The garden was covered with a gloomy gray cloud layer. Even the "weather" was getting harder and harder to control.
The crew of starship Number Thirteen huddled around the fountain, staring into the water, trying desperately to ignore the snufflings, flappings, wheezes and growls coming from outside the walls. But occasionally, a scaly head would raise itself above the wall, or a pterodactyl or bat would flap overhead, and there would be violent shudders.
"I still think we should stop taking the Omnidrene," said Vera Galindez.
"If we stopped taking it," asked Brunei, "which would disappear first, them ... or the garden?"
Vera grimaced. "But we've got to do something," she said. "We can't even make them disappear at all, any more. And it's becoming a full time job just to keep them outside the walls."
"And sooner or later," interjected Lazar, "we're not going to be strong enough to keep them out...."
"Brr!"
"The snake! The snake!" screamed Marsha. "It's coming in again!"
The huge black head was already through a portal.