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itself in place. Immediately the bodies reacted to the intelligent direction of the

heads. They arose, the hands adjusted the leather collars and put the balance of

the harness in order, then the creatures crossed the room to where Tara of

Helium stood. She noted that their leather was more highly ornamented than that

worn by any of the others she had previously seen, and so she guessed that these

must be higher in authority than the others. Nor was she mistaken. The

demeanor of her captor indicated it. He addressed them as one who holds

intercourse with superiors.

Several of those who examined her felt her flesh, pinching it gently between

thumb and forefinger, a familiarity that the girl resented. She struck down their

hands. "Do not touch me!" she cried, imperiously, for was she not a princess of

Helium? The expression on those terrible faces did not change. She could not tell

whether they were angry or amused, whether her action had filled them with

respect for her, or contempt. Only one of them spoke immediately.

"She will have to be fattened more," he said.

The girl's eyes went wide with horror. She turned upon her captor. "Do these

frightful creatures intend to devour me?" she cried.

That is for Luud to say," he replied, and then he leaned closer so that his mouth

was near her ear. "That noise you made which you called song pleased me," he

whispered, "and I will repay you by warning you not to antagonize these

kaldanes. They are very powerful. Luud listens to them. Do not call them

frightful. They are very handsome. Look at their wonderful trappings, their gold,

their jewels."

Thank you," she said. "You called them kaldanes--what does that mean?"

We are all kaldanes," he replied.

You, too?" and she pointed at him, her slim finger directed toward his chest.

No, not this," he explained, touching his body; "this is a rykor; but this," and he

touched his head, "is a kaldane. It is the brain, the intellect, the power that

directs all things. The rykor," he indicated his body, "is nothing. It is not so much

even as the jewels upon our harness; no, not so much as the harness itself. It

carries us about. It is true that we would find difficulty getting along without it;

but it has less value than harness or jewels because it is less difficult to

reproduce." He turned again to the other kaldanes. "Will you notify Luud that I

am here?" he asked.

The Chessmen of Mars