top growing ... it's
horrible ..." Bill's words were disjointed and hysterical.

Carol stared at him. "Bill, _what_ are you saying?" Bill pointed mutely
to the shore. Carol rushed to the cockpit. She stared at the island. She
ran back to the cabin where Bill was sitting, holding his head in his
hands. She grabbed the binoculars from the bookshelf and turned them to
the island.

"Bill! It's ... oh no! The whole island looks as though it's covered
with ... fur!" She screamed.

Bill grabbed the binoculars and ranged the island with them. A quarter
of a mile down he could see small figures in the water, floundering
around, climbing aboard the two fishing smacks. All around, the black
and yellow mounds of fur carpeted the pretty green island with a soft
rug of yellow and black.

"Get the Coast Guard, Carol!"

"They called back while you were gone. They're sending a plane over
immediately."

"Call them, Carol!" Bill shouted at her. "Don't you realize what this
could mean? Don't you realize that something, only God knows what, has
happened to the cellular structure of this animal, has turned it into a
voracious plant-like thing that seems to grow and grow once it hits our
atmosphere? Don't you realize that today they're going to open that
satellite, that other one, in Washington? Suppose this is what happens
when living tissue is exposed to cosmic rays or whatever is up there.
Don't you see what could happen?" Bill was hoarse from fright and
shouting. "Smother everything, grow and grow and smother ..."

Carol was at the ship-to-shore. "What time is it, Carol?"

"I don't know. 5:30 I guess."

"They plan to open the ejection chamber at six. We've got to tell them
what happened here before they open it! Hurry with the damned Coast
Guard!"

"May Day! May Day! Coast Guard come in. This is the _Seven Seas_. Come
in and hurry!"

"Coast Guard to the _Seven Seas_. Come in."

Bill grabbed the phone. "Listen carefully," he said in a quiet
determined voice. "This is God's own truth. I repeat: This is God's own
truth. The remains of the dog we discovered last night have started to
grow. It is growing as we look at it. It has covered the entire island
as far as we can see, with fur. Stinking yellow and black fur. We've got
to get word to Washington before they open up the satellite. The same
thing could happen there. Do you understand? I must get in touch with
Washington. Immediately!"

There was no mistaking the urgency a