The Body Snatchers, Part Two (Details)
citation: Collier's, December 10, 1954, 134(12):114, 116-125
alias: None
teaser: There was a terror stalking our town. We knew what it was now, and we knew it meant to get us
summary: Failing to find the body on Jack's pool table, Miles, Jack, and Mannie go outside. Sitting on the grass, smoking, Mannie reasons nothing supernatural is happening; only a case of mass hysteria, like the European fourteenth century dancing malady, the Salem witch hunt, or UFOs.
Jack protests that the body on his pool table was real. Mannie agrees that it was, but hypothesizes Jack, Miles, Becky and Theodora are all under the influence of the delusion that's loose in Santa Mira.
Miles agrees, remembering a college classroom demonstration of the falibility of eye witnesses.
Jack gathers some things, and accompanies Miles and Mannie to Becky's house. There Miles sees only a thick mass of gray fluff
where he'd previously thought he'd seen Becky's duplicate. Agreeing with Mannie's opinion that all was a delusion, the three men go to Miles' house for breakfast.
Mannie leaves for work after breakfast. When Miles explains to Becky and Theodora they found no duplicates, and repeats Mannie's explanation, Theodora strongly disagrees. Rather than side with Miles and Mannie, Jack brings out newspaper clippings reporting odd events such as a rain of frogs, and mysterious seed pods found on a nearby farm, to prove his point that strange events really do happen every now and then.
When Theodora refuses to go back to her home, Miles proposes she and Jack, and Becky, stay at Miles' house. Miles prepares to go to work.
On his way to the office, Miles takes Jack to report finding a body to the local police chief, Nick Grivette. They hope Grivette will forgive Jack's delay in making the report, putting it all down to Jack's being a lierary type.
At his office, patients, including Becky's cousin Wilma Lentz, who'd previously complained to Miles people they knew were impostors, recant — as Mannie predicted they'd do.
That night, after dinner, Miles, Becky, Jack and Theodora sit in Miles' backyard drinking and talking. Theodora asks Jack to join her inside, leaving Miles and Becky alone. While kissing Becky, Miles is startled by Jack calling from the house.
In the coalbin in Miles' basement, they see four giant seed pods. Jack reminds Miles about the mysterious seed pods described in the local newspaper. They watch as the pods crack open, and begin to form bodies; one for each of them.
Miles destroys the bodies by injecting each with a hundred c.c. of air. Jack wants to inform the authorities so they can Root this thing out, smash it, crush it, kill it.
They telephone the FBI in San Francisco, but the connection eventually fails; twice. Realizing their telephone calls are being monitored, they decide to leave Santa Mira.
In a panic, they flee in Jack's car. After driving for about an hour, Miles notices Becky sleeping in the back seat. In a panic, he forces Jack to stop, then grabs the keys to open the trunk. There, he and Jack see two pods bursting open. Miles throws the pods onto the ground, crushing them underfoot.
They awake Becky and Theodora, then decide they must return to Santa Mira. Miles and Becky will stay there to do what they can, while Jack and Theodora drive for help.
Left off near Miles' house, he and Becky walk toward town. They notice things look deserted; unkept. In front of Becky's house, they see Aunt Aleda's and Ira's car. Crouching below a window, they hear Wilma, Becky's father, and Ira mocking Miles and Becky. Becky cries, They're after us, all of them, and they'll get us for sure. Miles, we've got to run.
They leave. Miles tries to call Mannie Kaufman, but the line goes dead. He calls Jack. Speaking in code, Miles tells Jack he and Becky are going to visit Professor Budlong. They go to Miles' house to pick up his car.
Parking in a secluded area near Budlong's house, they hike to Budlong's backyard, then ring the bell at the side door. When Professor Budlong answers, they introduce themselves.
Miles inquires about the newspaper story quoting Budlong as saying seed pods found nearby might be from outer space. Budlong protests the story quoted him out of context; that there is nothing sensational or even startling about it.
They discuss the possibilities of spores drifting through space, and the delusion in Santa Mira. Miles asks if the spores might have the ability to duplicate a human, then is embarassed when Budlong points out the obvious scientific unlikelihood of such a thing.
As they prepare to leave, Miles accuses Budlong of being a duplicate, because like the others, Budlong has no emotions, … no real feelings any more, but only the memory and pretense of them.
Budlong admits he is a duplicate. He explains the function of the seed pods is to survive by perfect duplication, cell for living cell, of any life form they may encounter, in whatever conditions that life has suited itself for.
Budlong goes on to explain how the pods duplicate each unique human pattern while that person is asleep, and promises both Miles and Becky will eventually submit to this fate; then everyone in the world. He also admits duplicates live for only five years.
Miles and Becky leave, just as they see Jack's car being shot at by a pursuing car, followed by a Santa Mira police car. They hike along back streets and underbrush, appreciative of Jack's courage. Seeking sanctuary, they know There was not a home at which we dared to appear; there was not a person to whom we dared risk appealing for help.
words: 11,619
genre: Horror, Science Fiction
similar: The Body Snatchers, Part One, The Body Snatchers, Conclusion
people: Miles Boise Bennell, Becky Driscoll, Manfred Kaufman, Jack Belicec, Theodora Belicec, L. Bernard Budlong, Nick Grivett, Mrs. Seeley, Wilma Lentz, Aleda Lentz, Ira Lentz, Mr. Driscoll, Ananias, Bert Parnell
places: Santa Mira (CA): Etta Street, Main Street, Corte Madera Avenue; San Francisco (CA)
notes: Content
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