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Robert's mouth was sagging open and his breathing was loud and laboured.
Conor and the others couldn't get over how ill he looked.
'Could you open the window a little, Conor,' gasped Robert. 'Just a little...'
Sweat trickled down Robert's face as Conor reached over to quickly wind down the window. The air rushed into the car as it rounded a sharp corner then bumped quickly over a hump-backed bridge.
****
'They seem to be heading north! Near Dungloe!' shouted the pilot pointing to the moving light on the screen.
Dungloe? thought Smith. What's there? Why Dungloe?
****
'That box,' Joseph said, nodding to the communicator on Robert's lap. 'I've been puzzled by it. What's it for?'
'When it is switched on it will emit a signal that will pinpoint my position to my parents,' explained Robert. 'They will be able to come for me. But I have to be at least 400 meters above the land. The signal has to travel billions of miles out into space.'
'But how do you know your parents will be able to pick up the signal?' asked Paul. 'How will they know it's you?'
Robert took a few deep breaths before answering. 'When I did not return, my parents would have built a receiver. They will have been waiting for it to pick up my signal. They would always have waited,' added Robert proudly. 'They...' Suddenly he gave a loud gasp and doubled over holding his stomach.
Conor glanced at Sarah's worried expression in the mirror. His grandfather frowned as he studied the groaning alien. Paul gulped.
Meanwhile, almost every wild animal and bird in North Donegal, were making their way to the foot of Errigal. Foxes ran beside rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, stoats and hundreds of wild mink, five of which had escaped from a mink farm in South Derry and had bred uninterrupted for the past four years, scrambled across the rough countryside. Stags and fallow deer silently loped across the gorse turf fields and heather eager to reach the mountain. By the time the car reached a place near Errigal called the Poisoned Glen, thousands of animals and birds were gathered around the lava streaked highest mountain in Donegal, Errigal. For some strange reason the animals had all been attracted to Errigal. Somehow they knew that the creature the humans called, Robert, was coming there.
****
Pointing ahead, the pilot shouted, 'Errigal!'
Smith peered through the window and saw the high range of mountains loom into sight. Errigal towered above them all.
'It's the highest mountain in Donegal!' shouted the pilot. 'Maybe that's where they are heading?' He pointed again to the screen.
'Of course,' Smith said aloud. 'That is where they are heading.' Grabbing the mike he pressed the button and shouted, 'Get me, George Walker!'
Five minutes later, three cars and six land rovers were heading towards Mount Errigal.
****
'Look!' shouted the pilot suddenly, pointing again to the screen. 'They've stopped.' He looked at Smith. 'What do you want me to do now?'
Smith narrowed his eyes as he studied the mountain. It stood clear in the bright moonlight. 'Can you land on top of it?' he asked.
'I can try,' said the pilot.
'Then try!' shouted Smith. 'And keep the communication channel open.'
****
By then, Conor and Paul were helping Robert from the car. He was still groaning with pain.
He looks awful, thought Sarah, when she walked around the car to where they were.
'Do I? I suppose I do,' grunted Robert, as he straightened. He took a few quick breaths before looking up to the top of the mountain. 'We have to hurry,' he whispered loudly.
Seconds later, all five were heading up the heather-covered path to where the animals and birds had gathered at the bottom of the mountain.
Whew, thought Paul looking up, as he helped Conor support Robert. It's some climb. I'll never make it.
'You have to, Paul. I need you,' came Robert's words. Grunting, Paul gripped Robert's arm tighter to give him more support.
****
When they reached the end of the path, and had begun the first slight incline, they saw the animals. Joseph gaped with astonishment at the silent sentinels as they all stared at Robert.
What is it about, Robert? Why are the animals here? Sarah thought.
'Because in a way I am one of them,' said Robert, stopping for a moment to catch his breath. 'They have sensed I was to come here. In a way they believe I am some sort of a God.'
