"Shouldn't be much farther to the cabin, Betty." "Gee, I like this mountain road." "Yes." "The scenery certainly is lovely to look at." "If you like scenery." "Pull up here, why don't you, and I'll check the map." " Make sure we're not lost." " Yeah." "Seriously, Paul, I do wish this was a vacation." "You could use a break from all this scientist work." "It's almost as if you've been doing too much science." "Too much science?" "Is that possible?" "Betty, you know what this meteor could mean to science." "If we find it, and it's real, it could mean a lot." "It could mean actual advances in the field of science." "No, I know." "I'm used to it, I guess." "You might say I'm a scientist's wife." "There's a lot in what you say, Betty." "In many ways, it's hard to be a scientist's wife, the wife of a scientist." "And yet, in other ways, it's good." "Really good." "You always know the right thing to say, Dr. Paul Armstrong." "There's a farmer up ahead there." "Why don't we ask him directions." "Excuse me." "Can you tell us the way to the old Taylor place?" "Sure thing, mister." "Stay on this road here." "Past Dead Man's Curve, you'll come to a fence called the Devil's Fence." "From there, go on foot till you come to a valley known as the Cathedral of Lost Soap." "Smack in the center is what they call Forgetful Milkman's Quadrangle." "Stay right on the Path of Staring Skulls and you come to a place called Death Clearing." "Cabin's right there." "Can't miss it." "Boy, that doesn't sound too inviting." "Well, lot of folks superstitious in these parts what with the legend of Cadavra Cave and all." "Next you'll be telling us there's monsters." "Quiet day." "I certainly hope someone needs a forest ranger here sometime." "Hello." "I'm Dr. Roger Fleming, and I seem to have lost my way." "I'm Ranger Brad, and that's what I'm here for." "You can call me Ranger Brad." "Most folks do." "Yes." "Ranger Brad." "Of course." "I like that." "Do you think you could tell me the way to Cadavra Cave?" "Cadavra Cave?" "Why do you wanna go there?" "Ranger Brad, do I tell you all your ranger business?" "No, I guess not." "Keep going on this trail about a mile." "You can't miss it." "Thank you, Ranger Brad." "You've been very helpful." "Anytime." "Oh, say." "You don't believe those legends about the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, do you?" "Ranger Brad, I'm a scientist." "I don't believe in anything." "Nice fellow." "Paul, is it much farther?" "My legs are already starting to feel like two heavy, slow things." "Soon I won't feel like I have legs anymore, they're already so tired." "Shouldn't be too much farther, Betty." "And then you can rest and I can do science." "What was that about being a scientist's wife?" "Look." "They've got the right idea." "This looks like the cabin, all right." "Looks okay from the outside." "But what's the inside like, I wonder." "I think the front's around here." "Oh, Paul, it's everything I dreamed it'd be." "Is it?" "Gee, that's wonderful, honey." "What is it, darling?" "Oh, I don't know." "As a scientist, I just wish I could appreciate more things, like cabins, bicycles." "I know." "You're too wrapped up in your work." "That's why you need to get away from this silly old meteor." "Get away from it?" "I feel like I haven't even got near it yet." "This silly old meteor, as you call it, could be made of atmosphereum." "Do you know what that could mean for mankind?" "Oh, tell you what, Betty, once my meteor studying is done what say you and I take some time off take the boat out on the lake, just the two of us?" " Oh, Paul, do you really mean it?" " Scientist's honor." "Wait a minute." "We don't have a boat." " Oh, you." " I want you to know if we did have a boat, you'd be the first person I'd take out on it, kitten." "Dinner was delicious, honey." "Keep cooking like that and I won't be able to move, let alone do science." "That'd suit me fine, Mr. Meteor." "Ouch, that hurt." "Tomorrow, what say you and I go searching for our rocky, glowing, radioactive friend from space together?" "Paul Armstrong, I do believe there's hope for you yet." "Shake on it?" "Why shake when we can touch other things?" "Like lips." "Oh, Paul, could that be your meteor?" "My meteor's already landed, honey." "That'd be scientifically impossible." "Right." "Who ever heard of a meteor going back to space?" "There must be another meteor altogether." "I wonder." "I also wonder." "Now, see here." "What's got my cows all-fired riled?" "It's okay, Bossy, I'm here now." "There, there, Bossy." "There, there." "No." "No." "You're not Bossy." "You're not Bossy." "Well, time to find a meteor." "Looks like a perfect day for hunting space rocks, wouldn't you say, Betty?" "Oh, Paul, I'm frightened." "What is it, darling?" "What's the matter?" "Tell me." "I don't know." "Nothing I can put my finger on." "Not something I can see or touch or feel but something I can't quite see or touch or feel or put my finger on." " Oh, well." "Shall we find that meteor?" " Yes, of course." "According to my map, Cadavra Cave should be around here somewhere." "Any readings, as you call them?" "Nothing yet." "According to