The eggs hatch after twelve months, whereupon the first hatched will eat the rest, and this single new lubbock will then carve its way out of its human host. A male human will die. A female human will give birth in the normal fashion, and the offspring so born will be a LUBBOCKIN (see below). The human female then usually dies."

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Great-Uncle William's sunny study suddenly felt entirely unsafe, with queer shadows in the corners. In fact, Charmain thought, the whole house did. She and Peter both found themselves staring around uneasily and then looking urgently out of the window for danger in the garden. Both jumped when Waif gave an outsize yawn somewhere in the corridor.

Charmain wanted to dash out there and make sure that window at the end was quite, quite shut. But first she had to look at Peter very, very carefully for any signs of purple in him. He said he came from Montalbino, after all.

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Peter said, "You met a lubbock. Did it lay any eggs in you?"

Charmain said, "No."

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Tell me about this lubbock you met."

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Go!"

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"What was that?" Mrs. Baker asked.

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His nose was bigger, his blue clothing was of finer cloth, and he looked as if he was used to giving orders.

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"Fifty!" said her mother.

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