'A God? What do you mean?' asked Sarah.
'You know I don't look like this?' said Robert, touching his chest.
'Like a human, you mean? What do you look like?' asked Sarah.
Robert smiled. 'Well not...' Suddenly he turned. 'They're here!'
Below on the main road they saw the cars and land rovers screech to a halt. Immediately the men inside them began spilling out. In the moonlight, the children and the old man could easily see they were all carrying guns. Seconds later, at least fifty men were heading up the path after them.
'They mustn't catch us!' shouted Robert. 'Hurry... hurry, help me!'
At once, Paul and Conor took Robert by the arms, and half-running they headed towards the first steep part of Mount Errigal.
Hanging back, Conor's grandfather stopped to look down at the men. They'll catch us, he thought. If only I had my old scatter gun with me. I could hold them back for a while.
Suddenly Robert stopped. Startled Paul and Conor felt him shake them loose. They studied Robert as he closed his eyes and pressed a finger to his head. Then they all turned when they heard Conor's grandfather yell. 'My gun!' Lying on the heather in front of him was his shotgun and a box of shells. Smiling excitedly he picked up the bullets and began to load the gun. As he did he turned to the children. 'Well, what are you all gaping at!' he shouted. 'Get going! I'll not shoot any of them. I couldn't do that. But I'll certainly make them think twice about coming after you. Go on! Go on!'
Robert glanced down at the men, and then said to Joseph. 'Before I go, I leave you with a present. A present of your future.' Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead with one finger. The children and Conor's grandfather looked up, when they saw a hazy screen materialize above them. On the screen they could see Conor's grandfather running along the road. On each side of the road people were waving and cheering him. Joseph watched with glistening eyes as he saw himself pass younger men and then he was coming up to the finishing line of the marathon. In a second he was over the line. Crowds of people were milling around him. Among them, smiling and happy were Ursula and Conor.
'The marathon,' he cried. 'You mean I'll really finish it?' As he turned to Robert the screen disappeared.
Robert smiled, but suddenly with a groan doubled over. Immediately the marathon was forgotten as the old man shouted, 'Get on up! Can't you see he's getting weaker? Get on. Get him to the top. Hurry!' Looking around for cover, he saw a small clump of heather and ran towards it. Kneeling, he glanced back up at the children then turned and took aim. The loud crack of the shotgun echoed down the mountain. As it did the animals scattered. At the same time the men below threw themselves to the ground.
****
Meanwhile, the pilot was landing the helicopter as gently as he could on a flat stony area about four meters square, near the center of the top of the mountain.
'Stay in the 'copter!' shouted Smith, grabbing a walkie-talkie from the back of his seat. He jumped to the ground. 'I'll keep in touch with you with this.'
The pilot spat out of the open window as Smith scrambled quickly over the rough terrain towards the edge of the mountain.
Two minutes later, Smith was lying on his stomach on some shingle trying to see through the light mist. Below, he could hear and see the sharp crack and flash of Joseph's gun. He tried to see where the children where, but that part of the mountain was covered in shadow. Smith watched for about ten minutes until he saw the children come out of the shadows and into the brighter part of the mountain. He smiled. His hand tightened on the butt of his revolver. The children where almost half way up. Reaching for the walkie-talkie he sat up. 'Contact, George,' he whispered to the pilot. 'Tell him the children are nearly half way up the mountain. Tell him they're not coming up here for nothing. Someone or something is meeting them on top of the mountain. I believe it will be other aliens. One of the children, a boy, seems hurt. I think he's the alien. Tell George I'll need back up. Do not contact me. If I need you, or George, I'll contact you. When he arrives tell him where I am. Tell him he's to get his men to spread out around the top of the mountain. Over.'
'Over,' said the pilot, staring out of the window at the moonlit sky as he pressed the mike control and whispered the coded signal. If anything does come from out there, he thought, as the static crackled, at least I'll see it first. He trembled with excitement.