ld.

He had no conception of time from then on. He emerged only when
necessary to bring more food into his tent. He could still hear the
Nothing tapping and sucking in its ceaseless search for a flaw and he
made such emergences as brief as possible, wishing that he did not have
to come out at all. Maybe if he could hide in his tent for a long time
and never make a sound it would get tired and go away ...

Sometimes he thought of the cruiser and wished they would come for him
but most of the time he thought of the thing that was outside, trying to
get in to kill him. When the strain became too great he would draw
himself up in the position he had once occupied in his mother's womb and
pretend he had never left Earth. It was easier there.

But always, before very long, the bubble would tick or whisper and he
would freeze in terror, thinking, _This time it's coming in ..._

* * * * *

Then one day, suddenly, two men were peering under his tent at him.

One of them said, "My God--_again!_" and he wondered what he meant. But
they were very nice to him and helped him put on his clothes. Later, in
the cruiser, everything was hazy and they kept asking him what he was
afraid of.

"What was it--what did you find?"

He tried hard to think so he could explain it. "It was--it was Nothing."

"What were you and Horne and Silverman afraid of--what was it?" the
voice demanded insistently.

"I told you," he said. "Nothing."

They stared at him and the haziness cleared a little as he saw they did
not understand. He wanted them to believe him because what he told them
was so very true.

"It wanted to kill us. Please--can't you believe me? It was waiting
outside the bubble to kill us."

But they kept staring and he knew they didn't believe him. They didn't
_want_ to believe him ...

Everything turned hazy again and he started to cry. He was glad when the
doctor took his hand to lead him away ...

The bubble was carefully inspected, inside and out, and nothing was
found. When it was time for Green's replacement to be transferred to it
Larkin reported to Captain McDowell.

"Everything is ready, Larkin," McDowell said. "You're the next one. I
wish we knew what the danger is." He scowled. "I still think one of my
roustabouts from the engine room might give us a sane report six months
from now instead of the babblings we'll get from you."

He felt his face flush and he said stiffly, "I suggest,