killed.
All that day and the next and until the last of the Mongoloids had beeneliminated, they hunted. They were no longer five hundred women whenthey were finished. But there were no more men, either. Each of thewomen carried a single head on her belt when they went back to the shipswhich had brought them. And Bly, also, carried one.
Bly Stanton was no longer the same man as the one whom they haddiscovered. The blood bath he had been in had done something to him. Hisnose had become pinched, and his whole face had changed, so that hiseyes were narrowed now and his forehead, for some reason, lower. He nolonger walked erect, but stooped and shambled oddly as he moved. His jawjutted forward, and his teeth showed because of it. Little by little, hehad found it more comfortable to be without clothes, until by the timethey returned to the ships, the only article of clothing he wore was thebelt on which hung his sword and knife.
Naila had taken Mary's place in the scheme of things. Still, she foundshe had to call Bly her superior. During the long days of slaughter,there had been little need of talk. Muttered directions had done forthem.
But as they stood at the edge of the gangplank leading aboard, she said:"Come immortal! There is nothing left for you here."
"Nothing?" he asked, somewhat blankly. "Nothing...?"
"Of course not," she said. "In all of this world not another like you isleft alive."
* * * * *
Through the brain of Bly Stanton shot a thought that was like anarrow--he, alone, of all the males in the world. What sort of worldcould it be? What was he to do in this world where there was nothing butwoman, and man had no place? He peered at these women and saw them forwhat they were--beasts, cruel and vicious, shaped as humans. There wasno compromising with nature. If one did not serve the purpose for whichone was intended, then one served another purpose. He looked at thesewomen who were the rulers of this planet and knew they had an emptyrule, and a losing fight. For immortality, in the sense in which he hadachieved it, was lost to them.
He shook his head from side to side, and slowly turning, started offwithout a word of farewell.
But Naila was not as Mary. There was a cunning in her which the otherhad never possessed. Before Stanton had taken more than ten steps, shewas at his side. Her sword flashed in a blinding arc as it sped towardthe man. There was a sickening sound as the steel met the flesh of thethroat. And a bloody geyser bloomed where the head had been. A viciousgrin leaped to her lips as she stooped and lifted the head.
But the grin changed to a howl of fear as the eyes suddenly opened andthe lips parted and words came from them: "You forgot, Naila. Deathcomes not to me. Remember?"
She dropped the head and sped for the ship. The others, witness to whathappened, followed as quickly as possible. What they did not see, ofcourse, was that the eyes and lips had closed forever on the instant oftheir departure.
_For it was then that the soul of Miotis left the body of Bly Stanton._
* * * * *
Kannot removed the mask from Miotis' face. The soul-globe lay to oneside. Slowly the eyelids of the warlord raised. For a few seconds hiseyes were blank. Then reason came to them.
"Did you ..." Kannot began, and wet his suddenly dry lips. "Did you getto where I sent you?" he finished.
The eyes of the man on the table blinked as though in signal. The lipsmoved but feebly.
"Can you talk?" Kannot asked.
"Later," Miotis whispered.
Kannot nodded in understanding. He had an idea of the ordeal his Kinghad been through. The telling of what had happened to him could wait fora while.
Hours went by, and the man on the table slowly gained strength. But itwas a long time later before he could talk.
"You sent my soul into the body of a mighty warrior," Miotis said. "Aye.A mighty warrior. I saw and learned many strange things. But of all thethings I saw, only one stood out...."
"And what was that?" Kannot asked.
"War must die!" Miotis said.
"But war is already dead," Kannot said. "Remember, sire, it is thereason why you allowed the experiment--to seek ways of bringing war backto life."
"No! I saw what war can do to a planet, to man and to woman. It mustnever come back. From this day forward, the sinews of war will beremoved. Look closely at me, Kannot. What do you see?"
It was then Kannot understood. He had transferred the souls of Miotisand of Bly Stanton. But the unforeseen had taken place. He had notmerely transferred the two souls. He had done so permanently. And BlyStanton, in the body of Miotis, had come to do what he realized now toolate should have been done on the Earth long ago--abolish war forever.
THE END
Once Upon A Planet Page 4
