There was a horror in the creatures' very shapelessness. Flat, sprawling, like six- or seven-foot patches of dampness, they undulated over the floor in an erratic, wave-like pattern, closer and closer to Ross and the girl.
Tight-lipped, a step at a time, his arm about Veta, he drew back to the far end of the narrow room.
Fumbling in her shoulder-bag, the girl brought forth her vocorn pipe. Without a word, she began to play a strange, wailing tune.
As if by magic, the gulfers' wave-patterns lost their erratic touches. Now they moved smoothly, in a sort of hideously-rhythmic dance.
Beyond the barred door and the wheeled cage, Cheng laughed harshly. "That's it!" he jeered. "See who lasts longer, the girl or the gulfers! There's plenty of time!"
Veta's face paled. The smooth flow of her music grew ragged.
Instantly, the gulfers once again moved forward.
Ross drew back yet another step; threw the girl a quick look.
Her fingers, her hands, her whole body was shaking. Horror crawled in her eyes--but not for an instant did she lift them from the advancing gulfers, even though she swayed as if on the verge of fainting.
Ross held her close; braced her. But she only shook harder. Her piping had lost all traces of pattern, of rhythm. Far from halting the gulfers, it now seemed to draw them, incite them.
Beyond the barred door, Cheng laughed again in fierce, sadistic triumph.
Ross gripped Veta tighter. "Stop it, girl! Stop the piping!"
She gave no sign that she'd heard him. After a moment, he reached down ... pulled the pipe from her lips.
Now, for the first time, she tore her eyes from the hideous things on the floor. "No, no! Let me pipe! They'll come--they'll engulf us!"
Ross said gently, "They'll come anyhow. You can't stop them. So now it's time I tried."
"Yes. Just as soon as I tell you something."
Some of the blank horror left Veta's eyes. "Tell me--? What?"
Low-voiced, Ross said, "I don't want us to die with you thinking I'm Lewis Thigpen. That bracelet Cheng found was mine. My name's Stewart Ross, and I'm a Security Agent. Actually, Thigpen died of a heart attack before Tornelescu was killed. But whoever murdered Tornelescu doesn't know that. He's geared to go after Thigpen, because the catalyst formulas and notes use a code for ingredients, and Thigpen's the only one who knew it. So we figured a fake Thigpen would draw the killer out of hiding."