"Oh," Harry said. He seemed relieved. "You mean it can imitate sounds—like the swamp-buggy's motor?"
"Yeah," I said. "It can imitate sounds. And other things. It can look like a swamp-buggy or the video star Laura Laurene or maybe Talbot Kramer or even you. It's a mimic."
"What does it look like in real life?"
"No one ever saw one in real life. Only in real death."
"Very funny."
"No. I mean it, Harry. The Wompan assumes its own shape when its killed. If it's killed because that's rare. Then it looks like a shapeless, jelly-like mass of protoplasm."
"Then what's so dangerous about it?"
"It can mime anything. A swamp-buggy. A man. A blaster."
"A blaster?"
"It can make like a blaster and blast the hell out of you," I said. "It can make like a beautiful woman and then strangle you when you're at your weakest. It can—"