my calculations the meteor must have crashed right around here." "And that machine, or whatever it is, will tell you where?" "Yes, it's tuned to detect atmosphereum which is what I'm convinced the meteor was made of." "Incredible." "Either that's a reading or my teeth chattering." "We've picked up something that's not teeth." "That's strange." "I hope it doesn't mean one of us ate atmosphereum." "This is serious." "The readings are getting stronger, but we're not moving." "But something else is moving, and it's moving right for us." "Whatever it is, it's gone now." "You all right?" "I think so." "Whatever was watching us seemed pretty big." "Worse than that, Betty." "Whatever it was, it's lousy with atmosphereum." "This is it." "This has to be it." "Cadavra Cave." "It's you, isn't it?" "It's really you." "At last, the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra." "And this little find, this pile of old bones, as some would call it will make me, Dr. Roger Fleming the most powerful man in the world." "It is safe, she who is my wife." "You may come out now." "Are you certain, Kro-bar, my husband?" "This world is strange to us, even different." "Yes, it is different, this Earth, as it is called." "But then, are we of the planet Marva, as we call our planet not also strange and different to this planet and its people also?" "You think the Earth people think we are strange, you think?" "It is strange how the ways of people on different planets differ, is it not?" "Marva." "Earth." "Marva." "Earth." "I see what you mean." "Oh, well." "Come." "Let us ready the preparations." "I'll get the things we need to repair our ship which is broken, in the crash on this alien planet that we had." "You know, it's funny but in a strange way, I could feel almost at home here." " Oh, well. - Kro-bar." "Kro-bar!" "The Mutant." "It's gone." "But how can this be?" "Was not the Mutant cage sealed?" "Oh, yes, I swear it was, my husband." "And the Mutant lock was secured." "Maybe the special bars on the Mutant cage got bent in the crash." "Oh, this is fine." "Fine." "Now we must not only repair our ship we must find our Mutant, which we were to return to our planet, Marva." "Or who knows how many untold millions will die by its hand." "If only it did have hands, my woman." "If only it did have hands." "Oh, why isn't it working?" "Why are you not coming to life, my Skeleton?" "Why?" "Have I wronged you in some way?" "You're against me, aren't you?" "Of course you are." "All skeletons are against me." "They always have been." "Even when I was a child, I was hated by skeletons." "Stop your blubbering, mortal fool." "Who is it?" "Who are you?" "Show yourself." "Who do you think it is, idiot?" "It is I, the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra." " Then you are alive!" " That is how stupid you are." "Only my skeleton brain lives." "The rest of me is still just lifeless bone." "But there is a way to bring me completely back to life." "What is it?" "You have but to say it, O Skeleton, and I will do it." "There is a radioactive element known as atmosphereum." " You must find this and bring it to me." " I will." "I'll find atmosphereum and bring it to you." "That's what I just suggested." "When I am brought to life together, you and I will rule the world together." "But how?" "How will I find it?" "That is for you to know." "That's not my problem." "I sleep now." "No." "No, tell me where it is." "Skeleton?" "Skeleton?" "Where?" "Where can I find this atmosphereum?" "That's it, Paul." "You've found it." "Yes." "This meteor will be the world's greatest source of atmosphereum." "Look at it glow." "It's almost lulling, in a way." "Careful, don't fall in love with that stuff." "That atmosphereum can do some mighty powerful things." "Can I believe the luck?" "Atmosphereum under my very nose." "If it were a woman, it could kiss me." "Hold on, my Skeleton." "For soon you shall have life." "Sweet life." "Is it so hopeless, my Kro-bar?" "Lattis, I fear our power source the power that runs this ship, is gone." "Without it, I fear we have no hope of ever seeing Marva, our planet, again." "Then we must find the power source." "Yes." "We must hope that this planet, this Earth contains that rarest of all radioactive elements: atmosphereum." "Oh, well." "Meantime, I will hunt for the Mutant with this transmutatron." "I only hope it didn't kill already while it roamed last night." "Leave me now." "Our Mutant must be around here somewhere." "When I find it, our transmutatron will change it to a more harmless creature." "That might be the Mutant now." "With this atmosphereum, Betty, mankind can benefit in many ways..." " ...many of them good." " I know." "Kro-bar!" "Kro-bar!" "What is it?" "You need not yell, because of my proximity." "I yell not from the volume required by great distance, but from excitement." " Two Earth people- - There are many Earth people." "Speak specifically." "What's special about these two that warrants interest?" " Surely nothing." " These two, as you call them have atmosphereum." "I hope the owners don't mind their dishes holding a radioactive meteor." "Don't eat the meteor by