creams, they were bound, hand and foot and placed on each
of the machines in turn. But though the machines whirled and clanked
and ground and grunted and snarled their vicious ways the two humans
could not feel a single thing. Yet all about them the horrible
monsters screamed and shouted and laughed and danced and on the
platform Sally Patica shrieked with joy.

"A torture party at last," she screamed. "Oh, Hiah-Leugh, I'm so
happy. I'm the happiest monster in the whole world."

But down below, on the last of the machines in the assembly line,
Harry Zmilch thought as he was being whirled around, his head always
meeting a mace-like thing which was supposed to shear a slice from his
head at every turn but which felt like a feather, gosh! If I get back
alive what a story I could do on B. E. M's.

While on another instrument of torture, the Pallid Pulley, a device
supposed to tear the limbs slowly from a man, Jack Gangreneyellow
thought, man! what a cover I could make if ever I get out of this.

A strange thing happened then.

The machines stopped their whirring, the monsters stopped their
shriekings, and Jack and Harry stopped moving.

"Ohh, you nasty humans," Hiah-Leugh said. "Now you've spoiled our
party!"

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because all this has been in vain. All you can see is that we're
monsters. And as such we have no feelings except for the giving of
pain, torture and death. Gosh, fellas! Can't you see these things
aren't real? We're the nicest monsters."

But all Harry and Jack could think of was that B. E. M's. were real.
Further, they were as terrible as anything they had ever imagined.

"Yes," Hiah-Leugh went on. "We are as you have imagined because we
live only in your imagination. And there we live as monsters. If in
the beginning you had given us other lines to read and other lives to
live, things might be as they really are. But no. The human race had
to be the master race. The insect world and the animal world could
only provide danger and conflict." He turned to the assembled monsters
and said, sadly, "Okay, boys. Turn 'em loose. Let them go back to
their typewriters and drawing boards...."

* * * * *

Harry Zmilch shook his head savagely and looked at his friend. He was
doing the same.

"Got dizzy for a second," Harry said. "Gees! Have I got a swell ending
for my story...."

"Funny," Jack said. "I got dizzy too. And have I got a sweet idea for
a monster