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I was back in Dreighton by half-past eleven on Friday ain Siobhan orking early and Robert had decided to spend yet another day aith his friends fro better to do I ended up back at Porter Farm Joe Porter was as pleased to see me as he normally was (I was, after all, free labour for hih jobs to fill four days, never inally intended to stay Just after ten I was standing knee deep inout a barn that had been used as a temporary shelter for Joe&039;s cattle while repairs had beenJoe interrupted hton to pick up a piece of machinery that he&039;d ordered last week There wasn&039;t et out into the sunshine for a while Within ten ed and ready

Most of the conversation between Joe and I on the way to Dreighton was as sparse and monosyllabic as ever I didn&039;t ot excited about a couple of things (usually rugby and cattle) and as I had little interest in either subject I hadn&039;t expected to talk much Nevertheless, my instinctive reaction to the silence in the car was to keep trying to say sohton on Wednesday night,&039; I said

&039;Oh,&039; grunted Joe

&039;He was on at o and see one of the aliens Wouldn&039;t shut up about it until I agreed&039;

&039;Oh,&039; he grunted again

&039;We got to see one though Sao actually You know the pub opposite the garage on the high street?&039;

Joe looked blank

&039;Next to Mathesons?&039;

Still blank

&039;Two doors down from the bank?&039;

Still blank

&039;By the Doctors?&039;

He nodded and grunted

&039;We were sitting outside having a drink when this bloody big crowd starts co towards us The whole toas packed out anyway but this croas huge We knew straight away that it had to be aliens I climbed up on a table and Rob shinned his way up a lalanced to my left to check that Joe was still there

&039;Oh yes,&039; heby ht in the middle of this croere two aliens I couldn&039;t believe it They were just walking along the street like you or I would, except ouldn&039;t be surrounded by hundreds of people, would we?&039;

&039;Suppose not&039;

&039;Then sorief, didn&039;t he? He just stood there in thethe them that he didn&039;t trust them and&039;

&039;There&039;s no need for that, is there?&039; Joe interrupted unexpectedly &039;It&039;s not their fault they&039;re here, is it? Bloody hell, hoould you feel if you was stuck somewhere a million miles from home?&039;

&039;I know, but&039;

&039;No, that&039;s not on They ain&039;t done anything wrong&039;

&039;Didn&039;t think you&039;d be that bothered, Joe,&039; I said, surprised by the strength of his reaction

&039;Course I&039;m bothered,&039; he said &039;Came here to see them myself&039;

&039;Did you?&039;

He nodded

&039;I was here Wednesday ht I&039;d come early and try and see one of them&039;

&039;And did you see one?&039;

&039;Saw a few Wanted to be one of the first&039;

The fact that Joe was interested amazed me and for a couple of seconds I couldn&039;t think of very much to say

&039;How is your back?&039; I eventually asked &039;What did the doctor say?&039;

He shrugged his shoulders

&039;Didn&039;t go in the end I see Dr Ellis every month, didn&039;t think it would hurt if I missed one appointment And anyway, he was out there with me I saw hih street (which was still busier than usual), turned left onto the road that goes to Yarnell and then pulled up in the car park (which was still fuller than usual) outside the warehouse that Joe wanted