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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, almost as a punctured balloon collapses, as a grayish, semi-fluid
matter spurted from it. The protruding eyes, apparently lidless, merely stared, the
sphincter-like muscle of the mouth opened and closed, and then the head toppled
from the body to the ground. The body stood dully for a moment and then slowly
started to wander aimlessly about until one of the others seized it by the arm.
One of the two heads crawling about on the ground now approached. "This rykor
belongs to Moak," it said. "I am a Moak. I will take it," and without further
discussion it commenced to crawl up the front of the headless body, using 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 the meantime stood in passive indifference, its arms
hanging idly at its sides. The head climbed to the shoulders and settled itself
inside the leather collar that now hid its chelae and legs. Almost immediately the
body gave evidence of intelligent 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
firm and to some purpose.
The girl watched all these things in growing wonder, and presently, no other of
the Moaks seeming inclined to dispute the right of the Luud to her, she was led
off by her captor toward the nearest tower. Several accompanied them, including
one who carried the loose head under his arm. The head that was being 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 immediately crawled toward one of the bodies that
was lying 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 them. The creature
was now as good as before Tara of Helium had struck down its former body with
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