argely, worked by making waves like those on
a pond. They spread out and reached places where there were
instruments to detect them, and that was that. Radar made the same
kind of waves, only smaller, which bounced back to where there was an
instrument to detect them. These were ripple waves.
Lockley interpreted the term to mean sine waves, rounded at top and
trough. It was a perfectly good word to express the meaning intended.
These were natural kindsa waves, pursued the driver. Lightning made
them. Static was them, and sparks from running motors and blown fuses.
Waves like that were generated whenever an electric circuit was made
or broken besides their occurrence from purely natural causes.
"We can't feel 'em," said the driver expansively. "We're used to waves
like that. Animals couldn't do anything about 'em and didn't need to
before there was men. So when we come along, we couldn't notice 'em
any more than we notice air pressure on our skin. We're used to it!
But these scientists say there's waves that ain't natural. They ain't
like ripples. They're like storm waves with foam on 'em. And that's
the kind of waves we can notice. Like storm waves with sharp edges. We
can notice them because they do things to us! These Martians make 'em
do things. But now we know what kinda waves they are, we're gonna mess
them up! And I'm savin' up a special kick for one o' those Martians
when they're licked just as soon as I can find out which end of him is
which an' suited to that kinda attention!"
Lockley found himself suspicious and was annoyed. Jill was safe now.
This driver was well-informed, but probably everybody was
well-informed now. They had reason to become so!
The truck trundled through the night. High overhead, a squadron of
planes arrived to take its place in the ever-moving patrol around the
Park. Another squadron, relieved, went away to the southwest. There
was a deep-toned, faraway roaring from the engines aloft. All the sky
behind the trailer seemed to mutter continuously. But the roof of
stars ahead was silent.
Lockley stayed tense and was weary of his tenseness, Jill was safe. He
tried to reason his uneasiness away. The cab of the truck wobbled and
swayed. The feel of the vehicle was entirely unlike the feel of a
passenger car. It felt tail-heavy. The driver had ceased to talk. He
seemed to be musing as he drove. He'd asked about the invaders but
seemed almost indifferent to any adventures Jill and Loc
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