mistake, whatever you do." "Seriously, we'll clean the dishes before we go." " Oh, Paul, it's so exciting." " I know." "I've got to get that meteor." "But how?" "How?" "There must be a way inside that cabin." "Think." "Think." "Cabin." "Cabin." "Cabin." "What's that?" "Good work, Lattis." "The human whereabouter has led us right to where the humans are." "Evidently, these beings like primitive, almost rustic structures." "How foolish they are." "Aliens, from outer space." "Careful, my love, for we must seem to like such things now like this foolish structure and all things human." "I catch on, my Kro-bar." "Almost as if we were pretending." "Pretending." "I like the way you put things, my queen." "Mysterious, and yet still perfectly understandable." "Oh, well, we waste time on amusement." "On with the pretending." "Thanks to the transmutatron, we will look exactly like the human beings." "How strange these beings be." "This neck restrainer is most uncomfortable..." " ...and what function must it serve?" " I don't know, my husband." "I am strangely drawn to this inverted cloth funnel and its wonderful softness." "Careful, Lattis." "You may grow to like being human." "My husband would joke with me." "Come." "Go." "The atmosphereum awaits." "We cannot take the transmutatron in with us." "It would be difficult to explain." "We'll leave it here in case the Mutant comes, so we can render it harmless." "What are they, Kro-bar?" "A series of small buildings leading up to the main one." "And what are we to do?" "Step on them until we are high enough to enter." "Well, darling, have you made science history yet?" "If you keep distracting me, I'll never change the course of mankind." "Well, maybe we can do that without atmosphereum." " Who can that be?" " Someone who's an interrupter." "This appears to be an entrance of some sort." "Then why isn't it opening, my love?" " Oh, I'm scared." " This is insane." "This makes no sense, I tell you." "Why is this happening?" "Why is this happening?" "Calm, Lattis." "There must be some explanation." "There has to be." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "Why doesn't this entrance open?" "They'll know." "They'll know everything now." "What can we do?" "What can we do to make this entrance open?" " Hello." " Hello." "There is a way in." "I knew it." "Can we help you?" " You would help us?" " I don't understand." "Oh, you must be the Taylors." "Of course." "These are the people that rented us the cabin." " They said they might stop up." " How are you?" "I'm Dr. Paul Armstrong." "This is my wife, Betty." "We didn't catch your first names." "Our first names are the names that were given us first, obviously." "Well, what shall we call you?" "Oh, our Earth names." "I am Tergasso..." " ...and this is" " I am Bammon." "Tergasso, Bammon, won't you come in?" " Yes, we have been desiring that." " Finally we go in." "Won't you make yourselves comfortable?" "I'm not sure." "How would one go about finding that out?" " Please, please, be seated." " Fold yourself in the middle." "Can we get you anything?" "A drink, perhaps?" "Yes, liquid, please." "A man who gets right to the point." "I like that." "How about four Scotch and sodas?" "My, that's a lovely dress, Tergasso." "Yes." "Yes, I, too, thought this." "I almost felt it somehow." "That is what I told Kro-bar." "Who's Kro-bar?" " Is he the designer?" " Yes." "Yes, Kro-bar is the designer." "Well, you're going to have to tell me where their store is." "My wife does not like to talk about a store." "We are just like you, really, I assure you." "Yes, I also appreciate your soft cloth funnel, Betty." "Four drinks, coming up." "Here's to one heck of a beautiful cabin." " Tergasso certainly was thirsty." " Who?" "I'll seem suspicious if I come alone." "I know." "Those forest animals standing right there have given me an idea." "I watched the aliens work this thing." "Maybe if I make myself a date, I won't seem so alone." "I never thought I'd have a date with an animal." "Relax, my pet." "I am your friend." "More than a friend, I suppose, since I created you." "But I must give you a name." "To us, you and I, you shall be Animala." "I find that name appropriate somehow." "But to the others, to those inferior to you and I, you shall be Pammy." "So, Bammon, what do you do?" "Do?" "I can do anything." "I have no restrictions." "That's the spirit." "I'm the same way with science." "I like my dress so very much." "That's what I can do." "This drink is very refreshing." "Thank you, Paul and Betty." "Oh, not at all." "I have an overwhelming desire to participate in the purchasing of many cloth funnels some I can't even spare the expense for." "Is that so very wrong?" "Oh, shopping." "Yes." "No." "No, not at all." "Shopping isn't wrong at all especially for a woman." "Sometimes I wish it were." "Right, Bammon?" "I wouldn't know about that, Paul." "Shopping can be loads of fun." "With a little restraint, of course." "Gee, thanks, honey." "Obviously there is much humor in what you say." "In Paul's line of work, he can use a good laugh." "It can be so deadly boring sometimes." "Even I admit that." "Well, as long as