He glimmered momentarily, then vanished.Hellhounds of the Cosmos
By Clifford D. Simak
The paper had gone to press,graphically describing thelatest of the many horribleevents which had been enactedupon the Earth in the last sixmonths. The headlinesscreamedthat Six Corners,a little hamlet inPennsylvania, hadbeen wiped out by the Horror. Anotherfront-page story told of aTerror in the Amazon Valley whichhad sent the natives down the riverin babbling fear. Other stories toldof deaths hereand there, all attributableto the"Black Horror,"as it was called.
The telephone rang.
"Hello," said the editor.
"London calling," came the voiceof the operator.
"All right," replied the editor.
He recognized the voice of TerryMasters, special correspondent. Hisvoice came clearly over the transatlantictelephone.
"The Horror is attacking Londonin force," he said. "There arethousands of them and they havecompletely surrounded the city. Allroads are blocked. The governmentdeclared the city under martial rulea quarter of an hour ago and effortsare being made to prepare for resistanceagainst the enemy."
"Just a second," the editorshouted into the transmitter.
He touched a button on his deskand in a moment an answering buzztold him he was in communicationwith the press-room.
"Stop the presses!" he yelled intothe speaking tube. "Get ready fora new front make-up!"
"O.K.," came faintly through thetube, and the editor turned back tothe phone.
"Now let's have it," he said, andthe voice at the London end of thewire droned on, telling the storythat in another half hour was readby a world which shuddered in coldfear even as it scanned the glaringheadlines.
"Woods," said the editor ofthe Press to a reporter,"run over and talk to Dr. SilasWhite. He phoned me to send someone.Something about this Horrorbusiness."
Henry Woods rose from his chairwithout a word and walked fromthe office. As he passed the wiremachine it was tapping out, witha maddeningly methodical slowness,the story of the fall of London.Only half an hour before it hadrapped forth the flashes concerningthe attack on Paris and Berlin.
He passed out of the buildinginto a street that was swarmingwith terrified humanity. Six monthsof terror, of numerous mysteriousdeaths, of villages blotted out, hadset the world on edge. Now withLondon in possession of the Horrorand Paris and Berlin fighting hopelesslyfor their lives, the entirepopulation of the world was halfinsane with fright.
Exhorters on street corners enlargedupon the end of the world,asking that the people prepare foreternity, attributing the Horror tothe act of a Supreme Being enragedwith the wickedness of theEarth.
Expecting every moment an attackby the Horror, people lefttheir work and gathered in thestreets. Traffic, in places, had beenblocked for hours and law and orderwere practically paralyzed. Commerceand transportation were disruptedas fright-ridden people fledfrom the larger cities, seekingdoubtful hiding places in rural districtsfrom the death that stalkedthe land.
A loudspeaker in front of a musicstore blared forth the latest newsflashes.
"It has been learned," came themeasured tones of the announcer,"that all communication with Berlin