Classic Audiobook Collection - The Eyes Have It & Tony and the Beetles by Philip K. Dick ~ Full Audiobook [scifi]

Episode Date: March 14, 2023

The Eyes Have It & Tony and the Beetles by Philip K. Dick audiobook. Genre: scifi Aliens have invaded the earth! Horrible one celled creatures disguised as normal human beings ! Well, at least that is what it seems to the author. Yes, The Eyes Have It is a whimsical story, making gentle fun of certain writing styles, but only a topflight science-fictionist like Philip Dick , we thought, could have written this story, in just this way. Tony and the Beetles takes place far in the future when Earth's enormous colonial empire is well established but the question is, how long can it last? 10 year old Tony grows up fast when history catches up with the human race. A sobering look at human history .. and our probable future. Two very different stories but both entertaining. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 1 (00:08:40) Chapter 2 (00:26:09) Chapter 3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Eyes Have It by Philip K. Dick. It was quite by accident I discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by life forms from another planet. As yet I haven't done anything about it. I can't think of anything to do. I wrote to the government and they sent back a pamphlet on the repair and maintenance of frame houses. Anyhow, the whole thing is known. I'm not the first to discover it. Maybe it's even under control.

I was sitting in my easy chair, idly turning the pages of a paperbacked book someone had left on the bus when I came across the reference that first put me on the trail. For a moment I didn't respond. It took some time for the full import to sink in. After I comprehended, it seemed odd I hadn't noticed it right away. The reference was clearly to a nun-hearer. human species of incredible properties, not indigenous to earth. A species, I hasten to point out, customarily masquerading as ordinary human beings,

their disguise, however, became transparent in the face of the following observations by the author. It was at once obvious the author knew everything, knew everything, and was taking it in his stride. The line—and I tremble remembering it even now— Red. His eyes slowly roved about the room. Vague chills assailed me.

I tried to picture the eyes. Did they roll like dimes? The passage indicated not. They seemed to move through the air, not over the surface, rather rapidly, apparently. No one in the story was surprised. That's what tipped me off. No sign of amazement at such an outrage. thing. Later the matter was amplified. His eyes moved from person to person. There it was in a nutshell.

The eyes had clearly come apart from the rest of him, and were on their own. My heart pounded, and my breath choked in my windpipe. I had stumbled on an accidental mention of a totally unfamiliar race, obviously none terrestrial. Yet— to the characters in the book it was perfectly natural which suggested they belonged to the same species and the author a slow suspicion burned in my mind the author was taking it rather too easily in his stride evidently he felt this was quite a usual thing he made absolutely no attempt to conceal this knowledge The story continued. Presently his eyes fastened on Julia. Julia, being a lady, had at least the breeding to feel indignant.

She is described as blushing and knitting her brows angrily, at this eye sighed with relief. They weren't all non-terrestrials. The narrative continues. Slowly, calmly, his eyes examined every inch of her. Great Scott! And here the girl turned and stomped off, and the matter ended. I lay back in my chair, gasping with horror. My wife and family regarded me in wonder.

What's wrong, dear? My wife asked. I couldn't tell her. Knowledge like this was too much for the ordinary run-of-the-mill person. I had to keep it to myself. Nothing. I gasped. I leaped up, snatched the book, and hurried out.

out of the room. In the garage I continued reading. There was more, tremblingly, I read the revealing passage. He put his arm around Julia. Presently she asked him if he would remove his arm. He immediately did so with a smile. It is not said what was done with the arm after the fellow had removed it. Maybe it was left standing upright in the corner.

it was thrown away. I don't care. In any case, the full meaning was there, staring me right in the face. Here was a race of creatures, capable of removing portions of their anatomy at will, eyes, arms, and maybe more, without batting an eyelash. My knowledge of biology came in handy at this point. Obviously they were simple beings, unicellular, some sort of primitive single- self-things, being no more developed than Starfish.

