WHAT the creature had told her gave Tara of Helium food forthought. She had been taught that every created thing fulfilledsome useful purpose, and she tried conscientiously to discoverjust what was the rightful place of the kaldane in the universalscheme of things. She knew that it must have its place but whatthat place was it was beyond her to conceive. She had to give itup. They recalled to her mind a little group of people in Heliumwho had forsworn the pleasures of life in the pursuit ofknowledge. They were rather patronizing in their relations withthose whom they thought not so intellectual. They consideredthemselves quite superior. She smiled at recollection of a remarkher father had once made concerning them, to the effect that ifone of them ever dropped his egotism and broke it it would take aweek to fumigate Helium. Her father liked normal people--peoplewho knew too little and people who knew too much were equally abore. Tara of Helium was like her father in this respect and likehim, too, she was both sane and normal.

Outside of her personal danger there was much in this strangeworld that interested her. The rykors aroused her keenest pity,and vast conjecture. How and from what form had they evolved? Sheasked Ghek.

"Sing to me again and I will tell you," he said. "If Luud wouldlet me have you, you should never die. I should keep you alwaysto sing to me."

The girl marvelled at the effect her voice had upon the creature.Somewhere in that enormous brain there was a chord that wastouched by melody. It was the sole link between herself and thebrain when detatched from the rykor. When it dominated the rykorit might have other human instincts; but these she dreaded evento think of. After she had sung she waited for Ghek to speak. Fora long time he was silent, just looking at her through thoseawful eyes.

"I wonder," he said presently, "if it might not be pleasant to beof your race. Do you all sing?"

"Nearly all, a little," she said; "but we do many otherinteresting and enjoyable things. We dance and play and work andlove and sometimes we fight, for we are a race of warriors."

"Love!" said the kaldane. "I think I know what you mean; but we,fortunately, are above sentiment--when we are detached. But whenwe dominate the rykor--ah, that is different, and when I hear yousing and look at your beautiful body I know what you mean bylove. I could love you."

The girl shrank from him. "You promised to tell me the origin ofthe rykor," she reminded him.

"Ages ago," he commenced, "our bodies were larger and our headssmaller. Our legs were very weak and we could not travel fast orfar. There was a stupid creature that went upon four legs. Itlived in a hole in the ground, to which it brought its food, sowe ran our burrows into this hole and ate the food it brought;but it did not bring enough for all--for itself and all thekaldanes that lived upon it, so we had also to go abroad and getfood. This was hard work for our weak legs. Then it was that wecommenced to ride upon the backs of these primitive rykors. Ittook many ages, undoubtedly, but at last came the time when thekaldane had found means to guide the rykor, until presently thelatter depended entirely upon the superior brain of his master toguide him to food. The brain of the rykor grew smaller as timewent on. His ears went and his eyes, for he no longer had use forthem--the kaldane saw and heard for him. By similar steps therykor came to go upon its hind feet that the kaldane might beable to see farther. As the brain shrank, so did the head. Themouth was the only feature of the head that was used and so themouth alone remains. Members of the red race fell into the handsof our ancestors from time to time. They saw the beauties and theadvantages of the form that nature had given the red race overthat which the rykor was developing into. By intelligent crossingthe present rykor was achieved. He is really solely the productof the super-intelligence of the kaldane--he is our body, to dowith as we see fit, just as you do what you see fit with yourbody, only we have the advantage of possessing an unlimitedsupply of bodies. Do you not wish that you were a kaldane?"

For how long they kept her in the subterranean chamber Tara ofHelium did not know. It seemed a very long time. She ate andslept and watched the interminable lines of creatures that passedthe entrance to her prison. There was a laden line passing fromabove carrying food, food, food. In the other line they returnedempty handed. When she saw them she knew that it was daylightabove. When they did not pass she knew it was night, and that thebanths were about devouring the rykors that had been abandoned inthe fields the previous day. She commenced to grow pale and thin.She did not like the food they gave her--it was not suited to herkind--nor would she have eaten overmuch palatable food, for thefear of becoming fat. The idea of plumpness had a newsignificance here--a horrible significance.

