Don Thompson

“ Wayne said.
Then he rubbed his chin. High dragon bump? Bumps and grinds? Highland fling? Chinese dragon dances? Hell, why not?
The idea of space travelers visiting earth to learn a new dance was no more fantastic than the idea of them being here at all.
Wayne turned his face to the door and shouted, "Hey, is that it? A dance? You want us to teach you a dance called the high dragon bump?"
A muffled metallic voice from the other side said, "Nod danz. Bump. Huguff quig."
Wayne shrugged and grinned weakly at Sheilah. "Well, we're making headway. We know one thing that it isn't." ”

“ It showed earth.
Or a curved, cloud-veiled slice of earth. Intact, serene and growing steadily larger.
"What the hell! Why, I thought ..." Wayne jumped to his feet, brushed past Sheilah and peered more closely at the view plate. There was no mistaking it. Earth.
"What's a matter with you, mister?" Sheilah asked.
Wayne felt dizzy. O'Reilly had said, "Earth blasted away," hadn't he? And the H-bomb hadn't destroyed the Cirissin ship. Therefore ... Well, therefore what?
In the first place what O'Reilly had actually said was, "Rid of earth now. Blasted away." ”

“ While the Cirissin thought it over in meditative silence Wayne was aware of Sheilah watching him with cold, hostile eyes. He wished he could explain things to her, but he didn't dare try.
Finally O'Reilly said, "Hokum. Tenners in lab. Thistle."
"It'll be enough," Wayne assured him.
Sheilah was taken back to the room where Wayne had met her and the Cirissin instructed her to stay there. He closed the door but did not lock it. Then he took Wayne back to the lab.
"Neediest hulp?" he asked.
"Hulp? Help? Uh ... Why, no. No, thanks. I can manage fine by myself. In fact I'd rather work alone. ”

“ Do you mind telling me what you want a high dragon bump for?"
"Blast away hearth," the Cirissin replied unhesitatingly.
Wayne swallowed and found it unnaturally difficult to do so.
"To blast away earth?" he said. "You can do that with just one high dragon bump?"
"Certificate. Alteration energy maguntoot. Compilated, though. Want splain?"
Wayne said, "Never mind. I believe you. Just tell me this: Why? Who do you feel it's necessary to do it?"
"Cause is necessary," the Cirissin explained. "Hearth no good. Whee dun lake. Godda gut red oft."
Sheilah gasped, "Why the inhuman beasts!" ”

“ Wayne woke up enough to refuse to believe he was alive, and O'Reilly was somewhere near, telling him:
"Cirissins full of grate your forts. Radio eggulant blan. Thankel normous. Rid of earth now. Blasted away. Givish good high dragon bump. Yukon gome now."
Wayne groaned. The meaning of O'Reilly's words was trying to get through to his brain, and he was trying desperately to keep the meaning out.
O'Reilly's voice receded into a thick gray fog. "Keep shib. Shores. Presirent felpings. Gluck."
Metal slammed against metal. Wayne slammed against something hard. And darkness closed in once again. ”

“ Wayne considered the situation.
Two hours to get to earth. No radio. The big Cirissin ship was circling earth at an unknown distance, unknown speed and unknown direction. And although the ship was enormous, it would be impossible to spot it from earth unless you knew exactly where to look.
He said, "It would really be better, wouldn't it, if I could make the high dragon bump right here?"
O'Reilly agreed that it would be better.
"Well, let me try. You've got a good lab, and we have plenty of time. Twenty-four hours, you said? Well, give me about ten hours in the laboratory. ”

“ Stirred to self-consciousness by her near-nudity, he glanced quickly away.
"Why don't you quit trying to think?" he advised her. "I may not be able to make a high dragon bump, but so help me I'm going to do my damnedest to see that they get one. And don't you get any stupid patriotic ideas. You just keep out of it. Understand?"
O'Reilly had thrown open a door and was waiting for them.
Wayne looked inside.
"Smatter? Dun lake lab tarry?" the Cirissin asked after waiting nearly a minute for some comment.
The laboratory probably wasn't adequate to produce a hydrogen bomb, Wayne realized ”

“ They had some emergency fuel, but they didn't want to use it. Like having a can of kerosene in the car when the tank runs dry, I suppose. It will work, but it messes up the engine. You understand so far? ”