everything is perfectly normal." "I certainly am a normal Earth woman." "Isn't that right, my little space comet?" "Stop that!" "My love." "My wife sometimes forgets she is not a space alien." "Won't you please be seated, my dear?" "May I say you look lovely this evening?" "In English, my dear." "Thank you so very much." " Would you care for a cocktail?" " Yes, please." "No, no, no." "Drink like I showed you." "Tip, tip, tip." "And again." "Tip, tip, tip." "There." " Very well-done, my dear." " Very well-done, my dear." "Yes, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss my work Bam" " Bannon- Bam" " Bammon." "Oh, that is unfortunate, Paul." "I like work very much." "I'm very interested in it." "That's a very healthy attitude, Bam." "If more Americans thought like that a lot more work would sure get done." " Do you like to cook, Tergasso?" " I..." "I don't really know." " I'll get it." "This is a day for visitors." " I wouldn't know, Paul." "Good evening." "My name is Rudolph Yaber, and this is my wife, Pammy Yaber." "Our car broke down, and I fear, I'm afraid, we're dreadfully lost, I'm afraid." " Isn't that right, my dear?" " Always agree." "Come in." "We've plenty of room." "You're welcome to stay the night." "I'm Dr. Paul Armstrong and this is Bammon Taylor." "Hello." "I couldn't help overhearing." "I'm Betty Armstrong and this is Tergasso Taylor." " Hello." " Won't you join us for dinner?" "My charming wife and I would be delighted." "Thank you." "After the eating is done, I must look for the atmosphereum." "How do we know their eating customs?" "Do exactly as they do, Lattis, and we cannot fail to convince them." "Tip, tip, tip." "Tip, tip, tip." "This meal looks quite delightful, Betty." "Oh, it's just something I threw together, that's all." "Well, shall we dig in?" "Everyone's so hungry." "I think somebody ate too fast." "No." "No, my Pammy is very attuned to the ways of nature." "She must have pretty good hearing." "Let's go see what it is." "Just the men go." "You ladies stay here." "Bammon, will you join us?" "Unless there's something we should know about." "No." "You know everything." "I will go also." "I hope it's nothing too dangerous." "Careful." "It could be a mutant." "Sorry, folks, I didn't mean to startle you." "I'm Ranger Brad." "Thank goodness it's only a forest ranger, honey." "Hi, I'm Dr. Paul Armstrong." "The meteor specialist?" "Say, this is an honor." "Oh, hello, Dr. Fleming." "I see we meet again." " Dr. Fleming?" " Oh, just an old nickname of mine." "I'm really Rudolph Yaber." "And this is my wife, Pammy." "She's lost her purse again." "We'll find it later, sweetheart." "All right?" "Crumbs." " Please, won't you have a seat?" " I don't mind sitting sometimes." "Now." "Say, I didn't know anyone was staying at the old Taylor place." "Yes, we are." "Oh, and here's the Taylors, right here." "The Taylors?" "I recall they were older folks." "We are a younger version." "Say, I didn't know the Taylors had any kids." "That's swell." "I don't wanna frighten you folks but a farmer nearby was horribly mutilated." "I thought I should tell other folks, like yourselves so that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't be horribly mutilated too." "Well, I've certainly never been horribly mutilated, but I don't wanna start now." "This certainly throws a damper on the evening." "I didn't mean to throw a damper." "Believe me, that's the last thing I'd like to throw." "I don't wanna throw anything at all, but when folks are mutilated I feel it's my job to tell others." "We take our horrible mutilations seriously up in these parts." "I'm sure you do." "Honey, the ranger's just doing his job." "Of course he is." "I'm sorry, Ranger Brad." "I guess all this talk of horrible mutilation has me on edge." "That's all right, Dr. Armstrong." "This horrible mutilation has a whole lot of people on a whole lot of edges." "Well, if there's no more talk for us now, I guess I'll be on my way." "I'll see you to the door." "Tell me, ranger, any idea what might've caused this horrible mutilation, as you call it?" "Oh, probably nothing to worry about." "Could be a bear, I suppose." "Can a bear do that?" "I mean, horribly mutilate?" "Dr. Armstrong in my time, I guess I've seen bears do some things that even a bear wouldn't do." "Well, good night." "Nice meeting you, Mrs. Yaber." "Mutilate." "Mutant." "I wonder." "Oh, well." "Oh, well." "Better get home." "Say, I must be crazy, walking out in these woods alone at night with a horrible mutilation practically around the corner." "Oh, well." "What a night." "Glad I don't believe in things." "What's that?" "This is crazy." "Things like this just don't happen." "Noises?" "Noises in the woods?" "Stay away." "Stay away!" "What's that?" "What's that?" "No." "No!" "Goodness." " What in heaven's name was that?" " Sounded like an Earth scream." "It's too late." "There's nothing you can do for him now." "I might be just a test-tube-tipping lab jockey who's looked at too many shiny rocks for far too long but something tells me you know more about this than you're letting on." "No, Paul Armstrong." "I know only what my ears tell me." " And