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"You have heard the Nolach speak," cried the Luud "It shall be as he says"

"Not while this Moak holds a sword," replied the other "Rather will I cut her in twain and take my half to Moak than to relinquish her all to Luud," and he drew his sword, or rather he laid his hand upon its hilt in a threatening gesture; but before ever he could draw it the Luud had whipped his out and with a fearful blow cut deep into the head of his adversary Instantly the big, round head collapsed, alrayish, se eyes, apparently lidless, merely stared, the sphincter-like muscle of the mouth opened and closed, and then the head toppled froround The body stood dully for a moment and then slowly started to wander aimlessly about until one of the others seized it by the arround now approached "This rykor belongs to Moak," it said "I am a Moak I will take it," and without further discussion it co its six short, spiderlike legs and two stout chelae which grew just in front of its legs and strongly resembled those of an Earthly lobster, except that they were both of the same size The body in theidly at its sides The head climbed to the shoulders and settled itself inside the leather collar that now hid its chelae and legs Alent animation It raised its hands and adjusted the collar more comfortably, it took the head between its palms and settled it in place and when it moved around it did not wander aimlessly, but instead its steps were firs in groonder, and presently, no other of the Moaks seeht of the Luud to her, she was led off by her captor toward the nearest tower Several acco one who carried the loose head under his ar carried conversed with the head upon the shoulders of the thing that carried it Tara of Helium shivered It was horrible! All that she had seen of these frightful creatures was horrible And to be a prisoner, wholly in their power Shadow of her first ancestor! What had she done to deserve so cruel a fate?

At the wall enclosing the tower they paused while one opened the gate and then they passed within the enclosure, which, to the girl's horror, she found filled with headless bodies The creature who carried the bodiless head now set its burden upon the ground and the latter i near by Some wandered stupidly to and fro, but this one lay still It was a female The head crawled to it and made its way to the shoulders where it settled itself At once the body sprang lightly erect Another of those who had accompanied them from the fields approached with the harness and collar that had been taken from the dead body that the head had formerly topped The new body now appropriated these and the hands deftly adjusted theood as before Tara of Helium had struck down its former body with her slim blade But there was a difference Before it had been male-noas female That, however, seemed to make no difference to the head In fact, Tara of Heliuht about her that sex differences seemed of little moment to her captors Males and females had taken equal part in her pursuit, both were identically harnessed and both carried swords, and she had seen as many females as males draw their weapons at the moment that a quarrel between the two factions seemed imminent