"Do as I say. Who else is here besides you?"
"Nobody. Just the twins. They're upstairs in their room. What's
happened? You look so strange. Why are you home?"
Ed locked the front door. He prowled around the house, into the kitchen.
From the drawer under the sink he slid out the big butcher knife and ran
his finger along it. Sharp. Plenty sharp. He returned to the living
room.
"Listen to me," he said. "I don't have much time. They know I escaped
and they'll be looking for me."
"Escaped?" Janet's face twisted with bewilderment and fear. "Who?"
"The town has been taken over. They're in control. I've got it pretty
well figured out. They started at the top, at the City Hall and police
department. What they did with the _real_ humans they--"
"What are you talking about?"
"We've been invaded. From some other universe, some other dimension.
They're insects. Mimicry. And more. Power to control minds. Your mind."
"My mind?"
"Their entrance is _here_, in Pikeville. They've taken over all of you.
The whole town--except me. We're up against an incredibly powerful
enemy, but they have their limitations. That's our hope. They're
limited! They can make mistakes!"