what my eyes see me." " Now, wait a second." "Surely you don't believe those legends about the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra." "Surely those are old wives' tales." "And believe me, I've known plenty of old wives." "Seriously, Bammon, is that what you're suggesting?" "A living skeleton?" "Did I say that?" "Did I say anything about a skeleton?" "No one mentioned a skeleton." "Why, we don't even know about skeletons." "My husband spoke not of skeletons but of another, more different thing which he was speaking of." "Which he and I know and you do not." "Animala." "Animala." "Skeleton." "Skeleton." "Animala." "You must find the atmosphereum." "Stop it." "Stop it!" "What are you doing?" "She can't help you." "You must find the atmosphereum." "Amish terrarium." "Must find Amish terrarium." "I don't understand." "Why does she need an Amish terrarium?" "Don't the Amish live in open air, like us?" "Of course, Betty." "It's absurd." "Putting the Amish in glass cases would be inhumane." "Surely Pammy doesn't realize what she's saying." "Obey me!" "Obey me or I'll" "You fool." "You skinny, bony jackass!" "Stop it or you'll spoil everything!" "I will get the" "Amish terrarium myself." "I cannot wait so long." "She." "She will help me, the housewifely one." "Hi, Betty." "It's I, the Skeleton." "Fetch the meteor, Betty." "Fetch the meteor." "The Betty one looks drowsy." "Now is the time..." " ...to exert Marvan mind-power on her." " Very well." "I must go to bed and make some coffee now." "Darling, what are you saying?" "I don't think I understand." "How can you make coffee if you're in bed?" "Bring the meteor to the Skeleton." "Bring the meteor to the Skeleton." "Bring the atmosphereum to Kro-bar and Lattis." "Bring the atmosphereum to Kro-bar and Lattis." "Bring the meteor to the Skeleton." "Bring the meteor to the Skeleton." "Bring the atmosphereum to Kro-bar and Lattis." "Bring the atmosphereum to Kro-bar and Lattis." "Bring the meteor to the Skeleton." "Bring the atmosphereum to Kro-bar and Lattis." "I must make the Skeleton meatier using a crowbar covered in lettuce." "Darling, please, you're not making any sense." "Betty." "Betty, what are you doing?" "What I should've done a long time ago, Paul." " What are you saying?" " Leave her, Paul." "It's dangerous to wake a sleepwalker." "Sleepwalker?" "She hasn't even gone to bed yet, Rudolph." "Betty." "Betty, you little fool, where are you bringing that to?" "Betty." "Betty!" "Where -?" "Where am I?" "What happened?" "It's all right, Betty." "You were just doing some very stupid things." "It's all over now." "Don't move or try to do anything." "All right if I breathe?" " Seriously, Paul." "What came over me?" " I was hoping you could tell me." "It was so strange." "All I know is I had an overwhelming desire to take the meteor." "Anything else?" "Just vague things." "Strange." "A skull was smiling at me." "And something alien." "Like another brain in my own head." "That doesn't make any sense." "Brains, head" "First of all, skulls don't smile, they're dead." "And it's more of a grin, really." "Believe me, I know." "As a scientist, I've looked plenty of skulls in the socket in my time." "Not a pretty sight." " Oh, Paul, what can it mean?" " I don't know." "But as a precaution, I'm putting that meteor in a drawer where even you can't find it." " Oh, Paul- - I'm sorry, Betty." "But until you can explain to me what you mean by "brains" and "head" even you can't be trusted." "Not until you're yourself again, kitten." "The only one I want in that pretty little head of yours is me." " Oh, Paul." " Now, never mind "Oh, Paul."" "It's gonna be all right." "You'll see." "Oh, Paul." "Don't think I don't know who you are." "Pray, do not seek to tell us what we do and do not think." "You are different from the other humans." "More disgusting, I think." "If "disgusting" means smart and ambitious on your planet I would agree wholeheartedly." "I would hardly expect aliens such as yourselves to have a full grasp of the English language." "Aliens?" "Us?" "Is this one of your Earth jokes?" "See?" "See?" "You should not have said "Earth jokes."" "Don't you see how that gave us away?" "Very well, clever brain, you have found us out." " What do you intend to do?" " Do?" "Do?" "Absolutely nothing." "Nothing?" "It seems we are working to a similar purpose, you and I." "And that purpose is atmosphereum." "So you know." "Yes." "For, you see, I also need this atmosphereum for my very own reasons." "Then surely there is enough for both of us." "That's what I'm thinking." "We shall share the atmosphereum." "If you help us and we help you..." "Why, of course." "We'll be helping each other." "Almost like an alliance." "You could say that." "As if we were actually working together." "Atmosphereum for me atmosphereum for you." "Some for you and some for us." "Each of us would have it." "We will "split it," I suppose your Earth slang would say." "Very good, Tergasso." "You learn our ways quickly." "This way, neither of us will lack for atmosphereum." " Of course." " You two catch on quickly." "I can see I've chosen my partners wisely." "Yes." "Yes, we