That chamber made him change his mind about the first one. It looked more like a messroom than anything else, so maybe the first was more likely a kitchen than a lab. Again, though, everything was at a right angle to its proper arrangement, and quite a bit had gone topsy-turvy.

They’re bigger than we are, Jerry wrote. He’d had the same thought on the other side of the corridor, too. The stands the stuff there were mounted on were definitely higher than humans would have made. The tables in here were also taller than people would have wanted unless they were perched on bar stools. Jerry didn’t see any bar stools in the wreckage, or other kinds of chairs, either.

He and Steve both photographed the maybe-messroom. The older man wrote, Shall we follow the yellow line?

Sure. It’s there. It’s important, unless it isn’t, Jerry replied. They went on. Jerry looked at his watch. They were still good on time, and they could leave a lot faster than they were exploring.

No mice. No snerps, or whatever the aliens would call their pests. Just the corridor and the yellow line. Another opening loomed ahead. The line led to it … and stopped. Jerry took more pictures. So did Steve. This was where things would happen, unless it wasn’t.

If this is important, something may happen when I go in. Stay out till you know I’m okay. If I’m not, just get away, yes? Jerry showed Steve what he’d written. The older man nodded. Whether he meant it or not—they’d both find out. Jerry took a deep breath and went in, Instamatic in hand.

Three … things were on the wall that had been a floor. Two of them held the beings that must have crewed Humpty Dumpty. He could see them through the … things’ clear domed tops. They reminded him more of centaurs than anything else. But they had what looked like feathers, not hair or bare skin. Their heads were more like owls than anything else that occurred to Jerry right away. Their eyes were open wide and yellow.

The third … thing had held one of them, too. Only bones and gunk were in there now. Whatever the other two did, this one had failed. Jerry gulped and started snapping photos.

IX

Steve came in then. Jerry hardly noticed. Steve used his camera, too. Jerry had to change rolls to take more pictures. He stuck the exposed cassette in one of the pockets on his oversuit.

When he paused, he wrote, Do you believe this?

I’m seeing it. Either I believe it or I think it’s a hallucination, the man from the RAND Corporation answered. You see it, too, unless I’m also imagining that.