Full back a little on his arm. It only has to come down once or twice
with that Cadillac-sized foot and we're squashed ants. He sang.

"To live and die in...."

The second brute appeared, lurched over and fell on the table, caught up
a flat trencher and skimmed it at them. It was as big as a bathtub.
"Drop!" cried Summersby, went to one knee, felt the wind of the
trencher's passing ruffle his hair.

The next door was closed. Summersby slammed himself flat against the
wall and Adam, cat-lithe and fast, scrambled up over him, stood on his
shoulders and broke the controlling beam. The aliens came down the room
like two epileptic furies. "Sing!" said Watkins. "Everybody!" The door
slid aside with maddening slowness.

"Try a fast one," said Mrs. Full. "'Blow the Man Down.'" It was a funny
suggestion, coming from her. Summersby actually chuckled as he started
to sing.

"As I was a-walkin' down Paradise Street...."

* * * * *

The third monster entered the dining hall, caught the full blast of
their five voices (Calvin Full was still out, but Villa was giving a
rum-tum-tum accompaniment), and sank to its knees, shaking its head as
though it had been sapped. One of the others made a desperate leap at
them, landing prone within a yard of Summersby. Melodies affect its
organ of equilibrium, he thought; poor thing's in agony. "I says to her,
Lollie, and how d'ye do...."

They were through the doorway now. The only pursuer still on its feet
was reeling after them, green rod still held in one shaking hand. Its
rust-red eyes were bulging out from their deep pits, and a thin trickle
of violet ichor came from its nostril. It made guttural, creaking
noises.

"Down at the end," said Watkins. "The brown box."

"Did you gimmick it?" asked Summersby.

"I think so. We have to take a chance. The main idea is easy. I guessed
at a few things, but I think it'll work. Unless one of our big pals
checked on it and mucked up my improvements."

It was twenty yards away; but so was the last of the monsters. Summersby
changed Full to his other arm and added his voice to the general clamor
for a bar or so, then asked Watkins the question that had been nagging
at him. "Can we all go? Or does somebody have to send the others?"

"I'll send you. I'm not too sure I can get through. The dials and
focusing lenses are on the outside, you know."

"I'll work it, then." They were at the table; he dropped Full and he