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liz stepped backward； an expression of sheer revulsion on her face。
'It's a hand！'
Professor Lowson scrambled down into the hole and joined them。 'Let me see！' he gasped。 'Good Lord！ It's 。。。 it's；。。 something！'
'It's like a claw；' Gavin muttered； 'a webbed claw。 Some reptile。'
They scraped some more mud away。
There's a body under here；' Gavin snapped。 'Liz get out of this pit Stand and watch from the top if you want。 But get out！'
The girl hastened to obey。 She was going to vomit she was sure。 The smell and。。。 that！
'It's a body all right；' Lowson muttered。 'But nothing human。 Just look at those scales： like a reptile； greyish green。 Never seen anything like it。 The stench。 And 。。。 just look at that face！'
A stone gargoyle would have been handsome by parison。 Squashed distorted features； and a flat nose with cavernous nostrils。 It was hairless and earless； with the top lip overhanging the lower one； and covered in scales。 Oozing a land of slime。
Liz turned away and retched。 Below her the two men vomited showering the monstrosity with spew。 The stench was far stronger now； hanging in the windless atmosphere。
Gavin clutched at the muddy sides of the pit for support。 'Whatever is it？ Where the hell did a thing like that e from。 Professor？'
Curiosity was beginning to conquer fear and revulsion。
'Look at those scales for instance： greyish green。 The mud here is almost black。 Surely it would have taken on the colour of its surroundings as do most reptilian creatures。 See the slime too。 That has e from the creature itself。 Like a kind of perspiration。 That's what we can smell。'
'BO； eh？' Gavin Royle was attempting to recover some of his posure。
A sudden scream from above them rang out on the still evening air。 They whirled round。
Liz Beck was on her hands and knees peering down with a look of stark terror on her face。
'Look！' she screamed again。 'lust look！ Oh； my God！'
'What is it？ Liz for God's sake； what is it？ Has your reason snapped girl？' Gavin sought a foothold in the soft sides of their excavations。
She was close to hysteria。 That。。。 that thing； it's 。。。 its chest is heaving。 It's breathing！ It's （dive！'
They turned and looked again at the scaly； slimy monster。
Its chest rose and sank rhythmically。 Now they could hear it： laboured； rasping。 A bubble of slime formed on one of its nostrils； then burst。 Mud trickled from its mouth。
Gavin grabbed hold of Lowson and pushed him up the side of the pit with a strength born of terror。
'Get out！' he yelled。 'Get out before it's too late！'
Liz helped to pull them to safety and they collapsed in an ungainly heap in the zos and spartina grass。 Their power of speech seemed to have deserted them。 Their muscles were incapable of moving。 They retched and vomited again。
Below them all was silent except for that steady breathing。
'Well； it's still asleep。' Gavin found his cigarettes； lit two and passed one to Liz。 'Christ only knows what it would have done if we'd woken it up。'
The Professor crawled back to the edge of the crater and peered down； his fear dispersing rapidly。
'Interesting；' he murmured to himself。 'Fascinating； unbelievable！ And to think that we should have the honour of finding it'
'What do you think it is。 Professor？' Gavin asked with an arm around Liz。 'Or to be more precise where do you think it came from？ A prehistoric era？ Life preserved in the mud？'
Professor Lowson shook his head。
'No；' he replied； 'definitely not。 It is not of this earth。 That slime is proof enough of that。 I would say that somehow it has e from another world…a distant planet； another galaxy。 Somewhere where it lives beneath greyish…green mud。 Though how or why it is here is beyond me。'
That's crazy；' Gavin laughed。 Hollow and unconvincingly。 'A beast from another planet！ There has to be a logical explanation somewhere。 Maybe it's e from a zoo； or a safari park。 Caught up in the wilds of South America or some such place； then escaped。'
Professor Lowson rarely laughed。 He did now； but there was no mirth in it； only peals of semi…hysterical laughter rang out until Gavin and Liz both feared that his mind had snapped。 Suddenly he stopped。 He was rational again and cantankerous。
'No；' he murmured。 'Not even the darkest jungles of the Amazon could produce anything like this。 Yet it has e from somewhere and we have been privileged to find it。'
Dusk was now turning to darkness。 A good half…hour's walk lay ahead of them and Gavin did not relish the idea of losing their way on the saltings。 Especially with a loathsome creature like that in the vicinity。 It was sleeping； yes； but surely it must awake sometime。
'We'd better make a move。' He helped 'Liz to her feet 'First thing tomorrow morning I'll get a call through to the British Museum。 This is something they won't want to miss。'
But Lowson's voice stung him like a whiplash。 'No。 This is ours。 Yours； Liz's； Mine！ The greatest discovery of all time and you would let someone else take the credit for it！ Allow ourselves to be merged into anonymity？ Think again； man！ Anyway we haven't had a chance to examine it properly yet。 We cannot dismiss it with a cursory examination in the half…light。 The best thing we can do is to e back here tomorrow and have a good look in broad daylight； take a few tests； and then we can decide what we are going to do。'
Gavin nodded。 It seemed logical。 Just so long as nobody else found it in the meantime！
Professor Lowson followed Gavin and Liz。 He spoke little； his mind occupied with recent events。 That fool Gavin Royle。 It was typical of his breed to want to call in the experts right away！ Experts！ They would have even less idea of the beast's origin than he had。 His theories would be dismissed Somebody in authority would e up with some preposterous notion。 Earliest form of man and all that rot。 He could visualise the small part his own expedition would play in the days that followed。 The newspapers would report the thing as having been 'discovered by a small party searching for King John's lost treasure'。 Maybe even no names would be mentioned。 And what would they do with the monster？ Most likely put it in a cage and charge extortionate prices for the public to e and gawp at it！ It might even die。 Then the taxidermists would resurrect it There was something else though。 Something which only he had noticed。 Something which emanated from the thing。 Power！ He could not explain it even to himself； he just knew it…felt it！ Like waves of atomic radiation。 Evil but omnipotent
He thought about it again。 Power was made to be harnessed； used and controlled。 Take robots for instance： machinery； greater in strength than a whole nation of people； yet mindless and built to serve。 This beast was a robot except that it lived。 Probably it 'lacked the logic of even earliest man。
It needed a master； and only one man