an's planet. It cried out in silent protest for it knew it
was alone in this world of men.

And it knew it would remain alone, friendless. For what manner of men
such as the other part of its mind showed would react in a friendly
fashion? Where would be their common meeting ground? There could only be
one, it knew. And that one was fear. Fear and the hate that went with
it.

A growl left its lips again, and Gaddon's thoughts tried to force their
way through. Tried and failed again.

But was it necessary to want companionship? It thought about that for a
moment. And then the alien beast thoughts grew sharper, clearer. It knew
suddenly that it did not want man's compassion. It knew that there was
only one driving thought in it. Hate. Hate that would inspire fear. Fear
that would freeze its victim into terror. And terror that would be
replaced by death. And then it would be happy again. Happy to sit and
fondle the thing that had been alive. And it knew something else. It
knew that a hunger would have to be satisfied. A hunger that called for
flesh.

Deep, primeval thoughts raced through it then. Thoughts that were
spawned in the ancient jungles of a new and steaming world. A world
where great cats roamed, where screams of cat-rage split the air as
tawny bodies arced in lightning leaps to land on the trembling bodies of
their victims. It was a satisfying thought. A thought that spanned the
ages of Earth, a sense that was inherent in all cat minds through the
ages.

And as the thought raced through that portion of its mind, the part that
was Gaddon struggled to fight it back. For it realized with a sickness
that spread horror through it that the thought was part of the animal
existence that had been created in him. Part of the monster that lay by
instinct in all feline creatures. And Gaddon knew that the dead creature
at his feet, the limp and twisted body of the cat, had died long before
his hands had crushed it in their mighty grip. For the essence of that
life, that animal existence, had been merged with him, fused by a mighty
source from outer space.

* * * * *

And as he struggled with the thought, fought to regain the balance of
control of the strange body that was now his, the rocket chamber swayed
in a gust of wind from without. And as he clutched the sides of the
chamber with his strong claw-like hands, the chamber gave a bounding
lurch as it struck the ground a glancing blow.