I am not unwilling to grant any reasonable request."

"That is all I wish – just that; but I do not insist that you obtain the body.

If I bring Xaxa here will you make the transfer?"

"It would mean war between Toonol and Phundahl," he fumed.

"That does not interest me," I said. "Quick! Reach a decision. In five tals I

shall press this button. If you promise what I ask, you shall be restored with a

new and beautiful body; if you refuse you shall lie here in the semblance of

death for ever."

"I promise," he said slowly, "that when you bring the body of Xaxa to me I will

transfer to that body any brain that you select from among my subjects."

"Good!" I exclaimed, and pressed the button.

DANGER

RAS THAVAS awakened from the anaesthetic a new and gorgeous creature – a youth

of such wondrous beauty that he seemed of heavenly rather than worldly origin;

but in that beautiful head was the hard, cold, thousand-year-old brain of the

master surgeon. As he opened his eyes he looked upon me coldly.

"You have done well," he said.

"What I have done, I have done for friendship – perhaps for love," I said, "so

you can thank the sentimentalism you decry for the success of the transfer."

He made no reply.

"And now," I continued, "I shall look to you for the fulfilment of the promise

you have made me."

"When you bring Xaxa's body I shall transfer to it the brain of any of my

subjects you may select," he said, "but were I you, I would not risk my life in

such an impossible venture – you cannot succeed. Select another body – there are

many beautiful ones – and I will give it the brain of 4296-E-2631-H.

"None other than the body now owned by the Jeddara Xaxa will fulfill your

promise to me," I said.

He shrugged and there was a cold smile upon his handsome lips. "Very well," he

said, "fetch Xaxa. When do you start?"

"I am not yet ready. I will let you know when I am."

"Good and now begone – but wait! First go to the office and see what cases await

us and if there be any that do not require my personal attention, and they fall

within your skill and knowledge, attend to them yourself."

As I left him I noticed a crafty smile of satisfaction upon his lips. What had

aroused that? I did not like it and as I walked away I tried to conjure what

could possibly have passed through that wondrous brain to call forth at that

particular instant so unpleasant a smile. As I passed through the doorway and

into the corridor beyond I heard him summon his personal slave and body servant,

Yamdor, a huge fellow whose loyalty he kept through the bestowal of lavish gifts

and countless favors. So great was the fellow's power that all feared him, as a

word to the master from the lips of Yamdor might easily send any of the numerous

slaves or attendants to an ersite slab for eternity. It was rumored that he was

the result of an unnatural experiment which had combined the brain of a woman

with the body of a man, and there was much in his actions and mannerisms to

justify this general belief. His touch, when he worked about his master, was

soft and light, his movements graceful, his ways gentle, but his mind was

jealous, vindictive and unforgiving.

I believe that he did not like me, through jealousy of the authority I had

attained in the establishment of Ras Thavas; for there was no questioning the

fact that I was a lieutenant, while he was but a slave; yet he always accorded

me the utmost respect. He was, however, merely a minor cog in the machinery of

the great institution presided over by the sovereign mind of Ras Thavas, and as

such I had given him little consideration; nor did I now as I bent my steps

towards the office.

I had gone but a short distance when I recalled a matter of importance upon

which it was necessary for me to obtain instructions from Ras Thavas

immediately; and so I wheeled about and retraced my way towards his apartments,

through the open doorway of which, as I approached, I heard the new voice of the

master surgeon. Ras Thavas had always spoken in rather loud tones, whether as a

vocal reflection of his naturally domineering and authoritative character, or

because of his deafness, I do not know; and now, with the fresh young vocal

cords of his new body, his words rang out clearly and distinctly in the corridor

leading to his room.

"You will, therefore, Yamdor," he was saying, "go at once and, selecting two

slaves in whose silence and discretion you may trust, take the subject from the

apartments of Vad Varo and destroy it – let no vestige of body or brain remain.

Immediately after, you will bring the two slaves to the laboratory F-30-L,

permitting them to speak to no one, and I will consign them to silence and

forgetfulness for eternity.

"Vad Varo will discover the absence of the subject and report the matter to me.

During my investigation you will confess that you aided 4296-E-2631-H to escape,

but that you have no idea where it intended going. I will sentence you to death

as punishment, but at last explaining how urgently I need your services and upon

your solemn promise never to transgress again, I will defer punishment for the

term of your continued good behaviour. Do you thoroughly understand the entire

plan?"

"Yes, master," replied Yamdor.

"Then depart at once and select the slaves who are to assist you."

Quickly and silently I sped along the corridor until the first intersection

permitted me to place myself out of sight of anyone coming from Ras Thavas'

apartment; then I went directly to the chamber occupied by Valla Dia. Unlocking

the door I threw it open and beckoned her to come out. "Quick! Valla Dia!" I

cried. "No time is to be lost. In attempting to save you I have but brought

destruction upon you. First we must find a hiding place for you, and that at

once – afterwards we can plan for the future."

The place that first occurred to me as affording adequate concealment was the

half forgotten vaults in the pits beneath the laboratories, and towards these I

hastened Valla Dia. As we proceeded I narrated all that had transpired, nor did

she once reproach me; but, instead, expressed naught but gratitude for what she

was pleased to designate as my unselfish friendship. That it had miscarried, she

assured me, was no reflection upon me and she insisted that she would rather die

in the knowledge that she possessed one such friend than to live on

indefinitely, friendless.

We came at last to the chamber I sought – vault L-42-X, in building 4-J-21,

where reposed the bodies of the ape and the man, each of which possessed half

the brain of the other. Here I was forced to leave VaIla Dia for the time, that

I might hasten to the office and perform the duties imposed upon me by Ras

Tbavas, lest his suspicions be aroused when Yamdor reported that he had found

her apartment vacant.

I reached the office without it being discovered by anyone who might report the

fact to Ras Thavas that I had been a long time coming from his apartment. To my

relief, I found there were no cases.