man.
But back nearer the fringe of the live radiation, where man could not go-who ruled there? And if there should ever be another Blast....
Why was he surprised to find men here? He had known this would be the case; that was why he had come first to this spot. This had been the birthing place of the empire;
He approached the camp and was promptly challenged. 'Halt! Which tribe are you bound to?' a hefty staffer demanded, eyeing his tunic as though trying to identify his weapon.
'No tribe. Let me see your leader.'
'What's your name?'
'I am nameless. Let me see your leader.'
The staffer scowled. 'Stranger, you're overdue for a lesson in manners.'
Sos reached out slowly and put one hand under the staff. He lifted.
'Hey, what are you-I' But the man had either to let go or to follow; he could not overcome. In a moment he was reaching for the sky, as Sos's single arm forced the staff and both the man's hands up.
Sos twisted with contemptuous gravity, and the staffer was wrenched around helplessly. 'If you do not take me to your master, I will carry you there myself.' He brought the weapon down suddenly and the man fell, still clinging to it.
Others had collected by this time to stare. Sos brought up his other hand, shifted his grip to the two ends of the rod, while the staffer foolishly hung on, bent it into a spendid half-circle. He let go, leaving the useless instrument in the hands of its owner.
Very shortly, he was ushered into the leader's presence.
It was Sav.
'What can I do for you, strongster?' Sav inquired, not recognizing him under the mauled features and albino hair. 'Things are pretty busy right now, but if you come to enlist-'
'What you can do for me is to identify yourself and your tribe and turn both over to me.' For once he was glad of the harshness inherent in his voice.
Sav laughed good-naturedly. 'I'm Sav the Staff, in charge of staff-training for Sol, master of empire. Unless you come from Sol, I'm turning nothing over to you.'
'I do not come from Sol. I come to vanquish him and rule in his stead.'
'Just like that, huh? Well, mister nameless, you can start here. We'll put up a man against you in the circle, and you'll either take him or join our tribe. What's your weapon?'
'I have no weapon but my hands.'
Sav studied him with interest. 'Now, let me get this straight. You don't have a name, you don't have a tribe and you don't have a weapon-but you figure to take over this camp?'
'Yes.'
'Well, maybe I'm a little slow today, but I don't quite follow how you plan to do that.'
'I will break you in the circle.'
Sav burst out laughing. 'Without a weapon?'
'Are you afraid to meet me?'
'Mister, I wouldn't meet you if you had a weapow. Not unless you had a tribe the size of this one to put up against it. Don't you know the rules?'
'I had hoped to save time.'
Sav looked at him more carefully. 'You know, you remind me of someone. Not your face, not your voice..You-'
'Select some man to meet me, then, and I will take him and all that follow him from you, until the tribe is