Starfish can do the same thing, you know. I read on, and came to this incredible revelation, tossed off coolly by the author without the faintest tremor. Outside the movie theater we split up. Part of us went inside, part over to the cafe for dinner. Binary fission, obviously. splitting in half and forming two entities. Probably each lower half went to the cafe, it being farther, and the upper halves to the

movies. I read on, hands shaking. I had really stumbled on to something here. My mind reeled as I made out this passage. I'm afraid there's no doubt about it. Poor Bimni has lost his head again, which was followed by. and Bob says he has utterly no guts. Yet Bimni got around as well as the next person.

The next person, however, was just as strange. He was described as totally lacking in brains. There was no doubt of the thing in the next passage. Julia, whom I had thought to be the one normal person, reveals herself as also being an alien life. form similar to the rest. Quite deliberately, Julia had given her heart to the young man. It didn't relate what the final disposition of the organ was, but I didn't really care.

It was evident. Julia had gone right on living in her usual manner, like all the others in the book, without heart, arms, eyes, brains, visurer, dividing up in two when the occasion demanded. without a quam. Thereupon she gave him her hand. I sickened. A rascal now had her hand as well as her heart. I shuddered to think what he's done with him by this time.

He took her arm. Not content to wait. He had to start dismantling her on his own. Flushing crimson I slammed the book shut and leaped to my feet, but not in time to escape one last reference to those carefree bits of anatomy whose travels had originally thrown me on the track. Her eyes followed him all the way down the road and across the meadow. I rushed from the garage and back inside the warm house, as if the accursed things were following me. My wife and children were playing monopoly in the kitchen.

I joined them and played with frantic fervor, brow feverish teeth chattering. I had had enough of the thing. I want to hear no more about it. Let them come on. Let them invade Earth. I don't want to get mixed up in it. I have absolutely no stomach for it. End of The Eyes Have It by Philip K. Dick.

Tony and the Beatles by Philip K. Dick, part one. This sleep of box recording is in the public domain. This story was originally published in Arbit magazine, 1953. Tony and the Beatles, Part 1 by Philip K. Dick. Reddish yellow sunlight filtered through the thick quartz windows into the sleep compartment. Tony Rossi, yawn, stirred a little, then opened his black eyes and said, sat up quickly. With one motion he tossed the covers back and slid to the warm metal floor.

He clicked off his alarm clock and hurried to the closet. It looked like a nice day. The landscape outside was motionless, undisturbed by winds or dust shift. The boy's heart pounded excitedly. He pulled his trousers on, zipped up the reinforced mesh, struggled into his heavy canvas shirt, and then sat down on the edge of the cot to talk. on his boots. He closed the seams around their tops and then did the same with his gloves. Next, he adjusted the pressure on his pump unit and strapped it between his shoulder blades.

He grabbed his helmet from the dresser and he was ready for the day. In the dining compartment his mother and father had finished breakfast. Their voices drifted to him as he clattered down the ramp. A disturbed murmur, he paused to listen. What were they talking about? Had he done something wrong again? And then he caught it. Behind their voices was another voice, static and crackling pops. The all-system audio signal from Rigel IV.

They had it turned up full blast. The dull thunder of the monitor's voice boomed loudly. The war. Always the war. He sighed and stepped out into. the dining compartment. Morning. His father muttered.

Good morning, dear. His mother said, absently. She sat with her head turned to one side, wrinkles of concentration webbing her forehead. Her thin lips were drawn together in a tight line of concern. His father had pushed his dirty dishes back and was smoking, elbows on the table, dark hairy arms bare and muscular. He was scowling, intent on the jumbled roar from the speaker of the sink.

How's it going?" Tony asked. He slid into his chair and reached automatically for the Erzatz grapefruit. Any news from Orion? Neither of them answered. They didn't hear him. He began to eat his grapefruit. Outside, beyond the little metal and plastic housing unit, sounds of activity grew.

Shouts and muffled crashes as rural merchants and their trucks rumbled along the highway toward Cornet. The reddish daylight swelled. Beetlejuice was rising quietly and majestically. Nice day, Tony said. No flux wind. I think I'll go down to the end quarter a while. We're building a neat spaceport, a model, of course. But we've been able to get enough materials to lay out strips for—

With a savage snarl, his father reached out and struck. The audio roar immediately died. I knew it! He got up and moved angrily away from the table. I told them it would happen. They shouldn't have moved so soon. Should have built up class a supply basis first. Isn't our main fleet moving in from Belatrix?

