and peered into the depths. Presently her look became tense and
concentrated; she dipped her hand in and pulled out some sort of little
monster. It was more like a reptile than a fish, with its scaly plates
and teeth. She threw it on the ground, and it started crawling about.
Suddenly she darted all her will into her sorb. The creature leaped into
the air, and fell down dead.

She picked up a sharp-edged slate, and with it removed the scales and
entrails. During this operation, her hands and garment became stained
with the light scarlet blood.

"Find the drude, Maskull," she said, with a lazy smile. "You had it last
night."

He searched for it. It was hard to locate, for its rays had grown dull
and feeble in the sunlight, but at last he found it. Oceaxe placed it in
the interior of the monster, and left the body lying on the ground.

"While it's cooking, I'll wash some of this blood away, which frightens
you so much. Have you never seen blood before?"

Maskull gazed at her in perplexity. The old paradox came back--the
contrasting sexual characteristics in her person. Her bold, masterful,
masculine egotism of manner seemed quite incongruous with the
fascinating and disturbing femininity of her voice. A startling idea
flashed into his mind.

"In your country I'm told there is an act of will called 'absorbing.'
What is that?"

She held her red, dripping hands away from her draperies, and uttered a
delicious, clashing laugh. "You think I am half a man?"

"Answer my question."

"I'm a woman through and through, Maskull--to the marrowbone. But that's
not to say I have never absorbed males."

"And that means..."

"New strings for my harp, Maskull. A wider range of passions, a stormier
heart..."

"For you, yes--But for them?..."

"I don't know. The victims don't describe their experiences. Probably
unhappiness of some sort--if they still know anything."

"This is a fearful business!" he exclaimed, regarding her gloomily. "One
would think Ifdawn a land of devils."

Oceaxe gave a beautiful sneer as she took a step toward the river.
"Better men than you--better in every sense of the word--are walking
about with foreign wills inside them. You may be as moral as you like,
Maskull, but the fact remains, animals were made to be eaten, and simple
natures were made to be absorbed."

"And human rights count for nothing!"

She had bent over the river's edge, to wash her arms and hands, but
glanced up over her shou