est, Thougor, for all to worship and give
sacrifices to? Would not he, the despised, the looked down upon, be the
greatest of heroes? All that was known of Thor were the legends, but at
last they would have the actual god!

Painfully, with many grunts and groans, he got Thor under one arm and
staggered off towards the village, his crutch kicking up little puffs of
dust.

Builder was having trouble with Thougor.

He almost wished now that he'd continued his search a little longer for a
segment of humanity. He might have found a group less primitive who would
have appreciated and understood his help much better. But this was the
best he'd found; as it was, he'd wandered over the continent nearly a
lifetime before even finding these poor wretches. But they were at least
human--something that couldn't be said for those _others_ he'd come in
contact with all through the past years.

And now, after having been with the tribe--the only human tribe--for over
a year, he was being balked by this--priest! Which meant being balked at
setting up Truth and Knowledge as the only true gods of humanity, being
balked at getting the dam built before the spring rains, so that there
would not be another summer drouth followed by a winter of famine such as
they had just passed through. The dam was his first big project; without
freedom from want, there would be little progress next winter.

Almost savagely he turned on Thougor. "But why must you have this
religious festival _now_?"

"Because of the finding of the god Thor," came Thougor's cold answer.

"Why the offerings of blood? Can't they wait? The dam _must_ be finished
before the rains; but the loss of blood already has so weakened the
workers that they can no longer work for a full day."

"Which is more important, worldly or spiritual things?" Thougor replied.

"But there maybe won't be anyone around to indulge in spiritual things if
there's another drouth this year!"

"Thor will see to it that there is not another drouth."

"Yes, I know, but wouldn't it be wiser to be on the safe side? Suppose
somebody does something to displease Thor?"

"Nobody will displease Thor! It is my duty to see to that! I tell them
what to think, so that they won't displease Thor."

_A crafty devil you are_, Builder thought. _Manipulating this image of
Thor you talk about, so that it will take the blood offerings of the
people and even you and that half-baked discipline of yours, Morge. I mu