Tony's mother fluttered anxiously. According to last night's summary, the worst that can happen is Orion 9 and 10 will be dumped. Joseph Rossi laughed harshly. The hell with last night's summary. They know as well as I do what's happening." "'What's happening?' Tony echoed as he pushed aside his grapefruit and began to ladle out dry cereal. "'Are we losing the battle?' "'Yes.'

His father's lips twisted earthmen, losing to—to beetles. I told them, but they couldn't wait. "'My God, there's ten good years left in this system. Why they have to push on? everybody knew Orion would be tough. The whole damn beetle fleet strung out around there waiting for us, and we have to barge right in. But nobody ever thought Beatles would fight.

Leah Rossi protested mildly. Everybody thought they'd just fire a few blasts, and then they have to fight. Orion's the last jump off. If they don't fight there, where the hell can they fight? Rossi swore savagely. Of course they're fighting. We have all their planets except the inner Orion string. Not that they're worth much, but it's the principle of the thing.

If we built up strong supply bases, we could have broken up the beetle fleet and really clobbered it. Don't say beetle. Tony muttered as he finished his cereal. Their pos Udetti, same as here. The word beetle comes from beetle juice. An Arabian word we invented ourselves. Joe Rossi's mouth opened and closed. What are you, a goddamn beetle lover?

Joe, Leah snapped for heaven's sake. Rossi moved toward the door. If I was ten years younger, I'd be out there. I'd really show those shiny-shelled insects what the hell they're up against. Them and their junky, beat-up old hulks, converted, freighters. His eyes blazed. When I think of them, shooting down Terran cruisers with our boys in them—' Orion's their system, Tony muttered. Their system! When the hell did you get to be an authority on space law? Why I ought to—he broke

off, choked with rage. My own kid, he muttered. One more crack out of you today, and I'll hang one on you, you'll furs. feel the rest of the week. Tony pushed his chair back. I won't be around here today. I'm going into Carnet with my EEP. Yeah, to play with Beatles. Tony said nothing.

He was already sliding his helmet in place and snapping the clamps tight. As he pushed through the back door into the lock membrane, he unscrewed his oxygen tap and set the tank filter into action. An automatic response conditioned by a lifetime spent on a colony planet in an alien system. A faint flux wind caught at him and swept yellow red dust around his boots. Sunlight glittered around the metal root of his family's housing unit, one of endless rows of squat boxes set in the sandy slope,

protected by the line of ore-refining installations against the horizon. He made an impatient signal, and from the storage shed his EEP came gliding out, catching the sunlight on its chrome trim we're going down into carnit tony said unconsciously slipping into the posse dialect hurry up the e e p took up its position behind him and he started briskly down the slope over the shifting sand toward the road there were quite a few traders out to-day it was a good day for the market only a fourth of the year was fit for travel beteljuice was an erratic and undependent son, not at all, like Saul, according to the edutapes, fed to Tony four hours a day, six days a week. He had never seen Saul himself. He reached the noisy road.

Poss Udetti were everywhere, whole groups of them with their primitive combustion-driven trucks, battered and filthy, motors grinding protestingly. He waved at the trucks as they pushed past him. After a moment one slowed down. It was piled with tis. bundled heaps of gray vegetables dried and prepared for the table, a staple of the Poss Udetti diet. Behind the wheel lounged a dark-faced, elderly Poss, one arm over the open window,

a rolled leaf between his lips. He was like all other Possiudetti, lank and hard-shelled, encased in a brittle sheath in which he lived and died. You want a ride? The Poss murmured, required protocol when an earthman on foot was encountered. is there room for my e e p the pos made a careless motion with his claw it can run behind sardonic amusement touched his ugly old face if it gets to carnate we'll sell it for scrap we can use a few condensers and relay tubing we're short on electronic maintenance stuff i know tony said solemnly as he climbed into the cabin of the truck it's all been sent to the big repair base at a ryan one for your war fleet Amusement vanished from the leathery face.