Ghek noted that she was growing thin and white. He spoke to herabout it and she told him that she could not thrive thus beneaththe ground--that she must have fresh air and sunshine, or shewould wither and die. Evidently he carried her words to Luud,since it was not long after that he told her that the king hadordered that she be confined in the tower and to the tower shewas taken. She had hoped against hope that this very thing mightresult from her conversation with Ghek. Even to see the sun againwas something, but now there sprang to her breast a hope that shehad not dared to nurse before, while she lay in the terriblelabyrinth from which she knew she could never have found her wayto the outer world; but now there was some slight reason to hope.At least she could see the hills and if she could see them mightthere not come also the opportunity to reach them? If she couldhave but ten minutes--just ten little minutes! The flier wasstill there--she knew that it must be. Just ten minutes and shewould be free--free forever from this frightful place; but thedays wore on and she was never alone, not even for half of tenminutes. Many times she planned her escape. Had it not been forthe banths it had been easy of accomplishment by night. Ghekalways detached his body then and sank into what seemed asemi-comatose condition. It could not be said that he slept, orat least it did not appear like sleep, since his lidless eyeswere unchanged; but he lay quietly in a corner. Tara of Heliumenacted a thousand times in her mind the scene of her escape. Shewould rush to the side of the rykor and seize the sword that hungin its harness. Before Ghek knew what she purposed, she wouldhave this and then before he could give an alarm she would drivethe blade through his hideous head. It would take but a moment toreach the enclosure. The rykors could not stop her, for they hadno brains to tell them that she was escaping. She had watchedfrom her window the opening and closing of the gate that led fromthe enclosure out into the fields and she knew how the greatlatch operated. She would pass through and make a quick dash forthe hill. It was so near that they could not overtake her. It wasso easy! Or it would have been but for the banths! The banths atnight and the workers in the fields by day.

Confined to the tower and without proper exercise or food, thegirl failed to show the improvement that her captors desired.Ghek questioned her in an effort to learn why it was that she didnot grow round and plump; that she did not even look as well aswhen they had captured her. His concern was prompted by repeatedinquiries on the part of Luud and finally resulted in suggestingto Tara of Helium a plan whereby she might find a new opportunityof escape.

"I am accustomed to walking in the fresh air and the sunlight,"she told Ghek. "I cannot become as I was before if I am to bealways shut away in this one chamber, breathing poor air andgetting no proper exercise. Permit me to go out in the fieldsevery day and walk about while the sun is shining. Then, I amsure, I shall become nice and fat."

"You would run away," he said.

"But how could I if you were always with me?" she asked. "Andeven if I wished to run away where could I go? I do not know eventhe direction of Helium. It must be very far. The very firstnight the banths would get me, would they not?"

"They would," said Ghek. "I will ask Luud about it."

The following day he told her that Luud had said that she was tobe taken into the fields. He would try that for a time and see ifshe improved.

"If you do not grow fatter he will send for you anyway," saidGhek; "but he will not use you for food."

Tara of Helium shuddered.

That day and for many days thereafter she was taken from thetower, through the enclosure and out into the fields. Always wasshe alert for an opportunity to escape; but Ghek was always closeby her side. It was not so much his presence that deterred herfrom making the attempt as the number of workers that were alwaysbetween her and the hills where the flier lay. She could easilyhave eluded Ghek, but there were too many of the others. Andthen, one day, Ghek told her as he accompanied her into the openthat this would be the last time.

"Tonight you go to Luud," he said. "I am sorry as I shall nothear you sing again."

"Tonight!" She scarce breathed the word, yet it was vibrant withhorror.

She glanced quickly toward the hills. They were so dose! Yetbetween were the inevitable workers--perhaps a score of them.

"Let us walk over there?" she said, indicating them. "I shouldlike to see what they are doing."

"It is too far," said Ghek. "I hate the sun. It is muchpleasanter here where I can stand beneath the shade of thistree."

"All right," she agreed; "then you stay here and I will walkover. It will take me but a minute."

"No," he answered. "I will go with you. You want to escape; butyou are not going to."

"I cannot escape," she said.

