e of
Jill's safety, and that he'd been passed by the rushing mass of cars
and trucks that had evacuated everybody else. Then he said, "I've got
a car about four miles away. It's in a ditch, but I can probably get
it out. It'll be a lot safer for Miss Holmes if you send a helicopter
there to pick her up."

The reply was somehow military in tone. It sounded like a civilian
being authoritative about something he knew nothing about. Lockley
said, "Over" in a dry tone and put down the microphone. He picked up
the pocket radio and put it in his pocket. It might be useful.

"They say to try to make it out in my car," he told Jill wryly. "As
civilians, I suppose they haven't any helicopters they can give orders
to. But it probably makes sense. If there are some queer creatures
around, there's no point in stirring them up with a flying contraption
banging around near their landing place. Not before we're ready to
take real action. Come along. I've got to get you away from here."

"But I'm waiting...." She looked distressed. "He wanted me to leave
yesterday. We almost quarrelled about it. He'll surely come to make
sure I'm safe...."

"I'm afraid I have bad news," said Lockley. Then he described, as
gently as he could, his last talk with Vale. It was the one which
ended with squeaks and strugglings transmitted by the communicator,
and then the smashing of the communicator itself. He didn't mention
the puzzling fact that the communicator had stayed perfectly aimed
while it was picked up and squeaked at and destroyed. He had no
explanation for it. What he did have to tell was bad enough. She went
deathly pale, searching his face as he told her.

"But--but--" She swallowed. "He might have been hurt and--not killed.
He might be alive and in need of help. If there are creatures from
somewhere else, they might not realize that he could be unconscious
and not dead! He'd make sure about me! I--I'll go up and make sure
about him...."

Lockley hesitated. "It's not likely," he said carefully, "that he was
left there injured. But if you feel that somebody has to make sure,
I'll do it. For one thing, I can climb faster. My car is ditched back
yonder. You go and wait by it. At least it's farther from the lake and
you should be safer there. I'll make sure about Vale."

He explained in detail how she could find the car. Up this hillside to
a slash through the forest for a highway. Due south from an abandoned
bulldozer. Keep out of sight.