Yes, the war fleet. He turned away and started up the truck again. In the back, Tony's EEP had scrambled up on the load of Tis and was gripping precariously with its magnetic lines. Tony noticed the Paz Udetti's sudden change of expression, and he was puzzled. He started to speak to him, but now he noticed unusual quietness among the other Poss and the other trucks, and in front of his own, the war, of course.

It had swept through this system a century ago. These people had been left behind. Now all eyes were on Orion, on the battle between the Terran War Fleet and the Paz-Udetti collection of armed freighters. Is it true? Tony asked carefully, that you're winning? The elderly Paz grunted. We hear rumors.

Tony considered, my father says Tara went ahead too fast. He says we should have consolidated. We didn't assemble adequate supply bases. He used to be an officer when he was younger. He was with the fleet for two years. The pause was silent a moment. It's true, he said at last, that when you're so far from home,

supply is a great problem. We, on the other hand, don't have that. We have no distances to cover. Do you know anybody fighting?" I have distant relatives. The answer was vague. The Posse obviously didn't want to talk about it. Have you ever seen your war fleet?"

Not as it exists now. When the system was defeated, most of our units were wiped out. Remnants leapt to Orion and joined the Orion fleet. Your relatives were with the remnants? That's right. Then you were alive when this planet was taken? Why do you ask?" The old Paz quivered violently.

What business is it of yours?" Tony leaned out and watched the walls and building of Carnet grow ahead of them. Carnet was an old city. It had stood thousands of years. The Paz-Udetti civilization was stable. It had reached a certain point of technocratic development and then leveled off. The Paz had inter-system ships that had carried people and freight between planets in the the days before the Terran Confederation. They had combustion-driven cars, audio phones, a power

network of magnetic type. Their plumbing was satisfactory and their medicine was highly advanced. They had art forms, emotional and exciting. They had a vague religion. Who do you think will win the battle?" Tony asked. I don't know. With a sudden jerk, the old Paz brought the truck to a crashing halt. This is as far as I go. Please get out and take your E.E. with you." Tony faltered in surprise. But aren't you going no farther?"

Tony pushed the door open. He was vaguely uneasy. There was a hard, fixed expression on the leathery face, and the old creature's voice had a sharp edge he had never known before. Thanks, he murmured. He hopped down into the red dust and signaled his EEP. It released its magnetic lines and instantly the truck started up with a roar, past passing on inside the city.

Tony watched it go, still dazed. The hot dust lapped at his ankles. He automatically moved his feet and slapped at his trousers. A truck honked, and his EEP quickly moved him from the road up to the level pedestrian ramp. Poss, Udetti and swarms moved by, endless lines of rural people hurrying into Carnet on their daily business. A massive public bus had stopped by the gate and was letting off passengers. Male and female Paws and children, they laughed and shouted. The sounds of their voices blended with a low hum of the city.

Going in? A sharp Paz-Udetti voice sounded close behind him. Keep moving. You're blocking the ramp. It was a young female with a heavy armload clutched in her claws. Tony felt embarrassed. Female Paz had a certain telepaths. a certain telepathic ability, part of their sexual makeup, it was effective on Earthmen at

close range. Here, she said, give me a hand." Tony nodded his head, and the EEP accepted the female's heavy arm load. I'm visiting the city, Tony said, as they moved with the crowd toward the gates. I got a ride most of the way, but the driver let me off here. You're from the settlement?" Yes. She eyed him critically.

You've always lived here, haven't you? I was born here. My family came here from Earth four years before I was born. My father was an officer in the fleet. He earned an immigration priority. So you've never seen your own planet. How old are you? Ten years, Terran.

You shouldn't have asked the driver so many questions. They passed through the decontamination shield and into the city. An information square loomed ahead. Paa's men and women were packed around it, moving shoots and transport cars rumbled everywhere. Buildings and ramps and open-air machinery, the city was sealed in a protective, dust-proof envelope. Tony unfastened his helmet and clipped it to his belt. The air was stale-smelling, artificial, but usable. "'Let me tell you something,' the young female said carefully as she strode along the foot-ramp beside Tony.

I wonder if this is a good day for you to come into Carnet. I know you've been coming here regularly to play with your friends, but perhaps today you ought to stay at home in your settlement. Why? Because today everybody is upset. I know, Tony said. My mother and father were upset. They were listening to the news from our base in the Rigel system.

