Avon Fantasy Reader No. 8 — page 72: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

68 RAY BRADBURY = “You don’t know him,” said Mink. “A new boy in the neighborhood?” asked Mom. “He’s new all right,” said Mink. She started on her second bowl. “Which one is Drill?” asked Mom. 3 “He’s around,” said Mink, evasively. “You'll make fun. Everybody pokes fun. Gee, darn.” | “Is Drill shy?” : 7 “Yes. No. In a way. Gosh, Mom, I got to run if we want to have the In- vasion!” | “Who’s invading what?” 3 “Martians invading Earth—well, not exactly Martians. They’re—I don’t know. From up.” She pointed with her spoon. : “And inside,” said Mom, touching Mink’s feverish brow. | Mink rebelled. “You’re laughing! You'll kill Drill and everybody.” “I didn’t mean to,” said Mom. “Drill’s a Martian 2” “No. He’s—well—maybe from Jupiter or Saturn or Venus: Anyway, he’s had a hard time.” “I imagine.” Mrs. Morris hid her mouth behind her hand. “They couldn’t figure a way to attack Earth.” "We're impregnable,” said Mom, in mock-seriousness. ; “That’s the word Drill used! Impreg—That was the word, Mom.” “My, my. Drill’s a brilliant little boy. Two-bit words.” “They couldn’t figure a way to attack, Mom. Drill says—he says in order to make a good fight you got to have a new way of surprising people. That way you win. And he says also you got to have help from your enemy.” “A fifth column,” said Mom. “Yeah. That’s what Drill said. And they couldn’t figure a way to surprise Earth or get help.” i “No wonder. We’re pretty darn strong,” laughed Mom, cleaning up. Mink sat there, staring at the table, seeing what she was talking about. | ye “Until, one day,” whispered Mink, melodramatically, “they thought of children!” | “Well!” said Mrs. Morris brightly. “And they thought of how grown-ups are so busy they never look under rose-bushes or on lawns!” “Only for snails and fungus.” “And then there’s something about dim-dims.” ~Dim-dims?” “Dimens-shuns.” “Dimensions?” “Four of ’em! And there’s something about kids under-nine and imagina- tion. It’s real funny to hear Drill talk.” : : Mrs. Morris was tired. “Well, it must be funny. You’re keeping Drill wait- eonnichool<s.cornny