JOHN LOOKED AT THE full moon, which seemed to be hanging close in a sky full of stars. A light chill persisted in the air, and the smell of the campfire told him that the fire needed stoking soon if it was going to stay for breakfast. He focused on a passing memory about some strange men invading this same campground where he was camping.
He could not hear anything unusual, but he felt a tension in the air. Barney stirred where he was dozing at John's elbow. He opened his eyes and rose to his feet, with the hair along the ridge of his back at full attention. He began a low continuous growl, as he tried to look in all directions at once. Obviously, Barney felt that something was wrong.
John rose from his bedroll and reached into his bag for the scope that he had packed. The camp was in a
