gs braced under its bulging body.
Its multiple eyes were staring at the humans. And with its size must
have come a sense of power, for it seemed to Alan that the monstrous
insect was abnormally alert as it stood measuring its adversaries,
gathering itself to attack them.

Only a few seconds had passed. Confused thoughts swept Alan. This fly
with its growth would soon fill this room. Burst it; burst upward
through a wrecked palace; soar out, and by the power of its size alone
devastate this world.

He heard himself shouting, "Father, get back! It's too large! I've _got_
to kill it!"

Could he wrestle with it and hope to win? Alan edged around the center
table. He was bathed in cold sweat. This thing was horrifying! The fly
was already half the length of his own body. In a moment it might be
twice that! He was aware of Glora pulling at him, and his father rushing
past him with a bottle of liquid, shouting:

"Alan! Run! You and the girl, get out of here! Into the other room--"

Then Alan saw the things on the floor! His foot crushed one with a
slippery squash! Nameless, hideous, noisome things grown monstrous,
risen from their lurking invisibility in the drops of water! Sodden,
gray-black and green-slimed monsters of the deep; palpitating masses of
pulp! One lay rocking, already as large as a football with streamers of
ooze hanging from it, and squirting a black inky fluid. Others were rods
of red jelly-pulp, already as large as lead pencils, quivering,
twitching. Disease germs, these ghastly things, enlarging from the
invisibility of a drop of water!

The fly landed with a thud on the center table. The fumes of the
shattered bottle of chemicals were choking Alan. He flung himself toward
the monster fly, but Glora held him.

"No! Escape to the other room!"

Dr. Kent was stamping the things upon the floor; pouring acids upon
them. Some eluded him. The air in the room was unbreathable....

Alan and Glora reached the bedroom. The laboratory was a hideous chaos.
They were aware of its outer door opening, disclosing the figure of
Polter who, undoubtedly, had been attracted by the noise. He shouted a
startled oath. Alan heard it above the beating wings of the monstrous
fly. Things lurched at the opened door; Polter banged it upon them and
rushed away, shouting the alarm through the palace.

Dr. Kent was stammering, "Not the enlarging drug, Glora, child, the
other! Hurry!"

Alan helped Glora with the opalescent vial