"Well, you don't need the captain for that," snapped the sergeant. "Joe! Eddie! Get the wagon and go with this here--what's your name, mister?--and see that the guys that broke into his place are canned!" "I'm Ed Bronson," explained Ed. "But--" "That's all right," grunted the sergeant. "Joe and Eddie'll take care of you!" "But you don't understand," said Ed patiently. "These are invaders from another world." "Invaders from--what?" asked the sergeant, doing a double take. "They're just the beginning," said Ed. "If you manage to grab them others will be coming." "Eddie--Joe! Forget it. This is a Number Seven deal." * * * * * Joe and Eddie looked at Ed Bronson with an odd glint in their eyes. The sergeant looked down across the desk and said, "Now, Mr. Bronson, suppose you come with me to the captain's office and we'll talk to him." "That's fine," said Bronson. "You see, I'm not sure of what to do about it all." "Captain Norris will be able to help you," said the sergeant. "This way." He came from behind his desk and led Ed Bronson to the hallway door. He opened the door and stepped back, permitting Ed to go first. Ed found himself in a short hallway and started down it uncertainly. The sergeant followed him until he reached the proper door. "In there, Mr. Bronson," he said. Bronson did not make particular note of the fact that the desk sergeant had at no time been with his back to Ed. He opened the door and found himself facing an elderly wise-looking man who had the appearance of having seen, heard, and experienced, either first-hand or vicariously, every item of trouble, grief and sin in the list. "Captain Norris, this is Mr. Bronson. He has a bit of trouble. Thought you'd best hear about it." "Sit down, Mr. Bronson, and tell me about it," replied Captain Norris easily. "Well, sir, in the first place, I am an electronics specialist. It's--" "A scientist of some sort, is that it?" Ed nodded. "Most of us shy away from the name 'scientist' but that's about it," he said. "So you're a scientist?" smiled Norris. "Yes. And I was experimenting on a bit of radioisotopic phosphor, hoping to make a better, more brilliant television picture." "Has this all got to do with the people who are breaking into your home?" asked Norris. "Yes. That's how they got in." "I see. Then go ahead. No, Sergeant Foster, you stay because you may have to do something about this and it is best that you get your story first hand. It'll save time. Now, Mr. Bronson?" "Well, under the combined forces of the magnetic field and the electronic bombardment the phosphor vibrated. I half recognized the vibration. It was like a very faint whisper in another room that you can't quite understand--but you know that someone is whispering.