would be partners, wouldn't we?" "Partners who share." ""Partners who share." I like that." "I like the way aliens think." "You Earth fools are not so lacking in the "thinking and then being triumphant" area also." "Not at all." "In fact, I would say you rather excel in it." "How do we get the meteor?" "Well, I see the brainy types are up bright and early this morning." "They say that's the best time to look at little, glowing rocks." "What the -?" "Sorry, I must've been really involved in my scientific work for a minute." "I guess that's what they mean when they say scientists have rocks in their heads." "Thanks to science, we're finally starting to understand atmosphereum." "Did you know there's enough atmosphereum in one teaspoon to go to the moon and back six times?" "Moon, teaspoons." "That's all gibberish to me, I'm afraid." "As long as I don't have to go to the kitchen six times..." " ...to tell you breakfast is ready." " Okay." "Speaking of early risers, where have our unexpected guests gotten off to?" " They certainly are odd ducks." " You know, I don't know." "Something about hiking or exploring or something." "Oh, well." "Well, just as long as they don't hike too far and fall off a cliff." " That would be a hike." " You said it." "Now, let's see what happens when I add water to it." "Good, old-fashioned H2O, I call it." "Oh, hello, Pammy." "I didn't see you come in." "How come you're not out hiking with the others?" "I don't have answers, Paul." "Paul." "You've probably seen plenty of woods." " You seem like the outdoor type." " Always agree." "You can watch me experiment, if you promise to be quiet." "Be quiet." "Well, I don't mean stop breathing but don't exactly do a big dance number, either." "Now, that's almost exactly the kind of thing I was saying you shouldn't do." "Seriously, Pammy, I don't know if I can do science with you dancing like that." "Please stop." "Quit it, Pammy, quit it." "Don't make me bring my wife in here." "She can be a real" "Animala." "Dance with Animala." "Rock dance." "Do the rock dance." "All right, Mr. Shiny Rocks, breakfast." "Paul?" "That's funny." "Paul." "Paul." "Now, where could he have gone?" "Not another meteor." "Paul." "Rock dance, Pauly, do the rock dance." "Oh, yeah." "Paul?" "Paul." "Paul." "Where are you, for goodness' sakes?" "Come, Animala." "That's my pet." "Is she not special, this one?" "She is truly special, this Earth woman." "Or should I say animal?" "It's hard to decide." "Yes, it is." "Since she's made from forest animals." "She must teach me this dance, but later." "Now there is much to be done." "That's good, Animala, my pet." "Stop him right there." "Now take the box and give it to me." "Excellent." "Let the sharing begin." " The Mutant!" "It must have Betty." " No matter." "There are more important things to settle." "Now, Skeleton!" "Freeze where you are, Lattis and Kro-bar." "Not moving very fast now, are you, my interplanetary friends?" " So this is your idea of sharing." " It's not like Marvan sharing at all." "This must be Earth sharing." "You'll find much of Earth sharing works this way." "It's really more like I'm sharing with myself." "If I could only reach you, we'd share pain." "Sorry, I'd love to stay, but I have a skeleton to bring to life." "That would be me." "And I cannot spare the atmosphereum." "Animala?" "Animala, come." "Come, Animala." "What are you doing?" "Anyone get the number of the rocket that clobbered me?" "Speaking of rockets!" "Holy moly!" "There's no time to explain now, Paul." "The Mutant has Betty." "Please, get these ropes off me." "Take them off now!" " There are no ropes." " My wife panics." "These ropes are mental." "I think it's a skeleton or something." "That's crazy." "Skeletons can't mentally hold anyone." "I sleep now." "Gee, I guess they can." "Would someone mind telling me what the heck's going on around here?" "The Mutant's got Betty." "We're aliens." "Slow down." "I'm a scientist, and that was still fast." "We had a mutant." "It got loose." "It has Betty." "Hey, one at a time." "I'm gonna get whiplash here." "Now, suppose you start at the beginning and tell me what happened before I get a headache." "We are from the planet Marva." "We crashed here." "Planet?" "Marva?" "You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want my help." "Just suppose you take a deep breath, relax and tell me all about it." "The universe is a very large place." "Soon, very soon, we'll be at Cadavra Cave, my love." "Then you'll see." "Your eyes will behold the wonder of the Skeleton." "Skeleton." "And so you can well understand the need for urgency." "I certainly can." "No wonder you were excited." "But there's one thing I don't understand and that's why you tried to take the meteor." "I'm certain there's enough atmosphereum to power your ship and still have enough left for me to do science with." "You mean you would share the atmosphereum with us?" "Kro-bar." "This water on my cheeks." "I have never felt it before." "Oh, what a strange and wondrous thing it is, surely." "I, too, am feeling this new sensation of Earth weeping." " Something very alien to Marva." " Oh, yes." "We gave