Star Ship on Saddle Mountain Read Online Free PDF

the room. Behind him.
Open the door and go outside.
"Like fun!" Charlie thought grimly.
Bracing himself, he knew he'd have to make it
fast—when he turned to get it. In one desperate move Charlie
whirled and flung himself down on the floor in the darkness, where
he knew the rifle would be. It took him only a second to grab it.
He laid there, very still, waiting for whoever it was to make the
next move. Then he heard the voice again, and it seemed dim and far
away.
Open the door and go outside.
His head pulsing from that first pained shock,
Charlie glanced about the room carefully now. Seeing no one at all,
he stood up. A quick check of the bedroom and the back porch and
the other room showed that he was all alone in the house. There was
no one there. His hands were shaky now, as he thought of that
voice, positive that he had heard it right behind him. Then the
same voice came to him again, distinctly, calmly, telling him to
open the door and go out. But the voice—it had no sound.
It—it was just in his head.
"It's like a—"
Charlie stopped his spoken words abruptly. He felt
chilled suddenly, all over. For the first time, he connected that
headache with the voice that wasn't a voice. In his mind now, he
could see, even feel, the three hooded figures who were standing
outside. And he wasn't even near the window! Shuddering again,
Charlie braced himself, even as the voice once more repeated the
words in his mind. He fought it hard this time. But it was in vain.
He heard it quite clearly, and he realized that there was no
hiding, no escape from that voice.
"Yes—I'll go," Charlie heard himself saying aloud.
"I'll go with you .. . whatever you say."
    Suddenly he felt quiet and at ease
all over. It was a good feeling, and he was no longer afraid. He
walked toward the barred door. Pausing a moment, he leaned the
rifle against the wall, under the turned-off water cooler. Turning
to the door, he placed a hand on the knob, then with his other hand
he slid back the heavy crossbar. With one push he shoved it all the
way back. Now he opened the door wide. Aware of what he was doing,
Charlie still couldn't make himself stop. He felt sure he must go out there
to the three black- hooded figures, for he had to do it. He
couldn't hold back.
Across the sandy, hard-packed yard and some
distance from the Shack, the three tall figures were standing
motionless, watching him. They made no move to come nearer.
"Wh—what do you want around here, strangers?"
The sound of his voice sounded shaky and alone in
the still night. They did not reply to him. Fear rising abruptly
within him, Charlie turned to go back inside the house. But as he
did he felt a quick tinge of that headache again. He stopped,
shaking his head to clear it.
Now come with us.
There had been no sound. Charlie stared at them,
wondering how he knew what they wanted him to do and why he was
powerless to understand their unspoken wishes. Whatever their
strange power was, they were using it on him. But most of all,
Charlie was surprised that he could get their thought impulses and
understand them. It scared him. He was actually able to hear or
feel their thoughts in his mind.
Starting across the yard toward them, Charlie felt
that he was forced to go along, though he didn't like the idea. His
mind was telling him to do it, to go with them, even though he knew
he didn't want to go. But he couldn't make himself disobey their
orders. He stopped for a moment, glancing back to the corral and
Navajo. The old horse was watching him, and as he looked back,
Navajo whinnied questioningly, as though to ask Charlie why he
didn't take him along, too. The plaintive whinny made the three
hooded figures stop, too, and turn around. They looked from Navajo
back to Charlie, and he clearly got their mental impulse.
That over there—whatever it is, tell it to come
with us.
There was something soothing now, something about
the way the thought impulses came to him. Charlie didn't want to go
with them, but