"You took pictures!" yelled Garrison. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that before?"
"Johnny, they aren't much. Not the kind of pictures you'd take with the press cameras you have down there. Just a small ordinary tourist camera. I got two rolls of film, but I can't be sure there is anything worth looking at."
"Look, Frank, is there any way you can get those two rolls to us? Would you be willing to sell them?"
"Sell them? They're yours if you want them, Johnny. I'd like some copies of them, that's all."
"Don't be a fool," said Garrison. "Those films are worth money. A lot of money. If you'll let us have them, I'll get you, from this end, all that the traffic will bear. Is there any way you can get them to us? Anyone who would drive them down? I don't want you to bring them yourself. I would like you to stay right there until Kathy and Chet show up."
"There's a kid here who works part time at a gas station. He has a motorcycle. He'd get them to you the fastest, if he doesn't kill himself getting there."
"Can you trust him?"
"Absolutely," Norton said. "I give him work now and then, a few odd jobs every now and then. He's a friend of mine. ~
"Tell him there's a hundred in it for him if he gets them here before midnight. We'll hold up part of the press run to get the pictures in tomorrow morning's paper.
"I think the kid's at the station right now. I'll get in touch with him. He can find someone else, or I can find someone else, to man the pumps for him. Hell, I'll handle them myself if I have to.
"Are there any other newsmen in town? Any of the TV crews show up as yet?"
"I don't think so. TV crews I'd see. I suppose Duluth will be sending someone, but if they got here, they'd probably look me up. So far, there's been no one. The highway patrol has the roads sealed off fairly well. Not too many people have actually gotten into town. Some of them left their ears at the roadblocks and are walking in. The roads are clogged with ears. That way, a motorcycle is better than a car to get out of town. This kid I told you of will take to ditches, go across country if he has to."
"You'll do it, then."
"Almost immediately. If I can't get the kid, I'll get someone else. One thing, Johnny. How's the country taking it?"
"It's too soon to know," said Garrison. "I have a man out talking to people in the street. Going into bars, standing at theater entrances, catching people wherever he can, asking what they think of it. A man-in-the-street reaction story. Why do you ask?"
"I had a call from Washington. Army chief of staff, he told me. Said his name, but I don't remember it. A general, I do remember that."
"There's been no reaction so far from Washington," said Garrison. "They need time to get their feet under them. You still think it may be something from the stars?"
"It moved," said Norton. "It moved across the river and went a ways into the forest. It could mean it was alive, or at least a very sophisticated machine, or a machine operated by intelligence. People up here have no doubt. So far as they are concerned, it's a visitor from space. You should see it, Johnny. If you saw it, you might believe it, too."
The door to the office came open and a woman came in; following her was a man loaded with camera equipment.
"Just a minute," said Norton. "I think your people are here. They just came in the door."
He said to the woman, "Are you Kathy Foster?"
Kathy nodded. "And the man all loaded down is Chet White."
"Frank," said Garrison.
"Yes?"
"Let me talk with Kathy, please."
"Right," said Norton. "I'll get going with the films."
He handed the phone to Kathy. "Johnny's on the line," he said.
"Did I hear you say films?" asked Chet.
"Yeah. I shot two rolls before the thing moved across the bridge. While it could still be seen."
"It's not there any more!" wailed Chet.
"It moved. Across the bridge, up the road into the woods. It's too dark to see it. No way to get at it."
"You sending those rolls to Johnny?"
"I have a man with a motorcycle. He'll take them for me."
"That's good," said Chet. "A ear couldn't get through. These damn two lane roads of yours. I never saw such a snarl. We walked a couple of miles, I'd judge, to get here. The car's back there somewhere."
"See you later," said Norton, ducking out the door.
On the phone, Kathy was saying to Garrison, "It was awful, Johnny. Everyone is trying to get here. The cops have stopped them. The cars are piling up."
"Well, you're there now," said Garrison. "Hang in there. Get us what you can. Talk to people. Get reactions from them. How is the town taking it? What do they think it is? You know what we want."
"Johnny, did Jerry phone?"
"Jerry?"
"Dammit, Johnny, I told you before I left. Jerry Conklin. My date for tonight. I explained it to you."
"I remember now. I spread the word around. Just a minute."
Faintly over the line, she heard him bellow, "Anyone get a call from a guy by the name of Jerry Conklin? Kathy's date."
"Mumbling voices answered him while Kathy waited.
Garrison came back on the line. "No, Kathy. No one got the call."
"Dammit," said Kathy.
"Let me see," said Garrison, swiftly dismissing Jerry Conklin. "It's a quarter of eight now. We'll have to go with what we have on the first press run. Frank's been keeping us filled in. We know about the thing moving across the river. Phone me back in a couple of hours. Sorry about your being tied up on the road. Glad you got there."
"Johnny, what else is happening? Fill me in.
"The governor has about half the state patrol funneling in on Lone Pine. Closing off all the roads. He's put the National Guard on alert and standby. No one as yet has any idea of what is going on. Idea seems to be that this really is a ship from space, but no one can say for sure."
"If Jerry does call, you'll explain to him.
"Sure will," said Garrison.
"I'll phone you," said Kathy. "Wait a minute. I have a hunch the phone lines into this place will be jammed. Why don't you have someone use the WATS line to get in here by nine thirty or so. Keep trying if they can't get through. You have this number?"
"That's right. Will you have someone who can answer there and hold the line for you?"
"I'll get someone," said Kathy. "How much can I pay them? How's the budget on this operation?"
"As little as you can," said Garrison. "As much as you have to."
"All right, then," said Kathy. "I'll be in touch."
As she hung up the phone, Norton came in the door. "Jimmy is on his way," he said, "with the films. He got one of his pals to take over the station."
"That didn't take long," said Chet.
"I was lucky," said Norton. "Found Jimmy right away and there was this pal of his loafing around the station."
"We'll need one thing more," said Kathy. "Johnny will be calling back nine thirty or so. We'll need someone to hold the line for us until I get back here. The lines may be jammed, hard to get through."
"I think I have the man for you," said Norton. "I saw him just up the street. Old codger, name of Stuffy Grant. He'll do anything to get the price of a drink."
"Reliable?"
"If there's a drink in it."
"How much should I pay him?"
"Couple of bucks."
"Tell him I'll give him five. Impress on him he's not to give up the phone to anyone at all. For no reason, whatsoever."
"You can rely on him. He's got a single track mind. Sober now. He'll understand."
"I don't know what we'd have done without you," said Kathy. "That's all right," said Norton. "Johnny and I have been friends for a long time. Went to school together."
"There was a ear crushed under the thing that fell," said Chet. "Is it still there?"
"Far as I know," said Norton. "Patrolman is guarding it. Orders not to move it until someone shows up.