"I know it," agreed Ghek; "but you might try. I do not wish youto try. Possibly it will be better if we return to the tower atonce. It would go hard with me should you escape."

Tara of Helium saw her last chance fading into oblivion. Therewould never be another after today. She cast about for somepretext to lure him even a little nearer to the hills.

"It is very little that I ask," she said. "Tonight you will wantme to sing to you. It will be the last time, if you do not let mego and see what those kaldanes are doing I shall never sing toyou again."

Ghek hesitated. "I will hold you by the arm all the time, then,"he said.

"Why, of course, if you wish," she assented. "Come!"

The two moved toward the workers and the hills. The little partywas digging tubers from the ground. She had noted this and thatnearly always they were stooped low over their work, the hideouseyes bent upon the upturned soil. She led Ghek quite close tothem, pretending that she wished to see exactly how they did thework, and all the time he held her tightly by her left wrist.

"It is very interesting," she said, with a sigh, and then,suddenly; "Look, Ghek!" and pointed quickly back in the directionof the tower. The kaldane, still holding her turned half awayfrom her to look in the direction she had indicated andsimultaneously, with the quickness of a banth, she struck himwith her right fist, backed by every ounce of strength shepossessed--struck the back of the pulpy head just above thecollar. The blow was sufficient to accomplish her design,dislodging the kaldane from its rykor and tumbling it to theground. Instantly the grasp upon her wrist relaxed as the body,no longer controlled by the brain of Ghek, stumbled aimlesslyabout for an instant before it sank to its knees and then rolledover on its back; but Tara of Helium waited not to note the fullresults of her act. The instant the fingers loosened upon herwrist she broke away and dashed toward the hills. Simultaneouslya warning whistle broke from Ghek's lips and in instant responsethe workers leaped to their feet, one almost in the girl's path.She dodged the outstretched arms and was away again toward thehills and freedom, when her foot caught in one of the hoe-likeinstruments with which the soil had been upturned and which hadbeen left, half imbedded in the ground. For an instant she ranon, stumbling, in a mad effort to regain her equilibrium, but theupturned furrows caught her feet--again she stumbled and thistime went down, and as she scrambled to rise again a heavy bodyfell upon her and seized her arms. A moment later she wassurrounded and dragged to her feet and as she looked around shesaw Ghek crawling to his prostrate rykor. A moment later headvanced to her side.

The hideous face, incapable of registering emotion, gave no clueto what was passing in the enormous brain. Was he nursingthoughts of anger, of hate, of revenge? Tara of Helium could notguess, nor did she care. The worst had happened. She had tried toescape and she had failed. There would never be anotheropportunity.

"Come!" said Ghek. "We will return to the tower." The deadlymonotone of his voice was unbroken. It was worse than anger, forit revealed nothing of his intentions. It but increased herhorror of these great brains that were beyond the possibility ofhuman emotions.

And so she was dragged back to her prison in the tower and Ghektook up his vigil again, squatting by the doorway, but now hecarried a naked sword in his hand and did not quit his rykor,only to change to another that be had brought to him when thefirst gave indications of weariness. The girl sat looking at him.He had not been unkind to her, but she felt no sense ofgratitude, nor, on the other hand, any sense of hatred. Thebrains, incapable themselves of any of the finer sentiments,awoke none in her. She could not feel gratitude, or affection, orhatred of them. There was only the same unceasing sense of horrorin their presence. She had heard great scientists discuss thefuture of the red race and she recalled that some had maintainedthat eventually the brain would entirely dominate the man. Therewould be no more instinctive acts or emotions, nothing would bedone on impulse; but on the contrary reason would direct ourevery act. The propounder of the theory regretted that he mightnever enjoy the blessings of such a state, which, he argued,would result in the ideal life for mankind.

Tara of Helium wished with all her heart that this learnedscientist might be here to experience to the full the practicalresults of the fulfillment of his prophecy. Between the purelyphysical rykor and the purely mental kaldane there was littlechoice; but in the happy medium of normal, and imperfect man, asshe knew him, lay the most desirable state of existence. It wouldhave been a splendid object lesson, she thought, to all thoseidealists who seek mass perfection in any phase of humanendeavor, since here they might discover the truth that absoluteperfection is as little to be desired as is its antithesis.

