"Excuse me?"

Mr James stared at the grey-skinned alien, not believing his eyes. "Yes?" he replied distractedly.

The alien blinked, massive folds of skin covering the black pools of its eyes. "Which way is Highway 57?"

Mr James pointed northward. "It's that way. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," the alien said, then retreated back towards the saucer-shaped vessel that had landed in front of the town hall.

Mr James watched the ship take off and vanish into the cloudless sky. "Was that ... ?" he asked a passer-by.

"It was. But they usually turn up on a Tuesday."