kley might
have had on their way out. He didn't ask what they'd done for food. He
was thinking of something else.

Lockley found himself questioning the driver's statements just after
they got in. Driving for the Army. The Army kept track of where the
terror beams existed, and notified this truck by truck radio, and he
dodged all such road barriers. That was what he said. It seemed
plausible, but--

"One thing strikes me funny," said the driver, musingly. "Those
critters blindfoldin' you and those other guys. What' you think they
did it for?"

"To keep us from seeing them," said Lockley, curtly.

"But why'd they want to do that?"

"Because," said Lockley, "they might not have been Martians. They
might not have been critters. They might have been men."

On the instant he regretted bitterly that he'd said it. It was a
guess, only, with all the evidence against it. The driver visibly
jumped. Then he turned his head.

"Where'd you get that idea?" he demanded. "What's the evidence? Why
d'you think it?"

"They blindfolded me," said Lockley briefly.

A pause. Then the driver said vexedly, "That's a funny thing to make
you think they was men! Hell! Excuse me, ma'm!--they coulda had all
kindsa reasons for blindfoldin' you! It coulda been part of their
religion!"

"Maybe," said Lockley. He was angry with himself for having said
something which was needlessly dramatic.

"Didn't you have any other reason for thinkin' they were men?"
demanded the driver curiously. "No other reason at all?"

"No other at all," said Lockley.

"It's a crazy reason, if you ask me!"

"Quite likely," conceded Lockley.

He'd been indiscreet, but no more. He'd said what he thought, perhaps
because he was tired of watching all the country round him for a
menace to Jill, and then watching every word he spoke to keep her from
abandoning hope for Vale.

Jill said, "Where are we headed for? I hope I can get to a telephone.
I want to ask about somebody.... He wants to tell the soldiers
something."

"We're headed for a army supply dump," said the driver comfortably,
"to load up with stuff for the guys that're watching all around the
Park. We'll be goin' through Serena presently. Funny. Everybody moved
out by the Army. A good thing, too. The folks in Maplewood couldn't
ha' been got out last night before the Martians got there."

The trailer-truck went on through the night. The driver lounged in his
seat, keeping a negligent but capable eye