you've got so much to say."

"I'm _trying_ to. I went back to the space-ship. The folks weren't there
anymore and I wanted to see what it was like."

"It isn't a space-ship," said Red, sullenly. He had nothing to lose.

"It is, too. I looked inside. You could look through the ports and I
looked inside and they were _dead_." He looked sick. "They were dead."

"_Who_ were dead."

Slim screeched, "Animals! like _our_ animals! Only they _aren't_
animals. They're people-things from other planets."

For a moment Red might have been turned to stone. It didn't occur to him
to disbelieve Slim at this point. Slim looked too genuinely the bearer
of just such tidings. He said, finally, "Oh, my."

"Well, what are we going to do? Golly, will we get a whopping if they
find out?" He was shivering.

"We better turn them loose," said Red.

"They'll tell on us."

"They can't talk our language. Not if they're from another planet."

"Yes, they can. Because I remember my father talking about some stuff
like that to my mother when he didn't know I was in the room. He was
talking about visitors who could talk with the mind. Telepathery or
something. I thought he was making it up."

"Well, Holy Smokes. I mean--Holy Smokes." Red looked up. "I tell you. My
Dad said to get rid of them. Let's sort of bury them somewhere or throw
them in the creek."

"He _told_ you to do that."

"He made me say I had animals and then he said, 'Get rid of them.' I got
to do what he says. Holy Smokes, he's my Dad."

Some of the panic left Slim's heart. It was a thoroughly legalistic way
out. "Well, let's do it right now, then, before they find out. Oh,
golly, if they find out, will we be in trouble!"

They broke into a run toward the barn, unspeakable visions in their
minds.

IX

It was different, looking at them as though they were "people." As
animals, they had been interesting; as "people," horrible. Their eyes,
which were neutral little objects before, now seemed to watch them with
active malevolence.

"They're making noises," said Slim, in a whisper which was barely
audible.

"I guess they're talking or something," said Red. Funny that those
noises which they had heard before had not had significance earlier. He
was making no move toward them. Neither was Slim.

The canvas was off but they were just watching. The ground meat, Slim
noticed, hadn't been touched.

Slim said, "Aren't you going to do something?"

"Aren't you?"

"You