Gloomy were the thoughts that filled the mind of Tara of Heliumas she awaited the summons from Luud--the summons that could meanfor her but one thing; death. She guessed why he had sent for herand she knew that she must find the means for self-destructionbefore the night was over; but still she clung to hope and tolife. She would not give up until there was no other way. Shestartled Ghek once by exclaiming aloud, almost fiercely: "I stilllive!"

"What do you mean?" asked the kaldane.

"I mean just what I say," she replied. "I still live and while Ilive I may still find a way. Dead, there is no hope."

"Find a way to what?" he asked.

"To life and liberty and mine own people," she responded.

"None who enters Bantoom ever leaves," he droned.

She did not reply and after a time he spoke again. "Sing to me,"he said.

It was while she was singing that four warriors came to take herto Luud. They told Ghek that he was to remain where he was.

"Why?" asked Ghek.

"You have displeased Luud," replied one of the warriors.

"How?" demanded Ghek.

"You have demonstrated a lack of uncontaminated reasoning power.You have permitted sentiment to influence you, thus demonstratingthat you are a defective. You know the fate of defectives."

"I know the fate of defectives, but I am no defective," insistedGhek.

"You permitted the strange noises which issue from her throat toplease and soothe you, knowing well that their origin and purposehad nothing whatever to do with logic or the powers of reason.This in itself constitutes an unimpeachable indictment ofweakness, Then, influenced doubtless by an illogical feeling ofsentiment, you permitted her to walk abroad in the fields to aplace where she was able to make an almost successful attmept toescape. Your own reasoning power, were it not defective, wouldconvince you that you are unfit. The natural, and reasonable,consequence is destruction. Therefore you will be destroyed insuch a way that the example will be beneficial to all otherkaldanes of the swarm of Luud. In the meantime you will remainwhere you are."

"You are right," said Ghek. "I will remain here until Luud seesfit to destroy me in the most reasonable manner."

Tara of Helium shot a look of amazement at him as they led herfrom the chamber. Over her shoulder she called back to him:"Remember, Ghek, you still live!" Then they led her along theinterminable tunnels to where Luud awaited her.

When she was conducted into his presence he was squatting in acorner of the chamber upon his six spidery legs. Near theopposite wall lay his rykor, its beautiful form trapped ingorgeous harness--a dead thing without a guiding kaldane. Luuddismissed the warriors who had accompanied the prisoner. Then hesat with his terrible eyes fixed upon her and without speakingfor some time. Tara of Helium could but wait. What was to comeshe could only guess. When it came would be sufficiently the timeto meet it. There was no neccessity for anticipating the end.Presently Luud spoke.

"You think to escape," he said, in the deadly, expressionlessmonotone of his kind--the only possible result of orallyexpressing reason uninfluenced by sentiment. "You will notescape. You are merely the embodiment of two imperfect things--animperfect brain and an imperfect body. The two cannot existtogether in perfection. There you see a perfect body." He pointedtoward the rykor. "It has no brain. Here," and he raised one ofhis chelae to his head, "is the perfect brain. It needs no bodyto function perfectly and properly as a brain. You would pit yourfeeble intellect against mine! Even now you are planning to slayme. If you are thwarted in that you expect to slay yourself. Youwill learn the power of mind over matter. I am the mind. You arethe matter. What brain you have is too weak and ill-developed todeserve the name of brain. You have permitted it to be weakenedby impulsive acts dictated by sentiment. It has no value. It haspractically no control over your existence. You will not kill me.You will not kill yourself. When I am through with you you shallbe killed if it seems the logical thing to do. You have noconception of the possibilities for power which lie in aperfectly developed brain. Look at that rykor. He has no brain.He can move but slightly of his own volition. An inherentmechanical instinct that we have permitted to remain in himallows him to carry food to his mouth; but he could not find foodfor himself. We have to place it within his reach and always inthe same place. Should we put food at his feet and leave himalone he would starve to death. But now watch what a real brainmay accomplish."

