er in a panic after he left。 Something about the man just hadn't seemed right。。。
The next morning Linda woke up to find one of her eyes was swollen shut。
All of the madness of this period came together in a single case revolving around a young woman whom I shall call Shirley。 She lived in Seaford； Long Island； a town that enjoyed a brief moment of fame several years ago when it became the center of a widely publicized poltergeist case。 Shirley and her husband were separated and she lived alone with her small child。
At 3 P。M。 on the afternoon of September 26； she heard a loud humming sound outside her house； which was in an isolated； wooded area。 She looked out the window and saw a silver disc…shaped object hovering about one hundred feet in the air。 It seemed to be perfectly smooth with no visible windows or doors。 While she was staring at it her doorbell rang。 When she answered she found 〃an Indian woman〃 standing there。 This woman was about five foot nine inches； dark…skinned 〃but not Negro；〃 dressed in a long gray gown that reached her feet and was made from some…shimmering material。
〃Hello； Pat；〃 the woman said。
〃You must have the wrong house； my name isn't Pat；〃 Shirley replied。 Unknown to Shirley； Pat was another of my long list of silent contactees。
〃I'm sorry 。。。 I meant Shirley；〃 the woman corrected herself； a reassuring grin fixed on her dark； pointed face。 〃Could I have some salt？ I must take a pill。〃
Shirley thought this was very peculiar。 She had no idea that another contactee was involved in a game which required her to buy large quantities of salt； transport it to Mount Misery； and leave it in a field for the space people in the belief that salt was an essential part of their diet。
She went and got a box of salt and handed it to the woman who took a large handful and swallowed it。 Then she thanked Shirley and walked away into the bushes。 There was a loud humming sound； louder than before； and Shirley saw the silver disc rise up and shoot off into the sky。 An hour or so later Shirley had an attack of nausea。
When I interviewed her I found her to be a sweet； if somewhat homely； young lady； not very bright； and certainly not imaginative enough to manufacture the things that were to happen later。
A lonely woman living in a lonely place； separated from her husband； perfect fodder for the games the nonpeople loved to play。
Her birthday was September 6。
Following that first visit； Shirley repeatedly heard a baby crying when her own child was sleeping peacefully。
The woman returned on September 30； asking for more salt。 She identified herself as Cloe （the name of a character in one of my uncelebrated novels） and warned Shirley to lock all her doors and windows that night。 This time no UFO was visible。
Later that evening； Jaye P。 Paro phoned me to tell me that she had just had a narrow escape。 While she was walking along a road near Mount Misery； a black Cadillac had roared out of the darkness and e within inches of running her down。 All its lights were out and it disappeared quickly into the darkness。 She was very upset。
Shortly after Jaye hung up； Shirley called in a very nervous state。 A large black car was parked outside her house； she said； and two men pletely dressed in black； with broad…brimmed black hats and turtleneck sweaters； were setting up a camera。 At first she thought they were priests。
〃They're taking pictures of my house！〃 she exclaimed。 〃Now why would anyone want to do that？ At night yet！〃
The camera they were using had a large bright red light attached to it。
〃Don't look at that light；〃 I advised sternly。
〃Do you think I should call the police？〃
〃I'm afraid taking a picture is no crime。 They'd probably laugh at you。〃
〃They're getting back in the car。 You know； its headlights are out。 I don't know how they can see。 They're driving off。〃
While I was talking to Shirley； Mary Hyre was trying to call me from West Virginia。 She finally called Dan Drasin and asked him to get in touch with me as soon as my line was free。 I called her back and she told me she had just had a frightening encounter with a black Cadillac。 While she was walking down the deserted Main Street （the sidewalks roll up about 7 P。M。）； a car driven 〃by a very large man〃 pulled away from the curb and slowly followed her。 She walked to her own car and the Cadillac slowly went around a corner。 She got into her car and went looking for the stranger。
〃I was heading out to Route 62 when I saw it again；〃 she said 〃It headed straight for me。 I pulled over as far as I could and it almost ran right into me。 It was the same car 。。。 but now there were three men in it。 I could see that one of them was wearing glasses 。。。 like those sunglasses that wrap around your head。 I've never seen any of them in Point Pleasant before。 What do you suppose they were trying to prove？〃
〃I think they were trying to prove something to me； Mary；〃 I answered slowly。 〃I'm sure they didn't mean you any harm。〃
As I replaced the receiver I thought to myself： they're doing it； they're turning this old boy into a raving paranoiac。
The phone rang again。 I picked it up wearily。
Beep； beep； beep； beep。
17 … Even the Bedouins Hate Their Telephone pany
I。
Every phone call from Ivan Sanderson in New Jersey was an adventure in electronic lunacy。 Weird whistles； static； beeps； and loud clicks like an extension being slammed down； haunted his line。 Often we were cut off suddenly in the middle of a conversation。 Sanderson's involvement in UFOs was strictly periphery。 He was primarily a biologist and zoologist and earned a good part of his living writing animal encyclopedias。 A tall； thin； handsome Britisher in his mid…fifties； Ivan was an electrifying personality。 In his younger days he was familiar to television viewers as the animal expert on the old Garry Moore show； and even had his own program on NBC for a number of years。
In 1967； Ivan was under a great strain。 Alma； his wife of thirty years； was terminally ill。 Like all authors； he had constant financial problems。 That summer he was feeling ill。 Once he took to his bed and sweated profusely for forty…eight hours。 And he confided to me that he had suffered a two…day siege with the cosmic clap； （＋） the symptoms disappearing as suddenly and mysteriously as they began。
＇*＇ 〃Everybody hates the telephone pany。 Even the Bedouins hate their telephone pany。〃 Line from the 1967 movie The President's Analyst。
＇＋＇ Male UFO witnesses sometimes develop a temporary set of symptoms resembling gonorrhea。
One day Jane called me with a message for 〃the man with skinny arms who wears dresses。〃 Very few people knew that Ivan lounged around his farm in a skirtlike garment popular in Indonesia。 The message suggested that he should take a certain kind of vitamin supplement。 I passed this on to him and a few days later he called to tell me that he felt 〃100 percent better〃 as soon as he started the vitamin regimen。
That fall a woman connected with the air force and the Colorado University UFO project arranged to spend a weekend on Ivan's farm to go through his UFO flies； which extended all the way back to the 1940s。 She drove up from Washington； D。C。； and when she arrived at his out…of…the…way farm on a narrow back road she was excited and nervous。 While driving up the New Jersey turnpike she became aware of a panel truck following her。 When she turned off the turnpike onto the country roads that would take her to Ivan's； the truck turned off and continued to follow her。
She stopped at a gas station and the truck pulled in behind her。 The driver got out and approached her。 He appeared very normal； she said； but his coveralls were very neatly pressed and his shoes were highly shined。
〃I've been watching your tires；〃 he told her。 〃I think there's a bad lump on one of your rear tires。〃
She looked but could see nothing wrong