Store of the Worlds: The Stories of Robert Sheckley Read Free Page B

had talked with them.
    â€œIf I understood right,” Hum said, “They are ordering us not to kill any more of our women!”
    â€œWhat!” Cordovir and a dozen others shouted.
    â€œI’ll ask them again.” Hum went back into conference with the monsters who were waving metal sticks in their tentacles.
    â€œThat’s right,” Hum said. Without further preamble he flipped his tail, throwing one of the monsters across the village square. Immediately the others began to point their sticks while retreating rapidly.
    After they were gone, the villagers found that seventeen males were dead. Hum, for some reason, had been missed.
    â€œNow will you believe me!” Cordovir shouted. “The creatures told a deliberate untruth ! They said they wouldn’t molest us and then they proceed to kill seventeen of us! Not only an amoral act—but a concerted death effort !”
    It was almost past human understanding.
    â€œA deliberate untruth!” Cordovir shouted the blasphemy, sick with loathing. Men rarely discussed the possibility of anyone telling an untruth.
    The villagers were beside themselves with anger and revulsion, once they realized the full concept of an untruthful creature. And, added to that was the monsters’ concerted death effort!
    It was like the most horrible nightmare come true. Suddenly it became apparent that these creatures didn’t kill females. Undoubtedly they allowed them to spawn unhampered. The thought of that was enough to make a strong man retch.
    The surplus females broke out of their pens and, joined by the wives, demanded to know what was happening. When they were told, they were twice as indignant as the men, such being the nature of women.
    â€œKill them!” the surplus females roared. “Don’t let them change our ways. Don’t let them introduce immorality!”
    â€œIt’s true,” Hum said sadly. “I should have guessed it.”
    â€œâ€™They must be killed at once!” a female shouted. Being surplus, she had no name at present, but she made up for that in blazing personality.
    â€œWe women desire only to live moral, decent lives, hatching eggs in the pen until our time of marriage comes. And then twenty-five ecstatic days! How could we desire more? These monsters will destroy our way of life. They will make us as terrible as they!”
    â€œNow do you understand?” Cordovir screamed at the men. “I warned you, I presented it to you, and you ignored me! Young men must listen to old men in time of crisis!” In his rage he killed two youngsters with a blow of his tail. The villagers applauded.
    â€œDrive them out,” Cordovir shouted. “Before they corrupt us!”
    All the females rushed off to kill the monsters.
    â€œThey have death-sticks,” Hum observed. “Do the females know?”
    â€œI don’t believe so,” Cordovir said. He was completely calm now. “You’d better go and tell them.”
    â€œI’m tired,” Hum said sulkily. “I’ve been translating. Why don’t you go?”
    â€œOh, let’s both go,” Cordovir said, bored with the youngster’s adolescent moodiness. Accompanied by half the villagers they hurried off after the females.
    They overtook them on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the object. Hum explained the death-sticks while Cordovir considered the problem.
    â€œRoll stones on them,” he told the females. “Perhaps you can break the metal of the object.”
    The females started rolling stones down the cliffs with great energy. Some bounced off the metal of the object. Immediately, lines of red fire came from the object and females were killed. The ground shook.
    â€œLet’s move back,” Cordovir said. “The females have it well in hand, and this shaky ground makes me giddy.”
    Together with the rest of the males they moved to a safe distance and watched the action.
    Women