He turned his eyes upon the rykor and squatted there glaring atthe insensate thing. Presently, to the girl's horror, theheadless body moved. It rose slowly to its feet and crossed theroom to Luud; it stooped and took the hideous head in its hands;it raised the head and set it on its shoulders.

"What chance have you against such power?" asked Luud. "As I didwith the rykor so can I do with you."

Tara of Helium made no reply. Evidently no vocal reply wasnecessary.

"You doubt my ability!" stated Luud, which was precisely thefact, though the girl had only thought it--she had not said it.

Luud crossed the room and lay down. Then he detached himself fromthe body and crawled across the floor until he stood directly infront of the circular opening through which she had seen himemerge the day that she had first been brought to his presence.He stopped there and fastened his terrible eyes upon her. He didnot speak, but his eyes seemed to be boring straight to thecenter of her brain. She felt an almost irresistible force urgingher toward the kaldane. She fought to resist it; she tried toturn away her eyes, but she could not. They were held as inhorrid fascination upon the glittering, lidless orbs of the greatbrain that faced her. Slowly, every step a painful struggle ofresistance, she moved toward the horrific monster. She tried tocry aloud in an effort to awaken her numbing faculties, but nosound passed her lips. If those eyes would but turn away, justfor an instant, she felt that she might regain the power tocontrol her steps; but the eyes never left hers. They seemed butto burn deeper and deeper, gathering up every vestige of controlof her entire nervous system.

As she approached the thing it backed slowly away upon its spiderlegs. She noticed that its chelae waved slowly to and fro beforeit as it backed, backed, backed, through the round aperture inthe wall. Must she follow it there, too? What new and namelesshorror lay concealed in that hidden chamber? No! she would not doit. Yet before she reached the wall she found herself down andcrawling upon her hands and knees straight toward the hole fromwhich the two eyes still clung to hers. At the very threshold ofthe opening she made a last, heroic stand, battling against theforce that drew her on; but in the end she succumbed. With a gaspthat ended in a sob Tara of Helium passed through the apertureinto the chamber beyond.

The opening was but barely large enough to admit her. Upon theopposite side she found herself in a small chamber. Before hersquatted Luud. Against the opposite wall lay a large andbeautiful male rykor. He was without harness or other trappings.

"You see now," said Luud, "the futility of revolt."

The words seemed to release her momentarily from the spell.Quickly she turned away her eyes.

"Look at me!" commanded Luud.

Tara of Helium kept her eyes averted. She felt a new strength, orat least a diminution of the creature's power over her. Had shestumbled upon the secret of its uncanny domination over her will?She dared not hope. With eyes averted she turned toward theaperture through which those baleful eyes had drawn her. AgainLuud commanded her to stop, but the voice alone lacked allauthority to influence her. It was not like the eyes. She heardthe creature whistle and knew that it was summoning assistance,but because she did not dare look toward it she did not see itturn and concentrate its gaze upon the great, headless body lyingby the further wall.

The girl was still slightly under the spell of the creature'sinfluence--she had not regained full and independent dominationof her powers. She moved as one in the throes of some hideousnightmare--slowly, painfully, as though each limb was hampered bya great weight, or as she were dragging her body through aviscous fluid. The aperture was close, ah, so close, yet,struggle as she would, she seemed to be making no appreciableprogress toward it.

Behind her, urged on by the malevolent power of the great brain,the headless body crawled upon all-fours toward her. At last shehad reached the aperture. Something seemed to tell her that oncebeyond it the domination of the kaldane would be broken. She wasalmost through into the adjoining chamber when she felt a heavyhand close upon her ankle. The rykor had reached forth and seizedher, and though she struggled the thing dragged her back into theroom with Luud. It held her tight and drew her close, and then,to her horror, it commenced to caress her.

"You see now," she heard Luud's dull voice, "the futility ofrevolt--and its punishment."

Tara of Helium fought to defend herself, but pitifully weak wereher muscles against this brainless incarnation of brute power.Yet she fought, fought on in the face of hopeless odds for thehonor of the proud name she bore--fought alone, she whom thefighting men of a mighty empire, the flower of Martian chivalry,would gladly have lain down their lives to save.