On the wall a red light blinked three times. But Neju did not notice it. Frantically his hands sought holds in the trunks of the wall. "Here's one of them!" someone cried above. "Over here!" "They didn't catch us asleep this time!" another voice said. "I toldja they'd be back!" There was swearing, and Neju froze, terrified. Above him, the pounding of many boots. "What's wrong with this light?... Ah, there!" And the light came on. It cut a path across the grasses. A weapon hissed in the direction of a shadow. "They're out there somewhere!" "I don't see 'em!" A weapon hissed again. "See something?" "Nah. Thought I did's all." Neju pressed in against the wall. The light put him in full view but still they did not look down. Neju glanced toward his comrades. As yet those on the wall had not seen them. "Hey! Look!" a god-man screamed. "There's one!" Neju looked up. "Right there!" And Neju tensed, waiting. "Well, I'll be damned!" Neju was looking into two of their faces; the faces were demon controlled, contorted with fear and hate. He saw one of the god-men bring up a weapon. He stared unbelieving into it. It spurted flame. In his left side he felt a hot searing arrow of fire. His hands relaxed and he was falling. He fell a long time, through sickness and unreality. Then he was not falling. In the distance he heard the drum beats and cries from his people. He wanted to tell them something. He twitched in pain trying to cry out. "Look!" the god-men cried. * * * * * The natives burst from the forest crying encouragement to the god-men. "Take heart! Turn on the demons! We will free you! Join us!" "Like sitting ducks!" someone on the wall screamed in elation. "Look at 'em come! Crazy! Chatterin' like monkeys!" The natives were nearer, shaking their noise makers, screaming. Someone on the wall smiled and fired and one of the natives stumbled and fell. "Like sitting ducks!" he screamed. The other god-men began swiveling their most powerful weapons, focusing the natives in their sights. And still the natives came, crying that the god-men take heart. _And then the ground trembled!_ The forest behind the natives began to crackle; trees came apart in all directions flying like matchwood. A giant being trampled aside all obstructions with invincible power. Then the metal monster was clear of the forest. It hovered carefully over, around, between the natives. The stockade light swung, halted. And a concerted gasp went up from the wall; then curses of terror. There it stood. A shining colossus. Huge. And serene beyond imagining. It was facing the stockade. It had traveled far: from the deep, sheltered cave in the far north--where it had rested in silence until, upon its vastly complex and sensitive electronic brain it had received the commands of its owners. After many, many years, as the little child master had thought, they had need of it. It moved again.