"I've dealt with you stinking Obloongs before." she hollered at them. "Don't you dare sling those evil tongues at me; I'll tie you up with them, and make you swallow them." They were such babies, Obloongs, and these two would think twice again before they tried anything on with a full-blooded female Xanian again.

One of the Obloongs had told her (unwittingly, actually, so she had shaken it out of him), "There are rumours on Earth." he had said, " The cattle die mysteriously, and the corn circles are a dead giveaway, but the Earthlings are a bit naive. Their governments have made deals with the Greys for weapons, and they aren't telling the people the truth, but you know those Greys have never kept their word. They'll see, those Earthlings. They'll be food for more than thought."

Xzhan had let them go after that. They had clammed up, and Xzhan couldn't get one more word out of them, good, bad, or indifferent. But, she had enough to go on. She'd head to Earth before too many of the humans started disappearing.