it's the most amazing thing that ever happened. That cow isglowing out there like a miniature atomic pile, and under thecircumstances as we know them, should be deader than a door nail, butthere she stands, shining like the morning sun, chewing her cud and justmooing away as if nothing happened."
"What is your theory, Professor?" one of the assistants asked.
"I have one, but it's utterly fantastic," Sims answered.
"So is that cow out there. Let's hear it!"
"Do you remember how much more frequent saucer sightings were reportedin this area alone?" Sims asked. All the assistants nodded their heads.
"Well," Sims went on, "I am of the opinion that a saucer actually landedout there and they came across the cow by accident. They either shot herwith some sort of radium ray gun, or some luminous substance unknown tous."
"Why didn't Junius die?" one of the assistants asked.
Sims shook his head. "They wished to examine her. You see, gentlemen,whatever it was, it served a threefold purpose. It made her luminous,immobile and--" Sims placed both hands on the table and leaned forwardfor emphasis, "transparent."
There was a gasp and exclamations.
"Transparent? How?--"
"I was within a foot of the cow, felt her hide, and through the glassesI could see the skeletal frame, the chest cavity, the heart beatingwithin, the entire intestinal tract, much, much more clearly than couldbe seen by the best X-ray."
As if on command, the assistants all rose simultaneously.
"Sit down, gentlemen, the cow isn't going anywhere. We shall have toface this situation with sound scientific reasoning. There will be aclosed van here soon to pick up Junius and haul her to the laboratorywhere we can examine her more thoroughly. Now my belief is that thesaucer took off in haste, such great haste that they forgot toextinguish poor Junius. I believe they will be back looking for her,therefore we shall have to return her tonight and conceal ourselvesaround the area and watch."
"Splendid idea, Professor Sims!" one of the assistants exclaimed.
Yelling voices in the farmyard caught their attention. They saw Sgt.Johnson through the dining-room window, coming across the yard, yellingand pointing to the sky. Sims rushed from the house, met Johnson,grasped him by the shoulders, shaking him.
"What happened, man, what happened?" Sims asked.
"Black light, black light!" Johnson shouted, pointing skyward. Simslooked up. Nothing but the serene blue of the summer sky and anoccasional bird caught his eye.
Sims shook him again, more roughly.
"Speak, man, what happened?"
"Black light flashed down on the cow! Blackest light you ever saw!"
The group gathered around him in the yard, trying to make sense out ofwhat he said. So engrossed were they with his babblings, that none butMrs. Stewart was aware of the fact that Junius had entered the farmyardand was eyeing them curiously.
"Junius!" she exclaimed.
"Moooo!"
The crowd looked up to see the ordinary, unlit Junius standing calmly bythe gate.
"Hurry and get the milk pail, Zack, Junius is all right now!" Mrs.Stewart yelled happily to her husband, as Professor Sims and hisassistants led the hysterical trooper into the house.
High over the horizon, a faint, silvery disc was disappearing atfantastic speed into outer space.
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ September 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
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