World Without End Page #6

led to hatred, treachery, death.

But we must be thankful

that a terrible injustice was avoided.

We all join in asking forgiveness

of these brave men...

...who are willing to risk their lives

to help us.

Now we, in turn, must help then.

I direct our artisans

and craftsmen in particular...

...to give Dr. Galbraithe and his men

their complete cooperation.

Hello, Deena, how do you feel?

Fine, thank you.

You all right, darling?

Another day or so

and you'll be good as new, Deena.

Hi, Deena, how are you?

Fine.

Counted your fingers lately?

I had a hunch about that,

so I fired it from a vice.

Powder too strong or barrel too weak?

A little of each, I guess. It's not easy

for lads who never made a gun...

...to come up with a good one.

- That's quite evident.

How's the recruiting, doc?

Timmek thinks he's persuaded

about 20 of his young men to join us.

What does it matter

whether you have 20 or a hundred?

They will fail you

just as that weapon did.

They'll not stand fast

when danger threatens.

Not one of them

has ever fought before.

Then we'll go it alone.

But you'll be killed.

The beasts watch our tunnels

day and night.

You may kill 20, 50 of them,

but there are hundreds.

Can you kill them all?

No. You don't need to.

We don't need to, Deena?

Only the ugly ones fight.

They are the masters.

The mutates would be the only ones

we'd have to contend with.

And they may not be as numerous

as we think.

Well, even they

might be too much for us.

How do we fight several hundred savages

with pistols that burst?

With ammunition that misfires?

If only we had something more powerful

than pistols to fight with.

Against those monsters, a battery

of field artillery wouldn't be too...

Hey, wait a minute.

I think I've got it.

What's the simplest, hardest-hitting

piece of artillery you know of?

A hunk of pipe

with the wallop of a field gun.

Of course, a rocket launcher.

The good old bazooka.

Henry, I think you've hit it.

We'd have to give up the firearms,

but I think it's worth it.

I certainly agree. Hank, it's your baby.

- Get started on it, will you?

- Right, doc.

- Are things about ready?

- About as ready as they'll ever be.

Good.

We just had another talk with Deena.

It seems that the mutates' selection

of a leader is straight from the Stone Ages.

The brute who kills all his rivals

becomes leader.

And he holds the office

until someone kills him.

For a long time now, the leader

has been a charming fellow called Naga...

...who seems to have all the sweetness

and lovability of a mad dog.

If we could get him,

it would simplify everything.

Well, maybe we'll get lucky.

Maybe we will.

Well, we'll find that out tomorrow.

I regret we are unable

to give you more active assistance.

Your workmen have given us

the assistance we need.

Good luck. I wish I could go with you.

Whatever happens, our thanks.

Open the door.

That passage there.

It's got ambush written all over it.

Let's find out.

Right you are, my boy.

See if this little old gadget works, huh?

I guess that did it.

Look out.

Ammunition, Hank.

Watch it, John.

- He's not a mutate.

- Eh.

Deena said they wouldn't fight.

Reinforcements coming.

- Hank.

- Yes, sir.

Good shot, Herb.

Suppose you take our prisoner back,

have Deena question him.

Find out what they're likely to do.

Then load up with ammo

and come on back.

All right.

- Mm-hmm.

- Come on, handsome.

Come on.

Go.

They seem to be gathering

in that thicket down there.

Wanna try a long shot?

Check, skipper.

Okay, John.

Hit the jackpot, skipper.

Here they come.

Deena.

What did you wanna go

and bring Deena for?

Bring her? She popped out

before anybody could stop her.

She brought me.

Well, what about the prisoner?

Did you get his story?

We got his story all right.

He thinks Naga is going

to order the people back to the caves.

- That's not good.

- What about Deena?

- Don't you think we ought to send her back?

- No.

I can help.

You probably can.

If they are holed up in caves...

...we'll have a lot of palavering to do.

We can use her.

All clear down there?

All clear. After that last shot...

...they took the hint and kept going.

- Come on.

Well, are they in there or not?

Look.

This boy probably tried

to make a break for it.

Oh, he's just a kid.

Murdering swine.

Question is,

where are the rest of the people?

Herded into a couple

of the big caves, probably.

Well, there's one way to find out.

Wait a minute, Hank.

Good military procedure to send out

a scout. You said so yourself.

- Cover me.

- Now, Hank.

- This isn't your kind of racket. I'll go.

- No.

- I'm grabbing the check on this one.

- Hank.

Let him go, John.

Well, it's pretty bad,

but it could be worse.

A little lower

and it might have punctured a lung.

Naga says he has killed many of my people.

He says he will kill all of them.

That settles it.

We've got to get them out.

But how? If we blast them out, we'll kill

every man, woman and child in the cave.

Deena, tell Naga he's a coward,

a killer of children.

- Tell him to come out and fight me.

- No.

Wait a minute.

Are you out of your mind?

Go tell him, Deena.

Naga. Naga.

Naga says you do not fight like a man.

He says you use thunder and lightning

on your side.

Tell Naga I'll leave my lightning

and thunder behind me.

Tell him I'll fight him with this and this.

Naga.

- He says he will fight you.

- You haven't a chance...

...against those animals.

- Yes I have, Herb.

I'm supposed to be a civilized man.

I'm supposed to have an advantage up here.

You have no advantage.

This is nothing but a matter...

...of strength and reflexes.

The savage has the advantage.

I'll plug him as soon

as he shows his ugly face.

Don't do it, Hank.

They'd kill every human in the cave.

Well, he's got only one eye.

No depth perception.

Take it easy, Hank.

Keep on his blind side, John.

Tell them I'm the chief now.

Tell them to go.

Chief is dead. Long live the chief.

You see, the water lines must go in first.

Then there will be no delay

in other operations.

Yes, it's quite clear. Thank you.

Sir.

I would hardly have dared hope for this.

You have accomplished so much

in a few short months.

Everywhere I look, I see new marvels.

I am.

You are. He, she or it is.

We are.

You are.

They are.

That's good. That's very good.

Now, let's try the verb to go. Ready?

I go.

You go.

He, she or it goes.

There is one of your marvels.

The children of the men we once hated...

...learning our language

so that they may work with us.

Marvel in more ways than one.

Jaffe will never forget

the loss of his family.

But so long as he has children

who need him, he won't be too unhappy.

A few months ago, some of those children

were listless, puny little things.

Which are the puny ones now?

What we're looking at

may well be the rebirth of the human race.

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