Norman couldn’t believe at first that it was an alien life form from another planet somewhere in a distant solar system who engaged him in conversation, if it could be called conversation. For one thing, the alien life form looked remarkably like his Uncle Max. For another, the alien had the same supercilious smile as his Uncle. Then, too, the alien life form referred to him as ‘Normie’, a term his Uncle over-used and that Norman disliked…
– – We want you to come with us…
– – I’m not going with anyone who looks like Uncle Max… And what’d you mean we?
– – Let me put it this way, Normie… You’re coming with me.
– – You know, the way you said that… I’d swear you were Uncle Max, except he’s been dead for eight years.
– – Forget him…
– – What’d you mean?… You sound more like him every second… And how’d you get into my apartment anyway?
– – Forget about that… You’re coming along because we have to probe you.
– – What?
– – You don’t know what probe means?
– – Does it hurt?
– – Of course it hurts when you stick a probe into someone’s brain… I mean, I’m not going to be hurt…
– – In my brain?… Say, how come you’re ordering me around?… And another thing… How come you speak English?
– – What’d you mean English?… What I’m trying to figure is how come you speak our language?
– – I’m speaking English.
– – Look, Normie, you’re talking our language… And we come from light years away… We’ve got to figure out what’s going on here. Naturally we’ve got to probe.
– – What?
– – I was beamed to your apartment. And immediately you seem suspicious, the way you’re talking… Now we’ve got to get going.
– – Are you sure you’ve never had anything to do with my Uncle?…