“Just one more moment, Marge,” Spalding said softly. “And then you’ll be one of us.”
She pummeled against his chest with her fists in an impotent attempt at freeing herself. But he held her tight, feeding on her, consuming the substance of Marge Spalding and transforming it.
“Dave, what are you doing to me?” she whimpered. “Dave, I don’t understand this. Please let go. I—you’re hurting me—”
“Only a moment more before absorption. Then you’ll be part of us, Marge, you and me and Ted, and then soon the whole world—”
“Dave! No!”
She screamed, high, shrill, filling the entire room with her voice.
“Quiet, Marge,” Spalding said.
She screamed again, louder this time—but the scream came to an abrupt halt before it had reached its peak of volume, and died away.
“That’s all there is to it, you see,” Spalding said gently, a few moments later, when the transformation was complete. “A few moments while our organism absorbs yours—then the split, and a new Marge Spalding appears.”
The creature that had been Marge Spalding nodded. “It’s very odd, isn’t it? I remember everything I ever did as Marge Spalding, clear and sharp. But I’m not Marge Spalding any more, am I? I’m—something else. Part of you, Dave. And of Ted. And of all the members of the crew of Ted’s ship.”
“And soon everyone in the world, too. All merged into us.”
The form of Ted Kennedy came down the stairs. The spaceman stood at the foot of the stairs, taking in the scene.
“I see it’s all over. I waited to come down until you had converted her.”
“We’d better sleep now,” Spalding said. “Build up our energy. And then, tomorrow, every time one of us gets someone alone—”
“We convert him into us,” Marge said.
Kennedy nodded. “Simple. Quick. All this food waiting for us on this planet—billions of human beings we can convert. All ours!”
They gloated quietly, wordlessly for a moment. Then the doorbell chimed.
“At this hour!” the creature that had been Marge Spalding exclaimed.
“Answer it,” Kennedy said.
Spalding walked toward the door and opened it. A man in his middle fifties stood there, looking abashed and uncertain about having rung the bell so late at night.
“It’s Mr. Adams from next door,” Spalding said.
Adams said, in an apologetic voice, “Hello there, Mr. Spalding. I know it’s late at night, and I hope I’m not intruding—but I was just coming home from the movies, and as I passed by outside our house I seem to have heard screams, and I think they were coming from in here—”
“That’s right,” Spalding said calmly. “It was my wife Marge who was screaming.”
Adams blinked. “Mrs. Spalding? But you all seem so calm now—I mean, I guess everything’s under control—”
“Yes. Everything is under control,” Spalding said quietly.
“If that’s the case,” Adams said, “I guess I’ll just be going along on home, then. Sorry to have bothered you. Just that I thought you might be needing help—”
“We appreciate that very much, Mr. Adams. Wouldn’t you step in for a moment?”
“Oh, but it’s late, and you say everything’s under control—”
Spalding smiled. “All the same, if you’d come inside—”
“Yes, do come in,” Marge urged. “We’ll fix you a little nightcap.”
Adams hesitated doubtfully, wavering between his desire to be a good neighbor and his wish to get home and to bed. At length he said, “Well, just for a moment. I’ve always believed in being neighborly. Guess I’ll come in, if you’re nice enough to ask me.”
“We’re glad to have you, Mr. Adams. There—don’t stand in the hall. Come on in and close the door. This is my brother-in-law, Ted Kennedy.”
“How do you do,” Adams said, as Spalding closed the door. The little man looked around, suddenly confused. “Why—you all look so grim—”
Hands reached for him. Mr. Adams uttered half a cry of surprise before Spalding’s hand tightened over his mouth. The absorption began….
There was no stopping it. Mr. Adams was absorbed and transformed.
The hunger of the mimic of Altair VI was insatiable. Today, Mr. Adams; tomorrow, the universe….