I don't mean your family. Other people are listening to. These people here. My race. They're upset, all right, Tony admitted. But I come here all the time. There's nobody to play with at the settlement, and anyhow we're working on a project.

A model spaceport. That's right. Tony was envious. I sure wish I was the telepath. It must be fun. The female Puss Udetti was silent. She was deep in thought. What would happen?

she asked, if your family left here and returned to Earth. That couldn't happen. There's no room for us on Earth. Sea bombs destroyed most of Asia and North America back in the 20th century. Suppose you had to go back. Tony did not understand. But we can't. Habitable portions of Earth are overcrowded. Our main problem is finding places for Terrence to live in other systems, he added.

And anyhow, I don't. particularly want to go to Terra. I'm used to it here. All my friends are here. I'll take my packages,' the female said. I go this other way down this third-level ramp. Tony nodded to his EEP, and it lowered the bundles into the female's claws. She lingered a moment trying to find the right words. Good luck, she said. With what? She smiled, faintly, ironically, with your model's spaceport. I hope you and your friends get to finish it.

Of course we'll finish it, Tony said surprised. It's almost done. What did she mean? End of Part 1 of Tony and the Beatles. Tony and the Beatles by Philip K. Dick, part two. This Libra Box recording is in the public domain. The posyudetti woman hurried off before he could ask her. Tony was troubled and uncertain.

More doubts filled him. after a moment he headed slowly into the lane that took him toward the residential section of the city past the stores and factories to the place where his friends lived the group of posyudetti children eyed him silently as he approached they had been playing in the shade of an immense hingello whose ancient branches drooped and swayed with the air currents pumped through the city now they sat unmoving i didn't expect you to-day but prith said in an expressionless voice tony halted awkwardly and his e e p did the same how are things he murmured fine i got a ride part way fine tony squatted down in the shade none of the pa's children stirred they were small not as large as terran children their shells had not hardened and had not turned dark and opaque like horn It gave them a soft, unformed appearance, but at the same time it lightened their load. They moved more easily than their elders. They could hop and skip around still, but they were not skipping right now.

What's the matter? Tony demanded. What's wrong with everybody? No one answered. Where's the model? he asked. Have you fellows been working on it? After a moment, liar nodded slightly. Tony felt dull anger, rise up inside him. "'Say something. What's the matter? What are you all mad about?'

"'Mad?' the Prith echoed. "'We're not mad.' Tony scratched aimlessly in the dust. He knew what it was. The war again. The battle going on near Orion. His anger burst up wildly. Forget the war. Everything was fine yesterday before the battle. Sure, Lyra said it was fine. Tony caught the edge of his voice. It happened a hundred years ago. It's not my fault. Sure, Beprith said.

This is my home, isn't it? Haven't I got as much right here as anybody else? I was born here. Sure, liar said, tonelessly. Tony appealed to them helplessly. Do you have to act this way? You didn't act this way yesterday. I was here yesterday.

All of us were here yesterday. What's happened since? yesterday. The battle, Beprith said. What difference does that make? Why does that change everything? There's always war. There have been battles all the time, as long as I can remember.

What's different about this? Beprith broke apart a clump of dirt with his strong claws. After a moment he tossed it away and got slowly to his feet. Well, he said thoughtfully, According to our audio relay, it looks as if our fleet is going to win this time. Yes, Tony agreed, not understanding. My father says we didn't build up adequate supply bases. We'll probably have to fall back to—and then the impact hit him.

You mean, for the first time in a hundred years? Yes, Lyre said, also getting up. The others got up, too. They moved away from Tony toward the nearby house. We're winning. The Terran flank was turned half an hour ago. Your right wing has folded completely. Tony was stunned.

