found he couldn't move.
”I . . . can't . . . move,” Ruth whispered.
He could hear her teeth chattering, but his own body felt frozen in dull cement.
”Andy, I can't move!” There was hysteria in her voice. ”Is it still there?”
”They're pointing some device at us,” he husked. His voice felt as though it came from far away, from another person. ”They're doing this to us. Are you sure you can't see anything?”
”Nothing! A misty little cloud, nothing else.”
Thurlow felt suddenly that she was just being obstinate. Anyone could see the thing right there in front of them! Intense anger at her surged through him. Why wouldn't she admit she saw it? Right there! He hated her for being so obstinate. The irrational abruptness of the emotion a.s.serted itself in his awareness. He began to question his own reaction.