" Dag Daughtry began belligerently.
Doctor Emory glanced warningly to Doctor Masters, and Doctor Masters glanced authoritatively at the sergeant who glanced commandingly at his two policemen.

But they did not spring upon Daughtry.

Instead, they backed farther away, drew their clubs, and glared intimidatingly at him.
More convincing than anything else to Daughtry was the conduct of the policemen.

They were manifestly afraid of contact with him.

As he started forward, they poked the ends of their extended clubs towards his ribs to ward him off.
"Don't you come any closer," one warned him, flourishing his club with the advertisement of braining him.