This was true. Two of the strange beings had fallen to the sidewalk. The third came doggedly on, dragging one foot after the other until he went to his hands and knees. He remained motionless for a long time, his head hanging limply. Then he too, sank to the cement and lay still. The wailings from the north now took on a tone of intense agony--great desperation. After that came a yawning silence. * * * * * "They defeated themselves," the military man said. "Or rather, natural forces defeated them. We certainly had little to do with it." Nora, Frank, and Jim Wilson stood at the curb beside a motorcycle. The man on the cycle supported it with a leg propped against the curb as he talked. "We saw three of them die up the street," Frank said. "Our scouting party saw the same thing happen. That's why we moved in. It's about over now. We'll know a lot more about them and where they came from in twenty-four hours." They had nothing further to say. The military man regarded them thoughtfully. "I don't know about you three. If you ignored the evacuation through no fault of your own and can prove it--" "There were four of us," Jim Wilson said. "Then we met another man. He's inside on the floor. I killed him." "Murder?" the military man said sharply. "He killed a woman who was with us," Frank said. "He was a maniac. When he's identified I'm pretty sure he'll have a past record." "Where is the woman's body?" "On a bed upstairs," Wilson said. "I'll have to hold all of you. Martial law exists in this area. You're in the hands of the army." * * * * * The streets were full of people now, going about their business, pushing and jostling, eating in the restaurants, making electricity for the lights, generating power for the telephones. Nora, Frank, and Jim Wilson sat in a restaurant on Clark Street. "We're all different people now," Nora said. "No one could go through what we've been through and be the same." Jim Wilson took her statement listlessly. "Did they find out what it was about our atmosphere that killed them?" "They're still working on that, I think." Frank Brooks stirred his coffee, raised a spoonful and let it drip back into the cup. "I'm going up to the Chicago Avenue police station," Wilson said. Frank and Nora looked up in surprise. Frank asked, "Why? The military court missed it--the fact you escaped from jail." "They didn't miss it I don't think. I don't think they cared much. I'm going back anyway." "It won't be much of a rap." "No, a pretty small one. I want to get it over with." He got up from his chair. "So long. Maybe I'll see you around." "So long." "Goodbye." Frank said, "I think I'll beat it too. I've got a job in a factory up north. Maybe they're operating again." He got to his feet and stood awkwardly by the table. "Besides--I've got some pay coming." Nora didn't say anything. Frank said, "Well--so long. Maybe I'll see you around."