up weeping eons ago." "Kro-bar, maybe this is one advance even science couldn't make for you." "The advance of emotional expression." "Though it isn't considered very manly." "There'll be time enough for weeping later." "Right now your mate is" "Betty!" "Skeleton?" "Hello, my Skeleton." "I brought you back a present." "It's a rock." "It glows." "Hello, Skeleton." "Who wakes the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra?" "Oh, it's you." "The stupid one." "Oh, you'll like me better now." "A whole lot better." "Shut up." "Stop that giggling." "It makes me uncomfortable." "We have much work to be done." "Hello, Animala." "What happened to me?" "Betty." "Betty, it's all right now." "It's" " It's me, Paul." "Dr. Paul Armstrong, your husband." "Oh, Paul." "There, there." "It's all right now." "You're among friends now." "Alien friends." "Aliens?" " My God!" "Where am I?" " It's all right, Betty." " You're just in a spaceship now." " Yes, Betty, it's just like your house." "Only, it travels through space." "Please, Betty, try and remember what happened." "I know it's painful." "Oh, it was horrible." "Horrible." "Betty." "Betty, it's all right now." "Calm yourself." "Please, Mrs. Armstrong, there are delicate instruments aboard." "I" " I remember it came out of nowhere." "It was huge." "It had" "It was so ugly." "I must've fainted, and the next thing I know it was carrying me." "Like I was a child." "A small child." "And it looked at me with those eyes, those ugly eyes and they looked deep into me." "Deeper than any human ever has with a kind of understanding that frightened me to my very soul." "Gosh, Betty." "Almost sounds like you like the Mutant." "Like a mutant?" "Can anyone like a mutant?" " I wonder." " The Mutant is strange." "We keep it merely as a pet to us." "I have never looked in its eyes." " Have you?" " No." "Paul, what happened to you?" "I went looking." "I don't know." "All I remember was Pammy" " No." "She was really Animala." "Part woman part four different forest animals." "And she can dance." "Oh, how she can dance." "Like I've never seen a woman dance before." "Well, we've certainly had quite a morning, haven't we?" "We certainly have." "Do it." "Do it." "Interesting, Paul." "So you would be a meteorologist?" "No, Kro-bar, believe it or not a meteorologist is actually another name for a weatherman." "I study meteors, so I'm actually a meteographer." "A lot of people don't know that." "Are you enjoying the cranberroids, Betty?" "You know, I am." "And I can't get over how similar they are to something we have." "Only, we call them cranberries." "Cranberries." "Yes." "It is interesting, the differences and similarities we have, is it not?" "Why, on our home planet, Marva we have a custom of actually eating outside if weather is pleasant and acceptable." "Why, we have that." "We call it a picnic." ""Picnic." How delightful." "We call it cooty-lana." "Cooty-lana." "That's fun to say." "Many things on Marva are fun to say, Paul." "This space wine is delicious." "Heavenly bouquet." "Is it like our Earth wine?" "Made out of grapes, Lattis?" "Grapes?" "Oh, surely no, Betty." "Grapes on Marva are far too sacred to step on, on Marva." "We make our wine from cherries, which we call linbooba." "Cherry wine, what a delight." "And do your people love to get intoxicated, as our people love to do?" "No, Betty, we gave up getting drunk eons of your years ago." "You know, this talking that we're doing is very helpful in getting to know your people and mine." "Why, as we observed you from afar, we thought of you as little more than pleasant, entertaining monkeys." "So dirty and foul." "You have taught us a lot Paul and Betty Armstrong." "And you us." "There is one more thing we would be taught now and that's how to get the atmosphereum back so that my planet might benefit and your ship might return you home." "You have a device, do you not?" "A detector of atmosphereum?" "The atmosphereum detector, of course." "And unless I miss my guess Kro-bar, alien being of the planet Marva is about to suggest that we use that very device to track the meteor that Rudolph Yaber stole." "Well, I didn't know you were all mind readers on the planet Earth." "Remember, we may come across the Mutant." "As I told you, it is also rich in atmosphereum." "I know." "I'm hoping the radiation we find is on something not moving." "Like a rock." "Yes, indeed." " Lattis, I just have to ask you." " Yes, Betty?" "After meals on Marva, who cleans up?" " The men or the women?" " Cleans up?" "Why, Betty, on Marva, there is no cleaning up because there's never a mess." "We gave up messes eons ago." "Think of it." "A world without messes." "No ground-in dirt." "No ugly grease stains." "No burned pans or hard-to-reach corners." "Lattis, Marva sounds like such a wonderful place." "Excellent." "You have done well, my pigeons." "Already, I feel the life returning to my tired and aching bones." "I can feel it." "I'm sitting." "I'm sitting up." "Do you know how long it's been since I sat up?" " Pigeons." " I am yours to command O Lost Skeleton of Cadavra." "I have risen!" "Something" "Something's coming." " The Mutant!" " Fire." "Fire, Kro-bar." " Make it harmless." " Something's wrong." "It's jammed." "I think dirt got into it." "No, Paul!" "No!" "Paul!" "No!" "No!