obster, 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 her slim blade. But there
was a difference. Before it had been male--now it was female. That,
however, seemed to make no difference to the head. In fact, Tara of
Helium had noticed during the scramble and the fight 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 see