The Chessmen of Mars

sly to discover just what was the rightful place of the kaldane in the universal scheme of things. She knew that it must have its place but what that place was it was beyo

her father had once made concerning them, to the effect that if one of them ever dropped his egotism and broke it it would take a week to fumigate Helium. Her father liked normal p

that interested her. The rykors aroused her keenest pity, and vast

. "If Luud would let me have you, you should ne

the sole link between herself and the brain when detached from the rykor. When it dominated the rykor it might have other human instincts; but these she

if it might not be pleasant to b

resting and enjoyable things. We dance and play and work and

ment-when we are detached. But when we dominate the rykor-ah, that is different, and when I h

promised to tell me the origin

ook many ages, undoubtedly, but at last came the time when the kaldane had found means to guide the rykor, until presently the latter depended entirely upon the superior brain of his master to guide him to food. The brain of the rykor grew smaller as time went on. His ears went and his eyes, for he no longer had use for them-the kaldane saw and heard for him. By similar steps the rykor came to go upon its hind feet that the kaldane might be able to see farther. As the brain shrank, so did the head. The mouth was the only feature of the head that was used and so th

g food, food, food. In the other line they returned empty handed. When she saw them she knew that it was daylight above. When they did not pass she knew it was night, and that the banths were about devouring the rykors that had been abandoned in the fields the previo

e could see the hills and if she could see them might there not come also the opportunity to reach them? If she could have but ten minutes-just ten little minutes! The flier was still there-she knew that it must be. Just ten minutes and she would be free-free forever from this frightful place; but the days wore on and she was never alone, not even for half of ten minutes. Many times she planned her escape. Had it not been for the banths it had been easy of accomplishment by night. Ghek always detached his body then and sank into what seemed a semi-comatose condition. It could not be said that he slept, or at least it did not appear like sleep, since his lidless eyes were unchanged; but he lay quietly in a corner. Tara of Helium enacted a thousand times in her mind the

fort to learn why it was that she did not grow round and plump; that she did not even look as well as when they had captured her. His concern was prompte

I am to be always shut away in this one chamber, breathing poor air and getting no proper exercise. Permit me to go

run away,

to run away where could I go? I do not know even the direction of Helium. It

d Ghek. "I will a

that she was to be taken into the fields. He wo

send for you anyway," said Ghek;

Helium s

ways close by her side. It was not so much his presence that deterred her from making the attempt as the number of workers that were always between her and the hills where the flier

e said. "I am sorry as I sh

eathed the word, yet it

ey were so close! Yet between were the i

id, indicating them. "I should l

sun. It is much pleasanter here where I

ou stay here and I will walk ove

o with you. You want to esca

escape,"

you to try. Possibly it will be better if we return to the

ere would never be another after today. She cast about for

to sing to you. It will be the last time, if you do not let me go an

hold you by the arm all

if you wish," she

t nearly always they were stooped low over their work, the hideous eyes bent upon the upturned soil. She led Ghek quite close t

sp upon her wrist relaxed as the body, no longer controlled by the brain of Ghek, stumbled aimlessly about for an instant before it sank to its knees and then rolled over on its back; but Tara of Helium waited not to note the full results of her act. The instant the fingers loosened upon her wrist she broke away and dashed toward the hills. Simultaneously a warning whistle broke from Ghek's lips and in instant response the workers leaped to their feet, one almost in the girl's path. She dodged the outstretched arms and was away again toward the hills and freedo

Was he nursing thoughts of anger, of hate, of revenge? Tara of Helium could not guess, nor did she care. T

nbroken. It was worse than anger, for it revealed nothing of his intentions. It but incr

f gratitude, nor, on the other hand, any sense of hatred. The brains, incapable themselves of any of the finer sentiments, awoke none in her. She could not feel gratitude, or affection, or hatred of them. There was only the same unceasing sense of horror in their presence. She had heard great scientists discuss the future of the red race and she recalled that some had

e purely mental kaldane there was little choice; but in the happy medium of normal, and imperfect man, as she knew him, lay the most desirable state of existence. It would have been a splendid object lesson,

death. She guessed why he had sent for her and she knew that she must find the means for self-destruction before the night was over; but still she clu

mean?" aske

"I still live and while I live I may st

y to what?

y and mine own peop

Bantoom ever le

ter a time he spoke agai

rriors came to take her to Luud. They tol

asked

ed Luud," replied

demande

. You have permitted sentiment to influence you, thus demonstra

ectives, but I am no de

ness. Then, influenced doubtless by an illogical feeling of sentiment, you permitted her to walk abroad in the fields to a place where she was able to make an almost successful attempt to escape. Your own reasoning power, were it not defective, would convi

emain here until Luud sees fit to des

er. Over her shoulder she called back to him: "Remember, Ghek, you still live

ess-a dead thing without a guiding kaldane. Luud dismissed the warriors who had accompanied the prisoner. Then he sat with his terrible eyes fixed upon her and without speaking for some time. T

ld pit your feeble intellect against mine! Even now you are planning to slay me. If you are thwarted in that you expect to slay yourself. You will learn the power of mind over matter. I am the mind. You are the matter. What brain you have is too weak and ill-developed to deserve the name of brain. You have permitted it to be weakened by impulsive acts dictated by sentiment. It has no value. It has practically no control over your existence. You will not kill me. You will not kill yourself. When I am through with you you shall be killed if it se

the girl's horror, the headless body moved. It rose slowly to its feet and crossed the room to Luud

power?" asked Luud. "As I did wit

reply. Evidently no voc

h was precisely the fact, though the girl

ight to the center of her brain. She felt an almost irresistible force urging her toward the kaldane. She fought to resist it; she tried to turn away her eyes, but she could not. They were held as in horrid fascination upon the glittering, lidless orbs of the great brain that faced her. Slowly, every step a painful struggle of resistance, she moved toward the horrifi

and nameless horror lay concealed in that hidden chamber? No! she would not do it. Yet before she reached the wall she found herself down and crawling upon her hands and knees straight toward the hole from which the two eyes still clung to hers

ound herself in a small chamber. Before her squatted Luud. Against the opposite wa

id Luud, "the fut

momentarily from the spell. Qu

me!" comm

th eyes averted she turned toward the aperture through which those baleful eyes had drawn her. Again Luud commanded her to stop, but the voice alone lacked all authority to influence her. It was not like the eyes. She

as one in the throes of some hideous nightmare-slowly, painfully, as though each limb was hampered by a great weight, or as she were dragging her body

at once beyond it the domination of the kaldane would be broken. She was almost through into the adjoining chamber when she felt a heavy hand close upon her ankle. The rykor had reached f

's dull voice, "the futility

power. Yet she fought, fought on in the face of hopeless odds for the honor of the proud name she bore-fought alone, she