The thing stood under a large oak aboutfour feet tall, bipedal, hunched. Wild hair radiated from its head and curledabout its muzzle. Mats of shaggy fur hung over its shoulders, Its skin, whereit showed on head and limbs and torso, was mottled gray and yellow, andencrusted with dirt.

      But it was no animal. It was a mutanthuman boy.

      The boy had made a crude club. He made asthough to attack his pursuer, having naturally been aware of the Master for sometime. But the sheer size of the man daunted him, and he fled, running on theballs of his blunted, callused feet.

      The Nameless One made camp there. He hadsuspected that the raider was human or human-derived, for no animal had thedegree of cunning and dexterity this prowler had shown. But now that he hadmade the confirmation, he needed to reconsider means. It would not do to killthe boy-yet it would hardly be kind to bring him back prisoner for the tormentthe angry farmer-warriors would inflict. Civilization grew very thin in such acase. But one or the other had to be accomplished, for the Master had his ownpolitical expedience to consider.

      He thought it out, slowly, powerfully. Hedecided to take the boy to his own camp, so that the lad could join humansociety without compelling prejudice. This would mean months, perhaps years ofdemanding attention.

      The white moths were coming out. Hecovered his head with netting, sealed his bag, and settled for sleep. He knewof no reliable way to protect the dog, for the animal would not comprehend thenecessity for confinement in the spare bag. He hoped the animal would not snapat a moth and get stung. He' wondered how the boy survived in this region. Hethought about Sola, the woman he once had loved, the wife he now pretended tolove. He thought of Sol, the friend he had sent to the mountain-the man forwhom he would trade all his empire, - just to travel together again andconverse without trial of strength. And he thought lingeringly of the woman ofHelicon, his true wife and the woman he really loved, but would never seeagain. Great thoughts, petty thoughts. He suffered. He slept.