And it matters. It matters to all of you. Matters! The Prith halted, suddenly blazing out in fury. Sure, it matters. For the first time in a century? The first time. in our lives, we're beating you. We have you on the run, you. He choked out the word,

almost spat it out. You, white grubs! They disappeared into the house. Tony sat gazing stupidly down at the ground, his hands still moving aimlessly. He had heard the word before, seen it scrawled on walls and in the dust near the settlement. White grubs. The paws turned term of derision for Terrans. Because of their softness, their whiteness, lack of hard shells, pulpy, doughy skin, but they had never dared say it out loud before. To an Earthman's face! Beside him, his EEP stirred restlessly. Its intricate radio mechanism sensed the hostile atmosphere. Automatic relays were sliding into place, circuits were opening and closing. It's all right, Tony murmured, getting slowly up.

Maybe we'd better go back. He moved unsteadily toward the ramp, completely shaken. The EEP walked calmly ahead, its metal face blank and confident, feeling nothing, saying nothing. Tony's thoughts were a wild turmoil. He shook his head, but the crazy spinning kept up. He couldn't make his mind slow down, lock in place. Wait a minute, a voice said. Beprith's voice from the open doorway, cold and withdrawn almost unfamiliar.

What do you want? Beprith came toward him, claws behind his back in the formal posyudetti posture, used between total strangers. You shouldn't have come here today. I know, Tony said. Beprith got out a bit of Tis-strock and began to roll it into a turn. tube. He pretended to concentrate on it. Look, he said. You said you have a right here, but you don't.

I, Tony, murmured. Do you understand why not? You said it isn't your fault. I guess not, but it's not my fault either. Maybe it's nobody's fault. I've known you a long time. Five years, Terran. But Prith twisted the stock up and tossed it away. Yesterday we played together. We worked on the spaceport, but we can't play today. My family said to tell you not to come here anymore. He hesitated and did not look Tony in the face. I was going to tell you, anyhow, before they said anything. Oh, Tony said. Everything that's happened today, the battle, our fleets stand. We didn't know. We didn't dare hope, you see. A century of running. First this system, then the Rijal system, all the planets, then the other Orion stars.

We fought here and there, scattered fights. Those that got away joined up. We supplied the base at Orion, you people didn't know, but there was no hope. At least nobody thought there was. He was silent a moment. Funny, he said. What happens when your backs to the wall and there isn't any further place to go? Then you have to fight.

If our supply bases, Tony Beacon, began thickly, but Beprith cut him off savagely. Your supply bases! Don't you understand? We're beating you. Now you'll have to get out. All you white grubs, out of our system." Tony's EEP moved forward ominously.

Beprith saw it. He bent down, snatched up a rock, and hurled it straight at the EEP. The rock clanged off the metal hull and down. bounced harmlessly away. But Prith snatched up another rock. Lyre and the others came quickly out of the house. An adult paws loomed up behind them. Everything was happening too fast.

More rocks crashed against the EEP. One struck Tony on the arm. Get out! Beprith screamed. Don't come back. This is our planet. His claws snatched it, Tony. We'll tear you to pieces of you.

Tony smashed him in the chest. The soft shell gave like rubber, and the paws stumbled back. He wobbled and fell over, gasping and screeching. Beetle! Tony breathed hoarsely. Suddenly he was terrified. A crowd of Pasudetti was forming rapidly. They surged on all sides, hostile faces, dark and angry.

A rising thunder of rage. More stones showered. Some struck the EEP. Others fell around Tony. near his boots. One whizzed past his face. Quickly he slid his helmet in place. He was scared. He knew his EEP's E-Signal had already gone out, but it would be minutes before a ship could come. Besides, there were other Earthmen in the city to be taken care of. There were Earthmen all over the planet, in all the cities on all the 23 Beetlejuice planets, on the 14 Rigio planets,

on the other Orion planets. We have to get out of here. He muttered to the EEP, Do something! A stone hit him on the helmet. The plastic cracked, air leaked out, and then the auto seal filmed over. More stones were falling. The paws swarmed close a yelling, seething mass of black-sheathed creatures.

He could smell them. The acrid body odor of insects, hear their claws snap, feel their weight. The EEP threw its heat beam on. The beam shifted in a wide band toward the crowd of Poss Udetti. Crude hand weapons appeared. A clatter of bullets burst around, Tony. They were firing at the EEP. He was dimly aware of the metal body beside him.

