* * * *

In the two camera-cases Coburn was sure that he had the cryptic device
that was responsible for the failure of a cold-war raid. He wouldn't
have dared drive away from Dillon leaving these devices behind. If they
were what he thought, they'd be absolute proof of the truth of his
story, and they should furnish clues to the sort of science the Invaders
possessed. Show the world that Invaders were upon it, and all the world
would combine to defend Earth. The cold war would end.

But a bitter doubt came to him. Would they? Or would they offer
zestfully to be viceroys and overseers for the Invaders, betraying the
rest of mankind for the privilege of ruling them even under unhuman
masters?

Janice swayed against his shoulder. He cast a swift glance at her. Her
face was like marble.

"What's the matter?"

She shook her head. "I'm trying not to faint," she said unsteadily.
"When you told me he was from another world I ... thought you were
crazy. But when he admitted it ... when he proved it ..."

Coburn growled. The trail twisted and dived down a steep slope. It
twisted again and ran across a rushing, frothing stream. Coburn drove
into the rivulet. Water reared up in wing-like sheets on either side.
The staff car climbed out, rocking, on the farther side. Coburn put it
to the ascent beyond. The trail turned and climbed and descended as the
stony masses of the hills required.

"He's--from another world!" repeated Janice. Her teeth chattered. "What
do they want--creatures like him? How--how many of them are there?
Anybody could be one of them! What do they want?"

"This is a pretty good world," said Coburn fiercely. "And his kind will
want it. We're merely the natives, the aborigines, to them. Maybe they
plan to wipe us out, or enslave us. But they won't! We can spot them
now! They don't bleed. Scratch one and you find--foam-rubber. X-rays
will spot them. We'll learn to pick them out--and when some specialists
look over those things that look like cameras we'll know more still!
Enough to do something!"

"Then you think it's an invasion from space?"

"What else?" snapped Coburn.

His stomach was a tight cramped knot now. He drove the car hard!

* * * * *

In air miles the distance to be covered was relatively short. In road
miles it seemed interminable. The road was bad and curving beyond
belief. It went many miles east and many miles west for every mile of