A stranger was looking down at him, an ordinary-looking fellow of about thirty-five. "Easy, now, General Straut. You've had a bad spill. Everything is all right. I'm Professor Lieberman, from the University." "The driver," Straut said with an effort. "He was killed when the jeep went over." "Went ... over?" "The creature lashed out with a member resembling a scorpion's stinger. It struck the jeep and flipped it. You were thrown clear. The driver jumped and the jeep rolled on him." Straut pushed himself up. "Where's Greer?" "I'm right here, sir." Major Greer stepped up, stood attentively. "Those tanks here yet?" "No, sir. I had a call from General Margrave; there's some sort of holdup. Something about not destroying scientific material. I did get the mortars over from the base." Straut got to his feet. The stranger took his arm. "You ought to lie down, General--" "Who the hell is going to make me? Greer, get those mortars in place, spaced between your tracks." The telephone rang. Straut seized it. "General Straut." "General Margrave here, Straut. I'm glad you're back on your feet. There'll be some scientists from the State University coming over. Cooperate with them. You're going to have to hold things together at least until I can get another man in there to--" "Another man? General Margrave, I'm not incapacitated. The situation is under complete control--" "It is, is it? I understand you've got still another casualty. What's happened to your defensive capabilities?" "That was an accident, sir. The jeep--" "We'll review that matter at a later date. What I'm calling about is more important right now. The code men have made some headway on that box of yours. It's putting out a sort of transmission." "What kind, sir?" "Half the message--it's only twenty seconds long, repeated--is in English. It's a fragment of a recording from a daytime radio program; one of the network men here identified it. The rest is gibberish. They're still working over it." "What--" "Bryant tells me he thinks there may be some sort of correspondence between the two parts of the message. I wouldn't know, myself. In my opinion, it's a threat of some sort." "I agree, General. An ultimatum." "Right. Keep your men back at a safe distance from now on. I want no more casualties." * * * * * Straut cursed his luck as he hung up the phone. Margrave was ready to relieve him, after he had exercised every precaution. He had to do something fast, before this opportunity for promotion slipped out of his hands. He looked at Major Greer. "I'm neutralizing this thing once and for all. There'll be no more men killed." Lieberman stood up. "General! I must protest any attack against this--"