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "I wonder why it changed its mind." "Oh, well." "Paul!" "Paul, you crazy, stupid, wonderful man..." " ...why did you do it?" " I" "I don't know, Betty." "I should stick to science and leave battling alien mutants to the experts." "I'm sorry about the transmutatron, my Earth friend." "I'll take a look at it and see if I can fix it in the shop so that another of us doesn't almost die." "You two better go back to the cabin so Paul can rest." "I have a bottle of transmutatron cleaner in the ship." "Come, Lattis." "Kro-bar be careful." "I'm an alien, Paul, remember?" "Look at it go." "What a skeleton." "Paul, please try and rest that scientific mind and body for once." "Rest?" "How can I rest when the two best alien friends a guy ever had may be in danger?" "Paul, those two came over 1000 miles." "They can take care of a little problem like a mutant." "Nothing's going to happen to Lattis." "She promised to show me some space recipes." "Oh, that reminds me." "My tapioca." "What orders do you have, my bony wonder?" "Shut up." "Very well." "Follow me." "Climb down these rocks like I do." "Paul, you're not well enough." "You hardly touched your pudding." "If I'm wrong, I'll buy you enough pudding to go to the moon." "I sense Lattis and Kro-bar are in great danger." "Say hello to your new master the Skeleton." "It may be dangerous." "Don't tag along." "I'm tagging, Paul." " I can't stop a woman from tagging." " No one ever has." "Listen." "It isn't possible." "Dance." "Dance!" "You can't make aliens dance." "This is just wrong." "You don't know what you're tampering with." "And you don't know the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra." "But you will." "You will." "Enough." "Yes, my skull." "Bring the female to me." "It's horrible." "Horrible." "I can't watch this" " This dancing." "And I cannot not watch it." "May God have mercy on us all." "You!" "You shall become the bride of the Lost Skeleton!" "No!" "Fiend!" "What was that?" "Let the dancing resume." "You swine!" "So anyway." "After Kro-bar is dead, Lattis will be free to marry the king of cartilage himself." "Betty, I've got an" "I've got an idea." "It means finding the Mutant with the transmutatron." "But it also means danger." "Real danger, kitten." "Are you game?" "I can't force you." "Well if I wanted to have a safe life I wouldn't have married a man who studies rocks." "And you know, the way I figure if it will stop my new alien best friend from being a widow and married to a skeleton well, just count me in, Mr. Scientist." "That's my little meteorite." "Come on." "I guess we both have rocks in our heads." "I think he's sleeping." "How can you tell that, Roger?" "I don't know." "Hey." "Hey, Skeleton?" "Skeleton?" "Stop it." "Stop it, I say!" "If he wakes, it'll be your fault." "But it'll be you he yells at." "It's always you." "He hates you, Roger." "All right, Animala, just go see to the wedding plans." "Prepare the alien to be the Skeleton's bride." " How do I do that?" " Just do it!" "Once this starts ticking, we're in business." " That's where I come in." " It's your show then." " Hopefully I'll get a curtain call." " I hope you're around to enjoy it." "Let the Skeleton wedding begin." "Behold, the skeletal bride herself." "The alien himself will present the bride." " Such irony." " No, you can't make me." "I won't present the bride." "I won't present the bride." "You will, and you'll like it." "I won't like it." "I won't like it." "I won't like it." "Mind if I crash?" "Sorry if I'm not on the guest list." "Seize her." "Hold her!" "It's a day for wedding crashers." "I never got an invitation!" "You two shall pay dearly for ruining my special day with your lives!" "Master, my bony master, what shall we do?" "Skeleton?" "Lost Skeleton, no!" " Why me?" " I always hated you." "Stupid Skeleton." "Stupid Skeleton!" "You cannot strangle me." "How can you strangle that which does not breathe?" "I hate you." "I hate you!" "Bony idiot." "Foolish Mutant, you have spoiled my plans." "Now you must pay." "No." "No." "I cannot lose." "I cannot." "Obey me, Mutant." " Obey the Lost Skeleton." " He cannot, Skeleton." "Mutants are basically dumb brutes." "They don't have the mental capacity." "I will" " I will return." "No." "No." "No!" "It's strange, Paul so very strange." "I" "I don't think it ever meant to kill." "It just didn't know not to." "Look, Kro-bar's changing Animala back into four animals." " Goodbye." " Bye, forest animals." " Bye, animals." " Bye." "Bye, animals." "A part of me is gonna miss Animala." "Not the part that's coming home with me, I hope." "Kro-bar, will you come with me and remove our meteor..." " ...from the Skeleton?" " Gladly, Paul." "You know, it's funny, but when the kind of understanding that you and I have over a little piece of rock spreads throughout the universe, then and only then will there be understanding amongst all peoples, alien and alike in all kinds of places at the same time."