The Whisperer in Darkness Page #2

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Not personally, no.

Is there any material evidence of their existence?

Has one ever been photographed or recovered?

Sent to a museum? Studied scientifically?

Scientists seek only to prove or disprove

something that they have conceived of in advance.

They may look, but they never see

anything more than they want to see.

This from a man who sees little

green men from Mars everywhere he turns!

I don't know what these

things in Vermont are, Professor.

But, unlike you, I don't

pretend to know what they're not.

I know they're not flying

crab-men from outer space!

Gentlemen...

How do you know?

Because you've "investigated"?

Have you even been to Vermont?

Well, actually, no.

Then how can you claim to know what they're not?

Well, I...

He's got you there, professor!

No, no, I mean, they're not...

The professor hasn't even been there.

So much for "scientific investigation"!

Look, I don't have to see

them to know they're not real...

I rest my case, Mr. Bradbury. It's all witchcraft!

It was just the type of disaster Ward had foreseen.

Worse still, it was to be followed by a

reception with Fort at the Faculty Club.

Excuse me, professor?

Yes?

Hi, I was wondering if I

might have a moment of your time.

I'd be glad to, but just now...

My name is George Akeley. My father,

Henry Akeley, he's been writing to you.

Yes, yes, I've exchanged

several letters with yourfather.

He's a very bright fellow. His are some of

the most vivid letters I get from Vermont.

He sent me here to see you. In person. I have...

I'm afraid I have an engagement, I'm expected...

My father needs your help!

Yes, so he said. He said the hill

creatures are all around your farm.

Yes. They are. And now everyone in the region

thinks he's a lunatic thanks to

your letters to the newspapers.

Well now, George, your father's

clearly a sensible and educated man

and I have tremendous respect for him,

but that doesn't mean I believe

every letter that comes to my desk...

You mean you don't want to believe!

I think Mr. Fort was right about you.

Look, it's my job to study old legends,

not to believe in them!

Wilmarth, everyone's waiting...

Is there a problem here?

No. Mr. Akeley here was just

attempting to continue tonight's debate.

I'll be right there, Professor Ward.

Good night.

I have photos.

Photos?

My father made me promise to

show them to you. He also...

Let's see them.

No, not here.

You have them with you now?

We should get inside. Come with us.

What is this, coffin varnish?

Where's Wilmarth? You don't think he's

going to skip out on this blow, do you?

He will if he's smart.

He wasn't that bad...

Well, I suppose I should get back in there.

After all, I am the host of this soire.

Ah, Albert! There he is!

Albert, a good effort back there.

Thank you, Lowell.

I suppose I have you to thank for this,

Charlie. How have you been?

I'm swell! Off to Peru next month,

surveying some new ruins.

Say, you should come along!

Oh, I don't know...

Yes, yes! We need to get

you up in my aeroplane again.

I didn't quite get the hang of it last time.

I think my shoulder's still sore.

Nonsense! Sure, your landing was a bit rocky

but once you were up in the

air you were fine, just fine!

Besides, I don't know if a fellow

could crash any worse than you did tonight!

And who's our young friend?

Yes, this is George Akeley.

Professor Jordan Lowell, astronomy.

He's... from Vermont.

Really? Wild country up there.

Mr. Akeley here has something

to share with us. All of us.

You don't say.

What is it?

Photographs.

Of the...

Well, let's see them.

In the study. Fort should see them too.

Good luck prying him away from Dean Hayes.

Don't you worry about that.

I'll take care of him. Gentlemen...

Mr. Akeley, after you.

Thank you, Tower. That man's insufferable.

Think nothing of it. Besides,

we have something you just might want to see.

Gentlemen, I believe you already know Mr. Fort.

What's all this about?

My father has a farm in Townshend, Vermont.

He's seen the creatures.

They're all around ourfarm.

He's been corresponding with

Professor Wilmarth about it.

He knew the professor didn't believe him,

so he asked me to bring these photos.

He can't trust the post office;

his mail has been... interfered with.

Well, this is exciting! Let's see them.

Photos might finally convince Wilmarth here.

What is it?

It's a footprint.

We've seen these tracks all around the house,

the the river banks...

You've seen the footprints yourself?

Sure. Hundreds of them.

Why didn't you say so before?

You wouldn't have believed me.

Akeley's handwriting is

nearly as bad as yours, Nate.

It doesn't really look like a hoof or paw.

It looks like pincers or claws of some kind.

Yes. Of course it could be

nearly anything. Deer most likely.

What's this one?

More tracks there. Akeley said

they live inside caves like this.

They do.

Lots of cave-dwelling deer in Vermont,

Professor Wilmarth?

You can't really see the footprints on this one,

but the creatures dance around those stones.

It's a shame the carvings are so hard to make out.

There are stone circles of

this type throughout New England.

There's no way to date the formation.

It might have been erected

last month for all we know.

You can make out the

carvings on this one pretty well.

Look familiar?

Where did he get that stone?

He found it in the woods near

that cave and he brought it home.

He thinks that's why the creatures

have been coming around the house.

They'll do anything to get it back.

That's why he got the dogs. And the rifle.

That your father, George?

What's he doing with the gun?

The creatures were trying to get into the house,

so he shot one and I took this photo of the carcass.

I don't see any carcass.

I know. They don't...

My father said they're made

of a different type of matter

and their "molecules vibrate

at a different rate" from ours,

so they don't register on ordinary film.

How convenient.

What a shame.

May I?

There's never anything conclusive.

There's never real proof.

Maybe it's better that way.

Better? For who?

Seems there's never a smoking

gun when you need one, eh Wilmarth?

You said your father had seen the things,

but you never said whether you saw them.

I've never actually seen a live

one up close, but they're there.

We see the footprints! They're

real and they're all around our farm.

I've seen them flying at night.

And... I've heard them talking.

Talking?

Yeah.

What do they say?

Sometimes they just sort of buzz and hum,

but other times you can sort of

make out real words in your head.

I don't understand it most of the time. "Shob Nig..."

Look at this!

These old viewers were used to study

stereo photographs of stars, to check parallax.

They separate one eye from the other.

They're normally useless on an ordinary photo,

but I thought it just might...

I don't see anything.

Here, let me...

What the devil is going on in here?

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