"I ordered the men to break formation but to remain at thirty thousand and keep it in sight. I put my ship on auto-pilot--I carry a camera and I wanted to get some shots. I did, about twelve color pix, aiming directly at the thing. I couldn't possibly have missed." * * * * * General Brereton snorted and handed the developed prints to Saunders. Saunders examined each one, his brows lifting higher and higher. Finally he handed the pictures to the general and turned to Martin. "Those pictures are utterly blank," he said quietly. "They show nothing but blue sky and a distant horizon. How do you account for that?" "I can only say," Martin replied, "that the camera doesn't lie. I've taken too many shots with that camera not to know that it's in top condition. It couldn't--and didn't lie. _There was no flying disc in front of us._" "No!" The general frowned and sat up with a jerk. "First you tell us this story of an object darting and weaving about your formation--an object four men see and give chase. An object that led three good pilots to their death--and now you say there was no object!" "It's the only explanation I can give for the way in which Morelli, Ryan and Sayers hit that peak," Martin said patiently. "As I say, my ship was on auto-pilot. I was shooting away--and at all times, _that disc was directly in front of me_." He stopped and looked at the two to see if they caught the significance of what he'd just told them. They hadn't. "Don't you understand--the others kept up a running commentary, each saying that the disc was directly in front of him--and all the time, unknown to me--they were in a steep dive and simultaneously, they hit that peak at nine-thousand feet." There was another long silence, broken only by muffled sounds from the field outside--the chugging of fuel trucks, shouts of mechanics, the occasional crackling hum as a jet was fired up. "Then it is your contention," Saunders said, "That each of you was suffering from a hallucination--a mirage, in fact. A mirage which took the form of a flying disc and which caused three trained pilots to fail to notice that they were losing altitude and heading directly into a mountain peak. Is that what you're trying to say?" "It was not a mirage," Martin said. "It was a deliberately implanted impression." "Explain yourself," the general said hoarsely. He exchanged a swift glance with Saunders.