A shuddering crash. The EEP was toppled over. The crowd poured over it. The metal hull was lost from sight. Like a demented animal, the crowd tore at the struggling EEP. A few of them smashed in its head. Others tore off struts in shiny arm sections. The EEP seized struggling.

The crowd moved away, panting and clutching jagged remains. They saw Tony. As the first line of them reached for him, the protective envelope high above them shattered. A Terran scout ship thundered down, heat-beams screaming. The crowd scattered in confusion. Some firing, some throwing stones, others leaping for safety. Tony picked himself up and made his way unsteadily toward the spot where the scout was landing. "'I'm sorry,' Joe Rossi said gently.

He touched his son on the shoulder. I shouldn't have let you go down there today. I should have known." Tony sat hunched over in the big plastic easy chair. He rocked back and forth, face pale with shock. the scout ship which had rescued him had immediately headed back toward Carnet. There were other earthmen to bring out, besides this first load. The boy said nothing.

His mind was blank. He still heard the roar, the crowd, felt its hate, a sentry of pent-up fury and resentment. The memory drove out everything else. It was all around him, even now. And the sight of the floundering EEP, the metallic ripping-sac-exam. as its arms and legs were torn off and carried away. His mother dabbed at his cuts and scratches with antiseptic. Joe Rossi shakily lit a cigarette and said,

If your EEP hadn't been along, they'd have killed you. Beatles! He shuddered. I never should have let you go down there. All this time, they might have done it any time, any day. Knifed you, cut you open with their filthy goddamn. CLAWS. Below the settlement, the reddish-yellow sunlight glinted on gun barrels.

Already dull booms echoed against the crumbling hills. The defense ring was going into action. Black shapes darted and scurried up the side of the slope. Black patches moved out from Carnet toward the Terran's settlement. Across the dividing line the Confederation surveyors had set up a century ago. was a bubbling pot of activity. The whole city rumbled with feverish excitement. Tony raised his head.

They—they turned our flank. Yeah. Joe Rossi stubbed out his cigarette. They sure did. That was at one o'clock. At two they drove a wedge right through the center of our line. Split the fleet in half, broke it up, sent it running. Picked us off one by one as we fell back.

Christ! They're like maniacs. Now that they've got the scent, the taste of our blood." "'But it's getting better,' Leah fluttered. Our main fleet units are beginning to appear. "'We'll get them,' Joe muttered. It'll take a while. But by God we'll wipe them out every last one of them.

If it takes a thousand years, we'll follow every last ship down. We'll get them all." His voice rose to. a frenzy. Beatles! God damn insects! When I think of them trying to hurt my kid with that filthy black claws— If you were younger, you'd be in the line, Leah said.

It's not your fault you're too old. The heart strain's too great. You did your job. They can't let an older person take chances. It's not your fault. Joe clenched his fists. I feel so futile if there was only something I could do. The fleet will take care of them.

Lee is said soothingly. You said so yourself. They'll hunt every one of them down. Destroy them all. There's nothing to worry about." Joe sagged miserably. It's no use. Let's cut it out.

Let's stop kidding ourselves. Oh, what do you mean? Face it. We're not going to win. Not this time. We went too far. Our times come. There was silence.

Tony sat up a little. When did you know? I've known a long time. I found out today. I didn't understand that first. This is stolen ground. I was born here, but it's stolen ground. Yes, it's stolen.

It doesn't belong to us. We're here because we're stronger. But now we're not stronger. We're being beaten. They know Terrans can be licked like anybody else. Joe Rossi's face was gray and flabby. We took their planets away from them. Now they're taking them back.

It'll be a while, of course. We'll retreat slowly. It'll be another five centuries going back. There are a lot of systems between here and Saul. Tony shook his head, still uncomprehending. Even liar and breath. All of them, waiting for their time to come. For us to lose and go away again?

Where we came from? Joe Rossi paced back and forth. Yeah, we'll be retreating from now on, giving ground instead of taking it. It'll be like this today, losing fights, draws, stalemates, and worse. He raised his feverish eyes toward the ceiling of the little metal housing unit, face while with passion and misery. But by God, we'll give them a little. run for their money, all the way back every inch.

End of Part 2 of Tony and the Beatles by Philip K. Dick.