you. What happened is absolutely incredible—but it happened, and you're the only person who can give us any answers.”
“No comment,” Werner Karman said coldly.
“Oh, come on!” the other young man burst out. “This is the story of the year! There are reporters from some of the big papers looking all over for you; they're bound to find you soon. We're just local correspondents—so please give us a break. Why did you come to the Kozak place? Do you expect to find those witch kids over here?”
Mr. Deranian said quickly, “It happens that Mr. Kozak is an old friend of mine. He knows the country here, and we were hoping he could give us some help. Unfortunately, he's still away from home. Now if you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we must be going. This is an urgent matter, and we're not at liberty to discuss it.”
“But won't you give us a few clues?” begged the young man with the notebook. “They are not really kids, are they? Could they actually be witches? Or would you say they're something in human form from outer space? It's being said the Government captured them, and was holding them—I mean, trying to hold them—for study when they escaped. Is that true?”
“No comment,” said Werner Karman again. “Now please—”
“Just a moment, sir. Did you know they were shot at this morning? A farmer named Hogan over on Yellow Creek Road shot at them twice, at close range. He told us that if they'd been real human beings—”
“Did he hit them?” Mr. Deranian interrupted.
“He couldn't, and he's known to be a marksman. Hogan swears he saw the shot glance away as if he'd struck an invisible wall. There's no mistake about it, because those creatures were traveling with the bears when it happened, and Hogan's wife and brother both saw the whole thing.”
“What we'd like to know,” the other young man put in hastily, “is how dangerous they are. If they are dangerous, we think the public should be warned.”
“Sorry,” said Mr. Deranian, “but this is a Government matter. We are not allowed to discuss it. Our advice—and let it be a warning—is for everyone to leave them strictly alone, and give us a chance to do our duty.”
“But if you caught them, how would you hold them? If they can go through locked doors—”
“There are ways.”
Werner Karman said, “We've no more time for questions. Let's get moving, Lucas.” He slid into the car beside Mr. Deranian, and ignoring the protests of the two young men, drove around the smaller car and headed down the driveway.
The young man with the notebook said, “Let's give them a couple minutes, Bill, then follow them.”
“Guess we'd better. That's the only way we'll learn anything. Say, how would you hold a couple fugitives like that crazy pair, if they can open any lock?”
“Dunno, unless you doped them and put them to sleep. Say, do you see what I see?”
The two men were suddenly staring in the direction of the outbuildings.
“Good grief !” one whispered. “Those are Ben Purdy's bears!”
“Yeah—and you know what that means. We'd better catch Karman and tell him to get back here.”
Tony swallowed and glanced at Tia, huddled in silent misery beside him. As the two young men leaped into their car, he closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle.
WITCH TRAP
I t seemed to Tony that he had hardly finished his prayer before it was answered. As he opened his eyes he glimpsed the small car rushing down the drive. At this moment, distinctly, he heard his name whispered from some point beyond the far corner of the house.
“Tony?” came the whisper. “Tony? If you can hear me, don't reply—other ears are listening. Just send me a sign. This is Father O'Day.” A moment's pause, then urgently, “Hurry—there isn't much time!”
Tony trembled with sudden excitement and relief. Suppressing a desire to leap shouting to his feet, he drew out his harmonica and blew softly into it. A large white pebble bounced across the parking area,
“No comment,” Werner Karman said coldly.
“Oh, come on!” the other young man burst out. “This is the story of the year! There are reporters from some of the big papers looking all over for you; they're bound to find you soon. We're just local correspondents—so please give us a break. Why did you come to the Kozak place? Do you expect to find those witch kids over here?”
Mr. Deranian said quickly, “It happens that Mr. Kozak is an old friend of mine. He knows the country here, and we were hoping he could give us some help. Unfortunately, he's still away from home. Now if you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we must be going. This is an urgent matter, and we're not at liberty to discuss it.”
“But won't you give us a few clues?” begged the young man with the notebook. “They are not really kids, are they? Could they actually be witches? Or would you say they're something in human form from outer space? It's being said the Government captured them, and was holding them—I mean, trying to hold them—for study when they escaped. Is that true?”
“No comment,” said Werner Karman again. “Now please—”
“Just a moment, sir. Did you know they were shot at this morning? A farmer named Hogan over on Yellow Creek Road shot at them twice, at close range. He told us that if they'd been real human beings—”
“Did he hit them?” Mr. Deranian interrupted.
“He couldn't, and he's known to be a marksman. Hogan swears he saw the shot glance away as if he'd struck an invisible wall. There's no mistake about it, because those creatures were traveling with the bears when it happened, and Hogan's wife and brother both saw the whole thing.”
“What we'd like to know,” the other young man put in hastily, “is how dangerous they are. If they are dangerous, we think the public should be warned.”
“Sorry,” said Mr. Deranian, “but this is a Government matter. We are not allowed to discuss it. Our advice—and let it be a warning—is for everyone to leave them strictly alone, and give us a chance to do our duty.”
“But if you caught them, how would you hold them? If they can go through locked doors—”
“There are ways.”
Werner Karman said, “We've no more time for questions. Let's get moving, Lucas.” He slid into the car beside Mr. Deranian, and ignoring the protests of the two young men, drove around the smaller car and headed down the driveway.
The young man with the notebook said, “Let's give them a couple minutes, Bill, then follow them.”
“Guess we'd better. That's the only way we'll learn anything. Say, how would you hold a couple fugitives like that crazy pair, if they can open any lock?”
“Dunno, unless you doped them and put them to sleep. Say, do you see what I see?”
The two men were suddenly staring in the direction of the outbuildings.
“Good grief !” one whispered. “Those are Ben Purdy's bears!”
“Yeah—and you know what that means. We'd better catch Karman and tell him to get back here.”
Tony swallowed and glanced at Tia, huddled in silent misery beside him. As the two young men leaped into their car, he closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle.
WITCH TRAP
I t seemed to Tony that he had hardly finished his prayer before it was answered. As he opened his eyes he glimpsed the small car rushing down the drive. At this moment, distinctly, he heard his name whispered from some point beyond the far corner of the house.
“Tony?” came the whisper. “Tony? If you can hear me, don't reply—other ears are listening. Just send me a sign. This is Father O'Day.” A moment's pause, then urgently, “Hurry—there isn't much time!”
Tony trembled with sudden excitement and relief. Suppressing a desire to leap shouting to his feet, he drew out his harmonica and blew softly into it. A large white pebble bounced across the parking area,
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