Carter stared in horror, hand covering his nose. Lathrop released the pressure on the trip, held the gun alertly.
“One of the things from space,” he said, his voice tense and hard. “One of the Evil Beings.”
Alf staggered down the room, like a drunken man.
“I just climbed through the window,” he mumbled. “I just climbed through the window—”
“How did you get in here?” Carter yelled at him. “Elmer has the city screened.”
“The screen,” said Elmer’s thoughts, “works only one way. It keeps you in, it doesn’t keep you out.”
Carter turned his attention to the mess upon the floor, trying not to gag. “He wanted something,” he said. “He came for something.”
“He came because he was afraid,” Lathrop declared. “There is something here those races are afraid of. Something they had to get at and destroy.”
Alf grabbed at Carter’s arm. “Charlie,” he whimpered, “tell me if it’s true. Maybe I’m drunk. Maybe I got them D.T.’s again.”
Carter jerked away. “What’s the matter with you, Alf?” he snapped.