The Friendly Killers
By S. M. Tenneshaw
How do you fight an alien race invisible
to Terran eyes? Particularly when you suspect
your enemy is really masquerading as an ally!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
June 1958
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"Mankind never learned where the Kel came from. They were, apparently, a remnant of some uncontacted island culture.
"The first hint the FedGov had of their existence was the sudden appearance of their strange silver globeships off Cadar. Sweeping down with not even an effort to communicate with the helpless inhabitants, the Kel desolated the entire planet. Other outlying worlds met the same fate.
"Then the FedGov rallied. A rigid defense net was set up, and the controversial compulsory conditioning laws enacted.
"But since the Kel maintained no fixed base of operations, it seemed impossible to strike any really damaging blow against them.